The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-09-03

whole cost of retaining, including manure
and seeds. We mean to show that there is n
great difficulty in obtaining twelve dollars
worth ofhay per acre, and an annual sur
plus sufficient to keep the land up to wha
it was at the commencement And yol
know what land is worth that yields net
income of twelve dollars per acre.-AlasS
Ploughman.
The AVAILABLE SKILLET.-In the win
ter of 1872, business led ME to journey in
northwestern Missouri then Il sparseiy set
tied and frontier country. Taverns there
were none, and their substitutes, Stands in
the phrase Of the country, poor and far be-
tween. l urged my weary horse forward
over the broad prairie, covered with snow and
mud, during several tedious hours, heading
toward distant grove, and m1sing all the
| time. The timber once reached, | may find
lodging for the night, tho't |. | soon did
reach the grove, and in it did find a single
log cabin, surrounded by low fence rails, worm
laid. The cabin was tenanted by young
married woman and her two children. The
husband was from home
AS rode up to the door, the woman came
unhesitatingly forward, and to my inquiry,
Can | be accommodated with entertainment
for the night Z" answered, 81 reckon so. We
never turns any, whether friends or foes -
They are all made comfortable at our house.
The stranger traveller would find cold lodg-
ing on this road, if we didn't keep limits
so far between stands. He is gone forty miles
to mill, and will be home tomorrow. l will
try to do my best,s you may as we'll come IN.
| thanked the kind-heartcd lady and accept
ed her invitation.
The truth prompts me to saythat, notwith-
standing the settlers were generally very poor,
and very illiterate, and possessed Of only a
few comforts or even conveniences, more
open-hearted, generously disposed, and less
suspecting people, | never found. To me,
Yankee educated, such welcome to the fire
sides of private families, as was every where
given to a perfect stranger, was unaccounta-
BE.
This woman to the eye, was rather attrac-
tive for the country; and by her mcin, show
ed that she was or felt herself to be, one OF
the "upper ten thousands J" a fact l soon
found corroborated Her husband was a can
didate for sheriff.
The rude, long pen, was the whole house,
parlor bedroom, pantry, kitchen, all In one.
Having asked for supper, took my seat at a
respectable distance from the fire, with moth
ing to divert my attention from the cooking
operations, and very curious to see how place
OF so little promise could make comfortable
The first motion towards my supper, was
the lady's bringing forth a skillet which WAS
good enough Of its kind Into this skillet, a
handful Of coffee was put; and then the parch-
ing browning and smoking operation was
commenced. The skillet being placed in the
blaze Of the fire, the process was soon over a;
and III the coffee failed in being well parched,
the deficiency was made up-lt was well
smoked.
The vessel was now duly cleansed filled
with water placed over the fire to boil, while
my hostess briskly ground the coffee. Soon
the boiling water from the skillet was set to
boil upon the Goals. BY this time my curl
osity had become excited by the double and
single use of the skillet; and watched with
increased interest Next the skillet was turn
ed into an oven, and three bullet-shaped
dodgers Qoavcs) of corn meal set q baking
My hostess then took a seat to entertain me
by her conversation. On my remarking up
on her lack for convenienccs, she answered.
Yes, stranger that's all truth; but we
now do so much better than when we first
came here-it seems, really, quite like living.
Then we pounded our corn in a hollow stump,
and baked our bread upon a chip but some
folks like iohnny-cake best but when he
bro't me this ere new skillet from Fort Usage,
felt my fortune was made; and could al
most use the skillet for thousand things be-
sides baking. Yes, stranger you may think
it queer, but when he brought me this skillet
l was gladder than if he had brought me the
best silk gown in St. Louis, and told him so;
for it does me more good than fifty dresses
could"
Iasscnted to all my hostess said; but after
all it was a tedious hour, this waiting for bread
to bake, while other supper operations were
suspended. My hostess after giving the
dodgers" three successive thumpings pro
duced them baked, to my very great satisfac-
ton, as the boiling coffee, sending its tempting
fumes, was cause sufficient for hungry tray
eler to be somewhat impatient. But as all
things must come to an end so the baking did
and my hopes revived as | saw the skillet re-
ceiving thorough fresh vblution. Large
slices of bacon were now placed in the skillet
and the frying process commenced in good
earnest which, over a hot fire, was soon en-
died. and my supper was pronounced ready.
| Never did a hungry Spartan come to his
dish of soup with keener relish. Fatigue
and waiting had given me true Spartan sea-
soning and gave good evidence of the skill
of the cook, il partaking largely of each OF
the three component parts ofmy supper (cof
fee, bread and bacon) could prove it, each
was good of its kind. My hostess entertain
ed me while eating, with panther stories, tales
of the Indians, and with instances Of Yves
tern female heroism none Of which repeat
on this occasion.
Again seated by the fire after supper, the
skillet already become notorious, continued to
attract my attention. Water was heated, and
the di,hes were washed in it. And again
water was warmed, and the children washed
in it-faces hands and feet Water was again
warmed, and my hostess thoroughly washed
her own feet in the same vessel, and all with
out any apology Next morning as you may
well imagine, | rode away before breakfast.
| EvECTrT1ON On WYATT IVn GRO in6abtn1