Plighty

[...] — as the company is so small, the impresario is in a continual flap, having to nurse his people as much as he can, in case some sudden illness should fling him into the plightiest of plights, not being able to mount any show at all!

The government it can give, it loves to give to everybody, but if the government gives away that money, spreads all its money to the plighty, you know, it goes down.

The whole set of them were in a most plighty condition. Many were in rags, and not a few had their bodies covered with most offensive sores.