Hale explained. (209) Mrs. Hale says " oh" as if Minnie was not beautiful anymore. Maybe she still is under all that shabby clothes but does not want to admit it. Mrs. Hale, again, is being observative in the sense that she notices Minnie's appearance. Usually, someone only notices things about people when they are jealous of them or just like to notice what others are wearing so they may go out and buy it and try to look better. She then, again, compares the present with the past. Mrs. Hale always seems to insist that the past does not matter. " but that-oh, that was twenty years ago."(209) She keeps reminding the reader that Minnie has lost her vivaciousness and that was then and this is know. As the women examine Minnie's clothes, Mrs. Hale says something very significant. "She don't care," she said to herself. "Much difference it makes to her whether Minnie Foster had pretty clothes when she was a girl." (209) I find this quote very significant because when she says this it become very clear that Mrs. Hale pay extremely close attention to Minnie and was probably jealous of her. Mrs. Hale says that it does not matter to Mrs. Peter's what Minnie use to wear. While she does care and wants to keep reminding us that she is not like that anymore. .
Although Mrs. Hale seems to be a bit envious of Minnie Foster in her earlier days, she still cares for. When the women search through the house they find tons of evidence that would lock Minnie up in and instant but Mrs. Hale holds it in to protect Minnie. As an illustration, Mr. Hale begins explaining to the county attorney what happened when he came over and Minnie was sitting in the chair. As he begins speaking, Mrs. Hale hopes that he does not say any unnecessary information. "Mrs. Hale did not like the sight of that pencil. She kept her eye fixed on her husband, as if to keep him from saying unnecessary things that would go into that note-book and make trouble.
