The Sinful Secret From Her Childhood That Will Give You Chills

I have posted clips from my documentary before on YouTube and have been asked many questions in the comments about it. So I decided to tell the background story. My video presents the entire interview.

It is a strange and sad story and my doc details the efforts that my team over a nine-month period to investigate it. We concluded that, even with the minor errors that Nettie Mitchell may have made in telling it, the basic story was true.

I took the interview that you are watching here to the executive producer of PBS American Experience series and she gave us the funds to make a one-hour documentary that both investigated the story and dramatized it titled Sins Of Our Mothers.

Some of the people that you see in this film clip corroborated what Nettie told my cameraman back in the 1975 when he recorded this interview. And I complement PBS for running a story like this involved with the Oedipus complex, Puritan sin (really sin in any culture), the sex abuse difficulties young women endured when they went to work in the mills of Massachusetts back in the mid-1800s.

Sin was a central concept in Puritan theology and was taken very seriously in New England during the 1800s. The Puritans believed that human beings were born sinful and that salvation could only be attained through faith in Jesus Christ.

In Puritan New England, sin was not just a personal failing but a crime against God and society. Puritan communities were tightly controlled with strict rules to prevent sinful behavior. Puritan ministers preached about sin regularly and sin was viewed as a very real danger to the community. Punishments for sin were severe and included public shaming, fines, imprisonment and even banishment.

Puritans were particularly concerned with sexual sins such as adultery and fornication which they believed threatened the sanctity of marriage. They were also deeply opposed to gambling, drinking and other forms of "worldly" pleasure, which they saw as distractions from the pursuit of godliness.

Life for rural Maine farmers in 1850 was difficult and marked by hardship and isolation. Most farmers lived on small, family-owned farms. Farmers typically had to contend with a challenging climate, as the winters were long and harsh, and the growing season was short. The soil in Maine was also rocky and infertile, making it difficult to grow crops.

Farmers worked long hours, often starting before dawn and continuing until well after sunset, in order to tend to their crops and livestock. They relied heavily on manual labor, with most tasks performed by hand or with the help of draft animals such as horses or oxen.

In addition to the challenges of farming, rural Maine farmers also faced social and economic isolation. Many lived far from towns or cities and had limited access to markets or goods and services. They also had limited access to education and cultural amenities.

This may be why a rural Maine farmer family trusted that when they sent their daughter Emmeline to work in the Lowell woolen Mills, she would be safe and protected as the broadsides hosted around the state of Maine for all to read claimed.

But it is also true that throughout New England and maybe throughout the country at that time, shunning was an active part of community life. Shunning was a form of social ostracism where individuals who were seen as violating community norms or religious beliefs were publicly condemned and excluded from social interactions. Shunning was often used as a way to enforce moral standards in the community. Those who were accused of violating these standards, such as engaging in extramarital affairs or consuming alcohol, would be publicly shamed and excluded from social events, including church services. Those who were shunned would be denied access to critical resources, such as food and supplies, and would be excluded from the support and assistance of their community.

Individuals who were shunned experienced significant social and economic hardship. They might lose their livelihoods or be forced to move away from their communities in order to avoid the stigma of being shunned. Despite its harshness, shunning was seen as an important way to maintain the moral fabric of the community. It was used as a way to enforce social norms and to discourage behaviors that were seen as immoral or sinful.

All of the above helps to understand how & why what happened to Emmeline according to Nettie Mitchell, could have happened. For me Nettie Mitchell was a courageous journalist/storyteller. She held it inside for so long and was pleased when we made the documentary (titled Sins Of Our Mothers), & provoked Judith Rosner to write the book Emmeline. The money she received helped her live the rest of her life in some level of comfort.

I want to thank the advertisers who post on my video. They include Portland to Bar Harbor and Rome, Maine.
David Hoffman filmmaker

[margaretlouise]

In the very early 1950's when I was about six we lived near a sweet old lady who used to make us cookies after school. My sister and I used to go to see her everyday after school. My parents didn't know her, she was just our friend. Things were very different and far safer in those days. Thinking about it now, she lived alone, didn't seem to have a car or to leave the house. We had to cross a railroad track to get to her little house. One day, I was by myself and went to cross the railroad track on the way home. A train was coming and I was hesitating to cross but I didn't want to wait for a long train. The engineer was honking wildly and I could see him looking freaked because there was nothing he could do to stop the train. I saw my mother across the street, yelling don't cross, stay back! But I leapt across right at the last moment. The train was probably no more than 20 feet from me. I got a switching when my mother got hold of me. She said I could never go to see the old lady again. I guess as a kid it didn't strike me that my sister and I may have been the only company that old lady had in a day, but as I've gotten older and company gets scarcer, I have thought about it. No one phoned her and I don't know if she even had a phone. So I guess she made her cookies and no one came until she gave up. It must have been a shock and a great sadness to her for us to just stop coming. A while back, I searched for our old address. The neighborhood had hardly changed, I suppose because rail yards had grown up over time and no one really wanted to live there. Our house was pretty much as it had been. Believe it or not as I looked around the neighborhood I saw what must have been her old house still standing. Of course the old lady died long ago. It was very sad for me to realize what two little girls never returning without explanation might have meant to a lonely old soul. Wherever she is now, I hope she could hear me explaining to her what happened.

[joolst]

I once heard this saying from someone: “when an old person dies, a library burns down”. This story was *riveting*. A 🌹for Emmaline.

[melaniedwyer]

This story broke my heart. The very 1st time my mom had sex she became pregnant w me. She was only 15. Everyone except my father wanted me to b aborted. Everyone was very mean n rotten to my mom while she was pregnant. One day my mom was out shopping n needed to sit down. A woman moved over n told her to sit n was the only person that was kind to her during her entire pregnancy. The woman n her spoke for quite awhile. The woman's name was Melanie. I found this out by asking my mom one day where she came up w my name. I am named after the only person thar was kind to her during her entire pregnancy.

[JeanneStratton]

Omg😢. That Nettie woman NAILED it! The family FAR EXCEEDED her in ANY “sin”.

[Arid_OasisLLC]

So sad that as a 14 yr old child she was held accountable and not the man who took advantage of her.

[LydK]

What a heartbreaking story! A boss gets a young girl pregnant and she is shunned the rest of her life by a community that should have helped her and not criticize her. That’s appalling.

[lilahsadventures]

Nettie made her life matter by telling the ladies story and showing her kindness as a little girl ❤. RIP Emmeline ❤

[VemaReed]

Nettie is more exquisite in her storytelling than most nowadays so-called ''expert'' writers. Thank you for sharing.

[daenas]

When I was a kid in the 70s we lived with an elderly woman, born in the late 1800's, who my mother took care of and she would tell me fascinating stories of covered wagons, crossing the country, and how they had met Geronimo. Here was a woman who was born before cars and airplanes were common transportation. I loved listening to her.

[bigblackconference]

I was shunned for decades for not converting to my family's religion. Still rarely hear from them, and when we talk, it's mainly just polite conversation. I work hard to ensure that my children are united and love each other no matter what occurs. My legacy is to break the cycles of neglect, shunning, emotional and physical and "other abuses" -- BREAK THE CYCLES.

[kj-pnll]

I can barely wrap my head around this story and the amount of suffering this poor woman endured. Her life was ruined at 14, all while she was trying to make life easier for her parents and siblings.. What happened to the young man who got her pregnant I wonder? I bet *his* life wasn't ruined. He likely went on to marry and have other children, whereas the 14 year old he impregnated spent the rest of her life longing for her lost baby, only to find him years later and unknowingly fall in love with him, to find out the truth and once again be left alone. Shunned by the very family that sent her away in the first place.. My god.

[johncentamore]

The eloquent language of ages past..."She yielded to his persuasion". Poetic.

[catblack]

Nettie saw an opportunity to get a little justice for Emeline by telling her story to people who might get it out on a large scale. That's really beautiful

[curtissleypen]

When an elder dies, a library burns to the ground.

What a beautiful quote..we need to hang on to rhe wisdom and humility of our elders, in a world that is too fast and too cool 😎

Btw, This is not my quote, I seen it elsewhere and it is beautiful. Take care, God bless.

[KDbelieves]

Thank you for sharing this story. This has motivated me to visit an old lady I know.

She's a latino lady who lived in the same building I grew up in. No one really talks to her, and she lives alone. She doesn't speak any english, and I don't speak any Spanish, but yet we somehow communicate. She's very sweet and kind hearted.

I moved out of my parents place about a year ago and haven't gone to her apartment since. Honestly, I completely forgot about her. I will make sure to visit her today.

[jenniferholden]

I’m an ex psychiatric nurse, and I’m old now but the stories my patients told me were beyond belief. God bless them.

[dannycasey]

I was raised Jehovah Witness and left. I'm now shunned for 20 years. I wound up moving from my hometown because of being shunned by family and friends. It is a torturous thing to have loved ones look right through you and even turn around in grocery isle's rather than take a chance that I should say hello to them.
Now I have no network that loves me. I have a few neighbors to talk to but that really aren't there for me.
If you know someone that is shunned please be there for them and help them in times of need.

[susanfisher]

Robbed of her childhood by her parents. Robbed of her dignity by that pervert. Robbed of true love and then she died. Having watched this story many times, it is sad every time I watch it. Bless Emmaline.

[g.g.]

I’m 75 yrs old, my little old lady was Mrs. LaLon. I loved her alley cat, he was the biggest cat I’d ever seen. We’d stop daily to visit Mrs. LaLon and her cat which brought out the old ladies candy bowl 😊 one piece a day! If no candy? She’d bring out cookies. We all knew there was no one els but us but we were enough, she loved it. One day she wasn’t there! A few days go by still nothing 😢 we became sadder by the day it was such a hollow loss because there was no one to ask. After a few weeks there was someone cleaning out her house, we knew it was the end that she went to heaven and I was the last still looking to see her one last time to at least say goodbye but no, somehow I’d missed her. A few weeks later We moved from that neighborhood to a totally strange seemingly cold unfriendly place. One day playing on the sidewalk and a car pulled up, an older man and older lady got out….while assisting an even older lady. Something made me stop and just watch as they struggled to walk from the curb along the sidewalk to their steps. I remember this so clearly even now at age 75. The eldest of the three turned and looked at me, she waved and I started to wave back and suddenly screamed out, MRS. LALON? Yes, it’s me! The house right next door to the lonely place I moved!! Her SISTER said “she’s not well, give us a few minutes, I’ll open the door for you to come in.” It seemed forever but back she came and motioned for me to come in. I was so excited and instantly sad at the same time. Mrs. LaLon was all bundled up in night clothes and in her bed. She was beyond just not feeling well, as a child I’d guessed this was her time. We visited as I stood next to her bed. Her sister told me she left her apartment for the hospital and from there they brought her to their home. It seemed like such a short visit and I thought how lucky that I was the one to see her, got to talk and hear her words again. I had no idea she had one sister, her sister seemed to know all about me though! 😊 I could hear my mother yelling my name to come home…I knew it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and I said I’d be back another day, I was so happy going to bed that night. I forgot to ask about the cat! I thought we’ll, I’ll see her tomorrow. Tomorrow would never come for Mrs. LaLon, she passed away in her sleep! I like to think she hung on hoping we’d find each other one more time and we did even if it was for the last goodbye! I’m still so happy to this day that she must have known she was loved because I’ve always thought Love waited for that 10 year old little girl to say I missed you so much! That was the summer of 1959…story as clear as a bell as if it were yesterday. Thanks for listening. I think of her often still.

[TastemyAtrocity]

Think about how many stories like this have died, untold.