Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-23
NOTES FROM The DRAPRR's DICTIoN-
AIRY

| There are some queer mites of informa-
| ton to be picked up from the history of
almost anything IN diapers shop. Take,
| for instance, a child's pelisse. Who that is
not familiar with the vagaries of etymology
would think Of any connection between
such an article and the white surplice
that has become so prominent an object
| in our modern church service? Yet
the road from one to the other
ID "plain as way to parish church" A
pelisse was coat of prepared skin--Latip,
petiS, skin-a fur coat, in fact. Church
men who had to perform early services in
cold churches at all times of the year were
wont to wear these fur coats, or "pellica. F"
A synod, our compiler tells US, held in
London In the year 1900, restricted the
| black monks and nuns to the use of lamb,
cat and fOx-skins. with the view of pre-
venting the spread of luxury in dress. 1t
may be easily understood that, at time
| when goodness and uncleanliness were to a
great extent identical, those pellica would
| In time get decidedly unpleasant, both to
the eye and the nose, and as means of
mitigating these objections somewhat,
linen TUNES or super. pelice were adopted,
and from this to the abbreviated "sur.
plice the progress would be easy. This
suggests very interesting reflection upon
the important doctrinal significance which
has been commonly attached to this very
decent and appropriate church vestment
Another dip into the dictionary brings
before us some curious phases OF the do
mestic life of our forefsthers. We light
on the word "counterpane," which, we
are told, is a corruption of counterpart,
derived from the French contrepointe or
point epointe-stitch against stitch
fenoting something sewn on both sides.
And then our author proceeds to give US
some account of the sleeping habits of an.
cient times in this country. "Our Saxsn
ancestors" he says, "were not so nice
In their night garments, as we are,
statement which he Immediately follows up
by observing that as matter of fact, they
had no night garments, which reminds one
somewhat of DR.. Harrebrowe's famous
chapter on Snakes in Ireland" where,
the doctor at once proceeds to observe,
there are no snakes. The Saxons required
their under. garments for other purposes
than wearing by night. The servants, it
seems, were accustomed to put out their
candles by throwing their chemises at
them, humorous practice, which saved the
cost of extinguishers. and did not always
set the house on fire, though we are told
it was denounced" As good people
in those days slept without night gar.
ments, the counterpanes were padded, and
the padding stitched in by diagonally
crossing lines resembling the panes OF
church windows. Hence it has been sup
posed counterpart" became counter
pane" He would be learned draper who
should thoroughly appropriate the contents
OF this new dictionary. Whether his
scholarly stores would conduce 20 the eff
cheney of his business management we are
unable to decide. 1t is quite conceivable
that in the learned days to come shopman
who could discourse volubly on the farth.
ingales and furbelows of the Middle Ages,
or could trace back the cloak in it's various
forms and phases to the Norman invasion,
which have peculiar fascination for ladies
in blue spectacles, and it may be that such
salesman would command higher price in
the market than one who could merely pass
the usual commonplace upon the weather.
At present, however, interesting as the
volume before US undoubtedly is, it can
hardly be recommended for half holiday
study. London Globe.