Remembering Sarah Morse Borden

Whatever you believe about the guilt or innocence of Lizzie Borden, I have always believed film makers do a great injustice to the story by not beginning at the beginning- the death on March 26, 1863 of the first Mrs. Borden. In the dying moments of Sarah Morse, Emma takes on the weight of the care of her little sister, not yet three years old. Emma herself was just 12 on March 1st. Emma has seen her mother suffer for a long time, seen her pain and loss of little Alice Esther. Emma is old enough to understand it all. Lizzie cannot realize what is happening to her mother but Emma will bear the grief of this moment her entire life. It will influence her feelings towards her father for remarrying and her actions toward her new stepmother in 1865. Being sent away to school does not alter Emma’s opinion, Her attitude will influence her younger sister. It is a story as old as time- and it is the beginning of the Borden story which has captivated so many throughout the decades.