Smyrna times., 1870-05-04
The Door.
By TIE "FAT CONTRIBUTOR. "

Casting about for a theme, the door seems to
afford a very good opening for an article. We
don't recOect seeing anything written on the
door, not since we were startled by seeing
> Smallpox written on one i'll all obscure pOr
ton of the city.
The door is about as old as architecture itself,
and we are inclined to believe was invented be-
fore windows We're, though that is a disputed
point. 1t Is our opinion that house architecture
began with the door. In the early days when
people lived out Of doors land oQt Of almost eve
rything el>el, it occurred to one of those uneasy
individuals of inventive mind, who are CON
stanty. disturbing the calm placidity of the
world with new-fanglcd ideas, that a door
would be good thing to have Sleeping in a
ten-acre lot, for instance, of a stormy night, it
would be so comfortable to have a door to his
lot and what a sense Of security would be af- !
torded when he went away from home, to know
that the door was locked
This, Of course, excited the envy of his
neghbOrS, who slept in lots adjoining, and who |
began to repine at their lot Some said be !
was putting on airs others that he was undu- !
ly suspicious of his neighbors, and they asked |
him tauntlngly why he didn' put a number on
1t and have doOr-plate; in fact, thsy slamm
ed that door in his face continually Then an
other individual OF an inventive turn set. him
self to work to get up an Improvement on the
door, and thus vitiate his patent. just as men
do nowadays when fellow thinks he has got
good thing. There are several Things we
have thought of nvcnting, only we knew if we
did an Improvement would come out the next
day that would knock our patent higher than
| kite
! This other man hit it at length; he took
| door and built house to i! ! and doors have
! been constructed in that manner ever since.
! We give this theory for what it is worth writ
ing as we do, by the columnj. but it is probably
as correct theOrlzlng as much that is INDUCED
| in concerning the early origin of matters and
things. Windows, OF course, followed doors,
for 1t was natural for people to want window
to look out of when the door bell was runglatc
at night to see who was there. Or, perhaps,
before the lnventlng of windows, some man la
boring under delirium tremens wanted a place
to jump out of, and thus realized the incom-
plctcncss OF the house of the period, supplying
the deficiency so soon as he recovered
1t Is not with the window that we are now
! dealing, as we shall reserve that for another
able article we are, metaphorically, knocking
at the door,
The door is more intimately associated with
our everyday life than one would think, If he
; didn' think anything about it, How cold and
forbdding to some and how slow to respond
! to their knock, while to others it wears face
: as genial and inviting as that of an old friend,
and at their approach flies open like lovers
|
stern it scOwls from within its portals upon the
) hOuseess wanderer, who gaZes sadly and plead
lngy In its face as he half pauSeS on the side
e walk, and then CrecpS ialtCringly by but there
is radiance in its look, and a welcome in its
creak when the loved and hOnered are invited
; to enter.
: In the olden times it was usual for the veal
+ thy and hOspitable to decorate their doors with
: ribbons and banners, and above the door they
sometimes inscribed sentence, as . The Good
c House, or the name of the king who had hon
e cred the owner with Office and emoluments
|. There are inscriptions now, but they usually
read " Mutual " Home Insurance CUmpa
e ny, To Let, or something of that kind
and the only banner we see is the red flag o
the auctiOncer
= If some of the ancient customs have passed
ol away, there are hOspitable doors left yet door
that when opened reveal gimpses of bright
le ness and gladness and beauty that do tn
u u heart good to look upon. There are doors
u too, that never closed upon the unfortunate
. and doors that long to receive back the way
Z ward wanderer, whose footsteps are aShame
or afraid to turn in the direction of thei
thresholds. Mournful doors there be, bcal
u ing the significant Grape that tells its own Siler
nd tale of the sorrow that Is within, and tn;
ul breaches to us the eloquent, though oft Ill
= needed, sermon Of morality.
d. they could tell. OF warm and joyous greeting.
ch of heart gatherings and miSgivngs, as tremblir
Id hands rang the bell of cold larewellS; of ion
OF ing gances through fearful eyes, that folio
us the departing form Of the loved one Of Il
ce, letter that brings joy, and the message tn
so brings grief; of tender whisperings and lOvir
es- partings; Of billet doMr going out, and bi
he coming in; Of gay weddings arriving, and 5;
ON funerals departing. Tell you,-the door sees
1t great deal Of life in its day. 1t sees your fir
lth visit to the outer world, borne in your nurse
let arms You give it a stunning slam as, wit
'sS, boyish shout you hasten to your play al
an. when you come to be n man." and learn
lde smoke and drink, and, therefore, find it necC
be sary to join club, it sees you stumble up t
0fe steps at night, and laughs as you try to fiji
h a the keyhole-tickling it as one might say, wi
Inc your night-key. 1t sees you totter out and tC
$ IT ter in when you get old, and at last clos
die upon your final departure for your long hon
gns Pray Heaven that the eternal door you kno
nti- at then is not shut upon you