noticed her surprise. “Ain’t ya seen a woman nurse her child?”
“Actually, no,” Mia admitted. “I suppose it’s not something done in such a public way among my friends and family.”
“Ain’t public here. Just you and me. We bein’ womenfolk, I didn’t figure it a problem.”
Mia drew a deep breath. “Of course it’s not a problem. Your baby is hungry and it’s only natural she should eat.”
“He. It’s another boy. Maybelle here is the only girl child I have.”
“Are these all of your children?”
“No. I got me two other boys, but my husband got ’em work on the ships.”
Mia shook her head. “How old are they?”
“Thomas is nine and Robert is eleven. I ain’t seen ’em in nearly a year.”
Mia couldn’t begin to imagine having her children given over to the service of a ship at such a tender age. “It must be very hard to be without them.”
The woman shrugged. “They was two more mouths to feed. I cain’t say they would have been better off here. At least on the ship they’ll be fed regular-like.”
Mia could hardly bear it. “Tell me what problems you’ve encountered lately.”
“I told Elsie that I’d talk to you, but you cain’t tell anyone about this. You cain’t tell ’em my name.”
“Of course I won’t reveal your name. Let me tell you about what I’m doing. I work for a ladies magazine— Godey’s Lady’s Book. The lady editor there is Mrs. Sarah Hale. She cares very much about the plight of the seamen’s wives. She’s heard about the oppression put upon them to pay debts left behind by dead husbands or those who’ve gone to sea.”
“Does she know about the way some of them that’s owed come after us women for special attention?”
“Special attention?” Mia was uncertain what the woman was talking about.
“They expect to know us more intimately. They sometimes force themselves on us.”
Mia refrained from shuddering and nodded. “I had heard that this was a problem. Is it common?”
“Common enough. There’s one man in particular who . . .”
She fell silent and shook her head. “I cain’t talk about it.”
“What else can you tell me?”
The children were growing restless and pulling at the woman’s skirts. “Mama, can we go now? I’m hungry.”
“Cain’t go yet. You just sit down there on the floor and be quiet. Ain’t nothing to eat nohow.”
The children looked at Mia as though she were to blame. She immediately felt guilty and wished she’d thought to bring some kind of treat for them.
“I guess I’m lucky they haven’t been taken from me yet. There’s some of the women’s whose children are gone—payment for what they couldn’t manage.”
“Wait—are you trying to tell me that children are taken and sold to pay off the debts?”
“That’s right. I’ve been hiding my little ones. Glad the older boys are already workin’ at sea.”
“But it isn’t legal to take those children. I don’t understand. Who’s doing this?”
The woman seemed frightened by Mia’s reaction. “It’s getting late. I should be getting back.”
“Can’t you tell me who’s doing this?”
“I cain’t. If they was to find out I was the one—well, there’d be more trouble than I’d want to have. Just know that there ain’t a one of us who don’t live in fear.”
Mia sat back and shook her head. How could she help these people if they wouldn’t open up to her and give her the details she needed? “Can you at least tell me where you live?”
The woman shifted her now sleeping baby and did up the buttons on her blouse. “I s’pose it won’t do no harm.” She gave Mia the address and got to her feet. “Come on, young’uns.”
Mia wanted to walk with the woman—to promise her that there would be better days ahead. She stood and watched as the woman gathered her flock and started for the door.
“Wait. I have something for you.” Mia remembered the few coins in her pocket. “Here. I want you to have
“Actually, no,” Mia admitted. “I suppose it’s not something done in such a public way among my friends and family.”
“Ain’t public here. Just you and me. We bein’ womenfolk, I didn’t figure it a problem.”
Mia drew a deep breath. “Of course it’s not a problem. Your baby is hungry and it’s only natural she should eat.”
“He. It’s another boy. Maybelle here is the only girl child I have.”
“Are these all of your children?”
“No. I got me two other boys, but my husband got ’em work on the ships.”
Mia shook her head. “How old are they?”
“Thomas is nine and Robert is eleven. I ain’t seen ’em in nearly a year.”
Mia couldn’t begin to imagine having her children given over to the service of a ship at such a tender age. “It must be very hard to be without them.”
The woman shrugged. “They was two more mouths to feed. I cain’t say they would have been better off here. At least on the ship they’ll be fed regular-like.”
Mia could hardly bear it. “Tell me what problems you’ve encountered lately.”
“I told Elsie that I’d talk to you, but you cain’t tell anyone about this. You cain’t tell ’em my name.”
“Of course I won’t reveal your name. Let me tell you about what I’m doing. I work for a ladies magazine— Godey’s Lady’s Book. The lady editor there is Mrs. Sarah Hale. She cares very much about the plight of the seamen’s wives. She’s heard about the oppression put upon them to pay debts left behind by dead husbands or those who’ve gone to sea.”
“Does she know about the way some of them that’s owed come after us women for special attention?”
“Special attention?” Mia was uncertain what the woman was talking about.
“They expect to know us more intimately. They sometimes force themselves on us.”
Mia refrained from shuddering and nodded. “I had heard that this was a problem. Is it common?”
“Common enough. There’s one man in particular who . . .”
She fell silent and shook her head. “I cain’t talk about it.”
“What else can you tell me?”
The children were growing restless and pulling at the woman’s skirts. “Mama, can we go now? I’m hungry.”
“Cain’t go yet. You just sit down there on the floor and be quiet. Ain’t nothing to eat nohow.”
The children looked at Mia as though she were to blame. She immediately felt guilty and wished she’d thought to bring some kind of treat for them.
“I guess I’m lucky they haven’t been taken from me yet. There’s some of the women’s whose children are gone—payment for what they couldn’t manage.”
“Wait—are you trying to tell me that children are taken and sold to pay off the debts?”
“That’s right. I’ve been hiding my little ones. Glad the older boys are already workin’ at sea.”
“But it isn’t legal to take those children. I don’t understand. Who’s doing this?”
The woman seemed frightened by Mia’s reaction. “It’s getting late. I should be getting back.”
“Can’t you tell me who’s doing this?”
“I cain’t. If they was to find out I was the one—well, there’d be more trouble than I’d want to have. Just know that there ain’t a one of us who don’t live in fear.”
Mia sat back and shook her head. How could she help these people if they wouldn’t open up to her and give her the details she needed? “Can you at least tell me where you live?”
The woman shifted her now sleeping baby and did up the buttons on her blouse. “I s’pose it won’t do no harm.” She gave Mia the address and got to her feet. “Come on, young’uns.”
Mia wanted to walk with the woman—to promise her that there would be better days ahead. She stood and watched as the woman gathered her flock and started for the door.
“Wait. I have something for you.” Mia remembered the few coins in her pocket. “Here. I want you to have
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