But she endures, taking care of the children and actually saving the family during the dramatic climax of the story. This results in Marguerite having to suppress parts of her culture. The Protestant Stanley family members hate the French and the Catholic religion. The French and Indian War is occurring at the same time, with battles being fought between English settlers, Native Americans and the French. There, they do the brutally difficult work of clearing the land to begin farming. Stanley feels that Marblehead, Massachusetts is too settled and takes the family to a farm in the wilderness of Maine. The ship’s captain puts her ashore and the Stanley family agrees to take Marguerite as a bound-out girl. Her grandmother is also on the journey, but tragedy strikes and both her uncle and grandmother die of disease off the coast of New England. Already an orphan, her free-spirited uncle takes her from the safe confines of a convent school, planning to immigrate to Quebec. How quickly life changes for young Marguerite Ledoux. The name of this inspiring story is “Calico Bush.” Thirteen-year-old Marguerite Ledoux is bound out to a New England family settling in the wild of Maine. Rachel Field writes an inspiring account of one bound out girl. This makes life very uncertain for all indentured people. Though many masters are undoubtedly kind, there is no guarantee that servants will be treated well. The uncertain parts are the years before reaching adulthood.

This, of course, was the happy result of the process. After receiving their freedom, the former indentured servants can go anywhere they want.

They work for their masters until reaching their 18th birthday. Indentured young women were frequently called “bound out girls.” The process for each sex was the same. This usually means the indentured people work for a family from the time of their arrival, until they reach the age of 18. In colonial times, many people came to the American Colonies as indentured servants. Macmillan Press, New York, 224 pages, 1966 (original publication 1931) Grades 4-6. “Calico Bush” by Rachel Field, illustrated by Allen Lewis

Calico bush by rachel field