Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-01-08

Of my Thanksgiving dinner.
SKETCHES IN PARIS.
From the Travelling Note Book of Godfrey Crayon.
A PARSIAN HOTEL
Is street set on end, the grand staircase
forming the highway, and every floor sep
aratc habtation. Let me describe the one
in which ] am lodged, which may serve as
aspecimen of its class. 1t is huge quab-
ranguar pile of stone, bnill round spacious
paved court. The ground floor is occupied
by shops, magazines, and domestic offices.
Then comes the entre-s0l, with low ceilings,
short windows, and dwarf chambers then
succeed succession of floors, or stories,
rising one above the other, to the number of
Mahomct's heavens. Each floor is like a
distinct mansion, complete within itself, with
ante chamber, saloons, dining and sleeping
rooms, kitchen and other conveniences
for the accommodation ola family. Some
floors are dividedinto two or more suits of
apartments. Each apartment has its main
door of entrance, opening uponthc stair case.
or landing places, and locked like street
door. Thus several families and numerous
single persons live under the same roof, to-
tally independent of each other, and may live
so for years, without holding more inter-
course than is kept up in other cities by res
idcnts in the same street.
Likelhe great world, this littlo microcosm
has its gradalions ofrank, and style, and inn
portance. The premier, or first floor, with
its grand saloons, lofty ceilings, and splendid
G., Il, 1,I, 81,
the establishment. The second floor is scar
cely less arstocratical and magnificent; the
other floors 90 on lesscning in splendor as
they gain in altitude, and end with the attics,
the region of petty tailors, clerks, and sew
ing girls. To make the filling up of the
mansion complete every odd nook and COR
ner is fitted up as jolt petit apartment a
garcon. "a pretty little bachelors apartment
that is 10 say, some little dark Involvement
ncs,ling-place for poor devil Of a bachelor.
The whole domain is shut up from the
street by great pOrte-cochere, or portal,
calculated for the admission of carriages.
This consists of two massy folding-doors,
that swing heavily open upon spacious en-
trance, passing under the front of the cdifce
into the courtyard. On one side is a spa
cious staircase leading to the upper apart
ments. Immediately without the portal is
the portcr's lodge, small room with ono or
two bed rooms ad acent, for the accommoda-
ton of the concierge, or porter, and his family.
This is one of the most important Junction.
aries of the hotel. He is, in fact, Ccrberus
of the establishment, and no one can pass in
or out without his knowledge and consent.
The porte-cochere in general is fastened by
a sliding bolt, from which cord or wire
passes into the porler's lodge. Whoever
wishes to 60 out must speak to the porter,
who draws the bolt. A visitor from without
gives single rap with the massive knockcr;
the bolt is Immediately drawn, as if by an
invisible hand the door stands ajar, the Wis
tier pushes it open, and enters. A face pre-
sents itself at the glass door of the porler's
little chamber the stranger pronounces the
name of the person he comes to seek. If
the person or family is of importance, occu-
pymg the first or second floor, the porter
sounds bell once or twice, to give notice
that visier is a, hand. The stranger in
the mean time ascends the great staircase,
the highway common to all, and arrives at
the outer door, equivalent to street door,
of the suit of rooms inhabited by his friends.
Beside this hangs bell-cord, with which he
rings for admi,tancc.
When the family or person inquired for is
ofless importance, or lives in some remote
part of the mansion less easy to be apprizcd,
no signal is given. The applicant pronoun-
ces the name at the porter's door, and
is told, "Wontez au hoisieme, au guat-
rieme soupes a la porte a droite, or gau-
che !" ("Ascend TO the third or fourth story
ring the bell on the right rleit hand door" ~
as the case may be.
The porter and his wife act as domestics
to such Of the inmates as do not keep SER
wants making their beds, arranging their
rooms, lighting their fires, and doing other
mental Offices, for which they receive a
monthly stipend. They are also IN conf
dental intercourse with the servants of the
other inmates, and having an eye on all the
in-comers and out-goers, are thus enabled,
by hook and by crook, to learn the secrets
and the domestic history of every member OF
the little territory within the porfe-eoehere.
The porter's lodge is accordingly grea,
scene of gossip, where all the private affairs
of this interior neighborhood are discussed.
The courtyard, also, is an assembling plaza
in the evening for the servants of the different
families, and asisterhood of sewing girls from
the entre-sols and the attics, to play at var
ious games, and dance to the music of their
own songs, and the echoes of their feet; a,
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