St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-20
WOMEN AS hERMITS.
Two Sisters in Ohio Who Live
Secluded From the
World.
The Roof Of Their Log Cabin
Fell in, but the Bed Posts
Caught 1t.
They Sustained 1t and the
Sisters Continued to Live
Under 1t.
Cne OF Them Goes to Bed in
the Fall and Remains
Until Spring.
Cincinnati Enquirer.

Cincinnati Enquirer.
Woman hcrmits are rare.
They don't even exist in novels.
When the gentler sex get tired of the
world they generally enter a convent,
but two very remarkable exceptions are
to be found within thirty miles Of Gin
cinnati.
Everybody in the western part Of
Hamilton county and along the Indiana
line knows or has heard of the Harper
sisters for SO long that their eccentric
mode of life has ceased to be a matter
Of curiosity to those in that vicinity.
Lizzie and Mary Ann Harper reside on
what is known as Snow hill, mile and
a half west Of the village of New Tren
ton, Franklin county, Ind, and seven
miles west of the town of Harrison.
Lizzie, the younger of the curious pair,
Is sixty and her sister Mary Ann sixty
two years Of age. During their entire
life they have dwelt in an Old hut, which
was occupied by their parents many
years before they were born. The an
cient abode has long since gone into de-
cay. The clapboard roOf fell victim to
the ravagcS of time many years ago.
No effort was made to repair it further
than having a few rough boards nailed
OH to keep out the rain. Finally the
roof itself caVed in, but fortunately for
the Indifferent occupants it found sup
port on the high bed posts and did not
bury the two women. The rude floor
has disappeared, and the constant fric-
ton Oh the earth has made regular
burrOw, into which the female hermitS
crawled under the fallen roof.
In that den there was the utmos
squalor and WretchednesS But the
strange pair seemed satisfied with their
lot. At one time they owned consider
able stock and land, but the cattle per-
ished from neglect, and the women
would neither till the land themselves
nor allow others to do so. For many
years the neghborS tried to induce the
two women to lead different life, but
as all their good offices met with cold
TebuffS they grew tired of their efforts,
and Lizzie and Mary were permitted to
do as they pleased. Finally some of the
good people of that neIghbOrhood de-
termined TO compel the women to take
better care Of themselves. A Subscrip-
ton paper was started and $50 raised
Several WOrkmen donated their Serv-
ices, and small but neat cottage of one
room was built adjoining the miserable
howell which had been occupied from a
time when the memory of man runneth
not to the contrary.
The cratic sisters didn't want to go
into the house. Lizzie, in particular,
vowed she wouldn't enter it, but finally
her sister was won over. and both are
now living in the new house. An En-
quirer reporter paid visit to these &C.
centric old people day or two ago.
Before calling at the house many
strange tales were related by the neigh
borS in reference to them. Lizzie goes
to bed every fall, and remains there
until spring. So far as is known she
has no organic disease, but is little
daft. Beginning about the middle of
October, she disappears, and nothing
is seen of her until April. Mary humors
her sisters within and waits on her with
the utmost care and tenderness. She
prepares her meals and looks after her
comfort. Sometimes Lizzie will get up
and roam around the house, but she
never goes out Of doors.
This odd conduct has been going Oh
for at least fifteen years, and neither
sister will offer any explanation for it.
The Enquirer found Mary engaged in
doing some work over the stove. She
received him kindly, and seemed glad
to have caller. The other sister was
in bed in corner Of the room, and all
efforts to get her into conversation were
unavailing. The elder sister said she
liked the new house very much, but
liked the old one better because she and
her sister were born there, and in it her
parents had dWeit for many years before
they were born. The strange woman
has hOmely but interesting face. She
is above the medium height, and slen-
der and Wiry. She knows nothing about
what is going on in the outside world,
and pays little or no attention to the Or
binary affairs of life. She hasn't even
that common feminine failing, love for
gossip. Lizzie, although two years
younger. looks much older. and her va
cant look indicates that her mind is
nearly gone.
Through neglect in attending to their
affairs the sisters had to mortgage their
land surrounding their home. During
the summer Mary picks blackberries,
which she takes to Harrison TO sell. 1t
is said that every summer when the in
tereSt on the mortgage becomes due,
she walks twelve miles to BTOokVille,
the county seat. and pays her interest
and her taxes. These are the only things
they have not entirely neglected.
Those who have known the Harper
sisters for some time say that there is
some great mystery surrounding their
lives, but others declare that they be-
came accustomed to that kind of life
and did not want to give it up. A story
which has many believers is to
the effect that Mary was once
disappointed in love, and that
she and her sister resolved never to
leave the uninviting and miserable
howell in which they were reared. Their
only relative living, so far as is known,
is their bro her JOHN, who resides some
where in Indiana. When they lived in
the hovel the pigs and chickens used to
occupy their wretched quarters with
them. 1t is probable that the demented
Lizzie will not survive the winter, al
though the people in the neighborhood
say she Is liable to live twenty years
longer. Her remarkable habit of uni
tating the ground hog in retiring to
winter quarters, which she has done for
at least score of years, leads every one
to doubt that she is any more i'll than
she has been in half century. 1t is
probable that if either of the hermit
sisters should die the township trustee
would remove the other to the county
tnirmary.