Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-04-28
THE DOOR.
ny THE "FAr CONTRIBUTOR"

Casting about IOr D tneme, tAo uVoA
seems to afford very good opening for An
article. We don't recollect seeing any
thing written on the door, not since we
were startled by seeing "Smal!-po "
written on one in an obscure portion OF
the city.
The door is about as old as architecture
itself, and we are inclined to believe was
invented before windows were, though
that is disputed point. It is our opinion
that house architecture began with the
door. In the early days when people
lived out of doors land out of almost every
thing else), it occurred to one of those un-
easy individuals of inventive minds, who
are constantly disturbing the calm
placidity of the world with new. hngled
ideas, that door would be q good thing
to have. Sleeping in ten acre lot, for In
stance, of stormy night, it would be 80
comfortable to have door to his lot; and
what sense Of security would be afforded
when he went away from home, to know
that the door was lOckedl
This, of course, excited the envy OF his
neighbors, who slept In lots adjoining, and
who began to repine at their lot. Some
said he was putting on airs; others that
he was unduly suspicious OF his nefehbors,
and they asked him tauntirgly why he
didn't put number on It and have a door
plate in fact, they slammed that door In
his face continually. Then another In
diyidual of an inventive turn set himself
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 q good thing. There are several
things we have thought Of inventing, 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 1t at length he took
a door and built house to 1t and doors
have been constructed in that manner ever
since. We give this theory for what 1t is
worth (writing as we do, by the column),
but il is probably a. correct theorizing %
much that is INDUCED in concerning the
early origin of matters and things Win
dows, Of course, followed doors, for 1t was
natural for people to want window 70
look out of when the door bell was rung
late at night, to see who was there. Or,
perhaps, before the inventing Of windows,
some man labofing under delirium ire.
mems wanted place to jump out OF, and
thus realized the incomplcteness Of the
house of the period, supplying the def
cheney 30 soon as he recovered.
Its not with the window that we are
now dealing, as we shall reserve that for
another able article; we are, metaphorical-
", knocking at the door.
| The door Is more intimately associated
with our everyday life than one would
think, If he didn't think anything about
it. How cold aud forbiddiAg to some, and
how slow to respond to their knock, while
| to others it wears face as genial and in
viting as that of an old friend, and at their
approach flies open like lovers arms in,
| Wiling to warmest embrace. Dark and
| stern it scowls from within its portals
upon the houseless wanderer, who s9Ses
sadly and pleadingly in its lace - he Aaii
| uauses ON the sidewalk, and then creeRs
| fAlteripgly by but there ID radiance p
| its look, and . welcome In its creak wh4
the loved and honored are invited to e.
ter.
In the olden times It was usual for tip
wealthy and sh0spitAble to decorate thef
doors with ribbons and banners, ana
above the door they sometimes inscribee
3 sentence, ~ The Good House," or ths
name Of the king who had honored theown'
err with Office and emoluments. There ere
| inscriptions now, but they usually read
"Mutual," I" Home Insurance Company,