The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-05-28
mtscellamrntiS.
From the National Era.
MRS. HILL AND MRS. TROOST.
BY PATTY LEE.


warmest of July afternoons. Mrs. Hill
had her dinner all over-had put on her
clean cap and apron, and sat on the north
porch, making an unbleached cotton
shirt for Peter, (Mr. Hill, who always
wore unbeached shirts at harvest time. -
Mrs. Hill was thrifty economist. She
had been pursuing this housewifery avo-
cation for some little time. interrupting
herself only az times to Shu! away the
f1ocks of half grown chickens that came
noisily about the door for the crumbs
from the table cloth. when the sudden
shutting down of great blue cotton um-
brella caused her to drop her work, and
exclaim-
"Well, now, Mrs. Troost; who would
have thought that you ever would come
to see me!'
why, | thought great many times
stamping her little feet-for she was a
little briskly on the blue flag
stones, and then busting them nicely
with her white cambric handkerchief. be-
fora venturing on the snowy porch floor
of Mrs. Hill. When, shaking hands, she
added: "lt has been a good while. for |
remember when | was here last had my
Jane with me-quite baby then, if you
mind--and she is three years old now
''ls it possible?' said Mrs. Hill, unity
ing the bonnet strings of her neighbor
who sighed, as she continued
| ssNnc cba ,,-ac roo ii Ill
and she sighed again more heavily than
before, though there was no earthly rea-
son that know of why she should sigh.
unless perhaps the flight of time thus
brought to mind suggested the transitory
nature Of human things.
Mrs. Hill laid the bonnet of Mrs.
Troost on her "spare bed" covered it
with L little pale blue Grape shawl, kept
especially for like occasions, and taking
from the drawer of the bureau a large fan
OF turkey feathers, she presented it TO hel
guest. saying
9 a very warm day. isn't it?"
go, dreadful dreadful-it seems as hot
as bake Overland suffer with the
heat all summer more or less. Bnt its q
world of suflering;" and Mrs. Troost halt
closed her eyes, as if to shu. out the
dreadful reality.
"Hay-makiug requires sunshiny wealth.
er, you know, we must put up with
it, said Mrs. Hill. "Besides, / can
mostly find some cool place about the
house. keep my sewing here on the
porch, and as bake my bread or cool
my dinner. manage TO catch it up some.
times. and keep from getting overheated
and then. too, get a good many stitches
taken in the course of the day.
This IS nice cool place-completely
curtalned with vines'-said Mrs. Troost
and she sighed again. ''They must have
cost you great deal of palms,
"oh, no. no trouble at all; morning
g!ories grow themselves--they only re-
qulre to be planted. will save seed fol
you this fall, and next simmer YOU car
have your porch as shady as mine"
And if | had it would not signify,
said Mrs. Troost. 81 never get time tC
sit down from one weeks end to another
besides, never had any luck with vine!
some folks haven't you know"
Mr.. Hill was woman of a short
plethoric habit-oue that might be sup
posed to move about with agility, and tC
find excessive warmth rather inconveni
ent. But she was of a happy cheerful
temperament, and when it rained sh,
tucked up her skirt. put on thick shoes
ant waddled about the same as ever, say
ing to herself "This will make tn,
grass grow, or it will bring on the radish
es, or something else equally consolato
ry."
Mrs. Troost, on the contrary, was
little thin woman, who looked as thougl
she might move about nimblv al any sea
son. But. as she herself often said. sh,
was poor unfortunate creature, and pit
led and commiserated herself great deal
as she was in Justice bound to do, for no
body else cared, she said, how much sh,
had to bear.
They were near neighbors-these la
dies-but their social nterchanges of te
drinking were not of very frequent occur
renee, for sometimes Mrs. Troost ha
nothing to wear like other folks-some
times it was too hot, and sometimes i
was too cold--and then again nobod
wanted to see her, and she was sure sh
didn't want to go where she wasn't want
: ed. Moreover. she had snch great bar
of house. rs no other woman ever ha
to take care Of. But in all that neigh
borhood il was called the big house, S
Mrs. Troost was in some measure com
pensated for the pains it cost her.
was however, as she said. a barn of
place. with half the rooms unfinished
+, partly that they had no use for them, an
I, partly that they were unable to ge: fu
niture. SO ii stood tight i'll the SUI