her heart but pushed aside the paralyzing fear. She needed to channel all of her energy into action.
“He’s awfully hot,” June whispered fearfully. “Did you hear Pearl’s baby died last week from the fever?”
“I won’t hear any talk like that,” Rose said firmly. “It won’t help to imagine the worst. We just have to deal with what is.” She cast in her mind for a way to help June. “Sing to him,” she said suddenly.
“What?” June asked in a startled voice.
“Sing to him,” Rose repeated. “The music will help calm him.”
June swallowed hard; then she began to sing in a quavering soprano.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low
Sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home.
Rose joined in, her soft voice crooning the words that had carried her and Moses to safety during their escape. As always, the words gave her renewed strength.
I looked over Jordan
And what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home.
The words faded away, but Simon’s cries had lessened, and the stark fear was gone from June’s eyes. “Thank you,” June said quietly. She said no more but continued to hum soothingly as she battled to bring Simon’s fever down.
Rose watched for a few minutes and then picked up the bucket to go fetch fresh water. As she hurried down the street, now alive with throngs of people, she nodded and smiled at the many people who spoke to her but didn’t slow her pace. Her bucket full, she made her way back toward the cabin. She wished she could bring a doctor back to treat the sick baby. The government had finally provided one doctor for the thousands of people in the camps, but he was woefully overworked, and medicine was scarce. Only the most desperate cases warranted his attention, and by then it was usually too late. Rose ground her teeth in frustration. How long would her people have to continue to pay the ultimate price in their quest for freedom and equality?
Rose could hear Simon’s wails as she approached the cabin. For a moment she thought longingly of Aunt Abby’s luxurious home in Philadelphia - of the sumptuous bedroom she and Moses had shared after they had escaped Cromwell Plantation. Aunt Abby had begged her to return to Philadelphia to have her baby, but Rose had refused, believing her place was here in the camps. Had she made a mistake? Was she bringing sickness and death on her unborn child? Her steps faltered for a moment but then strengthened. Her place was here - with her people. She would just have to deal with what came.
Rose and June worked over Simon all morning. Finally, just before lunch, his fever abated and his cries diminished to a weak whimper. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew the battle was far from over. “I wish I’d listened to my mama more,” she said wistfully.
“You mean about all them herbs she used?”
Rose nodded. “I used to look down my nose at them, convinced white medicine was more effective. Carrie, however, learned all she could. I’d give anything to know all the secret things my mama used to bring down fevers and take care of illness.”
June shrugged. “Ain’t no use wishing for what you can’t have.” She paused, stroking Simon’s forehead. “I don’t
“He’s awfully hot,” June whispered fearfully. “Did you hear Pearl’s baby died last week from the fever?”
“I won’t hear any talk like that,” Rose said firmly. “It won’t help to imagine the worst. We just have to deal with what is.” She cast in her mind for a way to help June. “Sing to him,” she said suddenly.
“What?” June asked in a startled voice.
“Sing to him,” Rose repeated. “The music will help calm him.”
June swallowed hard; then she began to sing in a quavering soprano.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low
Sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home.
Rose joined in, her soft voice crooning the words that had carried her and Moses to safety during their escape. As always, the words gave her renewed strength.
I looked over Jordan
And what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home.
The words faded away, but Simon’s cries had lessened, and the stark fear was gone from June’s eyes. “Thank you,” June said quietly. She said no more but continued to hum soothingly as she battled to bring Simon’s fever down.
Rose watched for a few minutes and then picked up the bucket to go fetch fresh water. As she hurried down the street, now alive with throngs of people, she nodded and smiled at the many people who spoke to her but didn’t slow her pace. Her bucket full, she made her way back toward the cabin. She wished she could bring a doctor back to treat the sick baby. The government had finally provided one doctor for the thousands of people in the camps, but he was woefully overworked, and medicine was scarce. Only the most desperate cases warranted his attention, and by then it was usually too late. Rose ground her teeth in frustration. How long would her people have to continue to pay the ultimate price in their quest for freedom and equality?
Rose could hear Simon’s wails as she approached the cabin. For a moment she thought longingly of Aunt Abby’s luxurious home in Philadelphia - of the sumptuous bedroom she and Moses had shared after they had escaped Cromwell Plantation. Aunt Abby had begged her to return to Philadelphia to have her baby, but Rose had refused, believing her place was here in the camps. Had she made a mistake? Was she bringing sickness and death on her unborn child? Her steps faltered for a moment but then strengthened. Her place was here - with her people. She would just have to deal with what came.
Rose and June worked over Simon all morning. Finally, just before lunch, his fever abated and his cries diminished to a weak whimper. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew the battle was far from over. “I wish I’d listened to my mama more,” she said wistfully.
“You mean about all them herbs she used?”
Rose nodded. “I used to look down my nose at them, convinced white medicine was more effective. Carrie, however, learned all she could. I’d give anything to know all the secret things my mama used to bring down fevers and take care of illness.”
June shrugged. “Ain’t no use wishing for what you can’t have.” She paused, stroking Simon’s forehead. “I don’t
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