Josephine, who was the nicest nun by far, her missing teeth plain to see when she smiled, the only one who never even threatened to use the paddle, even she had told Cora firmly that such questions were impertinent, and that she should consider herself a child of God, and a fortunate one at that.
One day, not long after she had lost her first tooth, Cora became even more fortunate. At least that was what she was told at the time. Sister Delores would be taking her on a little trip, along with six of the other younger girls. They would need to be on their best behavior, leaving quietly while the other girls were in the laundry. They would need to leave right away. They would need to button their sweaters, as there was a chill in the air.
Cora, holding Mary Jane’s hand, assumed she would be back in time for supper. She felt only excitement, a thrilling break from the routine, as she and Mary Jane followed Patricia and Little Rose and the other lucky girls, who followed Sister Delores, down the steps and through the big front door, and finally, out the front gate onto the street, which Cora had only seen from the upstairs window. Even Mary Jane, who’d already lost all her baby teeth and grown new ones back, who could do a perfect backbend, seemed afraid. They followed Sister Delores around a corner, and all at once, there were people everywhere, some walking, some in carriages, the horses going clip clop clip clop , everyone moving quickly. They had to take big steps to avoid piles of filth that came from the horses. Cora pulled the collar of her sweater against her nose, breathing through the wool. Sister Delores had to lift her habit from time to time, and Cora saw her black stockings. They were torn above each heel, the white of her skin showing through.
At the next corner, Sister Delores stopped walking, and told them they would wait there for an omnibus. None of them knew what an omnibus was, but they were all too afraid of Sister Delores to ask. On the omnibus, she said, they were to sit quietly, as close to her as possible. They were not to talk with any strangers or try to make any friends. She wanted them to know that there would be a rope stretching the length of the omnibus, and that it was attached to the ankle of the driver. She knew they would be curious about the rope, and so she would tell them now it was to let the driver know when to stop. If someone wanted to get off at a certain location, he or she pulled the rope, and the driver would stop the horses. Sister Delores hoped all the girls understood that she would be the only one in their group who would touch the rope, as she was the only one who knew where they were going. If one of the girls thought it would be clever to pull the rope and make the driver stop with no reason, that was fine. But the clever girl should understand that when the omnibus stopped, the clever girl would, in fact, be getting off, and getting off alone.
On the omnibus, which turned out to be a covered cart with benches, pulled by a sad brown horse, the girls were very quiet, their hands clasped in their laps. No one touched, or even looked at, the rope.
Their destination was a redbrick building with high windows and a cod-liver smell. As they walked in, Sister Delores said hello to a woman in spectacles who was not a nun and told her she and her girls would need a private moment. The woman with spectacles smiled and showed them into a room with a cross and a painting of Jesus and a flag of the United States. There were wooden chairs, most of them sized for children. When the woman who was not a nun left, Sister Delores asked the girls to sit, and then she sat in a bigger chair, and smiled at them with her pretty face, and told them they were not on a little trip at all. In fact, she said, still smiling, they were about to be sent on a great adventure, courtesy of the Children’s Aid Society, which had raised great sums of money to help girls just like them.
“You’re being
One day, not long after she had lost her first tooth, Cora became even more fortunate. At least that was what she was told at the time. Sister Delores would be taking her on a little trip, along with six of the other younger girls. They would need to be on their best behavior, leaving quietly while the other girls were in the laundry. They would need to leave right away. They would need to button their sweaters, as there was a chill in the air.
Cora, holding Mary Jane’s hand, assumed she would be back in time for supper. She felt only excitement, a thrilling break from the routine, as she and Mary Jane followed Patricia and Little Rose and the other lucky girls, who followed Sister Delores, down the steps and through the big front door, and finally, out the front gate onto the street, which Cora had only seen from the upstairs window. Even Mary Jane, who’d already lost all her baby teeth and grown new ones back, who could do a perfect backbend, seemed afraid. They followed Sister Delores around a corner, and all at once, there were people everywhere, some walking, some in carriages, the horses going clip clop clip clop , everyone moving quickly. They had to take big steps to avoid piles of filth that came from the horses. Cora pulled the collar of her sweater against her nose, breathing through the wool. Sister Delores had to lift her habit from time to time, and Cora saw her black stockings. They were torn above each heel, the white of her skin showing through.
At the next corner, Sister Delores stopped walking, and told them they would wait there for an omnibus. None of them knew what an omnibus was, but they were all too afraid of Sister Delores to ask. On the omnibus, she said, they were to sit quietly, as close to her as possible. They were not to talk with any strangers or try to make any friends. She wanted them to know that there would be a rope stretching the length of the omnibus, and that it was attached to the ankle of the driver. She knew they would be curious about the rope, and so she would tell them now it was to let the driver know when to stop. If someone wanted to get off at a certain location, he or she pulled the rope, and the driver would stop the horses. Sister Delores hoped all the girls understood that she would be the only one in their group who would touch the rope, as she was the only one who knew where they were going. If one of the girls thought it would be clever to pull the rope and make the driver stop with no reason, that was fine. But the clever girl should understand that when the omnibus stopped, the clever girl would, in fact, be getting off, and getting off alone.
On the omnibus, which turned out to be a covered cart with benches, pulled by a sad brown horse, the girls were very quiet, their hands clasped in their laps. No one touched, or even looked at, the rope.
Their destination was a redbrick building with high windows and a cod-liver smell. As they walked in, Sister Delores said hello to a woman in spectacles who was not a nun and told her she and her girls would need a private moment. The woman with spectacles smiled and showed them into a room with a cross and a painting of Jesus and a flag of the United States. There were wooden chairs, most of them sized for children. When the woman who was not a nun left, Sister Delores asked the girls to sit, and then she sat in a bigger chair, and smiled at them with her pretty face, and told them they were not on a little trip at all. In fact, she said, still smiling, they were about to be sent on a great adventure, courtesy of the Children’s Aid Society, which had raised great sums of money to help girls just like them.
“You’re being
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