New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1882-07-05
MRS. DoDD's PoRT1ERE.
BY. MARY N. PRESCOTT.


II mean to have a portiere, sure you
live," announced Mrs. Dodd.
t'LOr, what's that?" asked Lucinda.
zone of Mrs. Parloa's new recipes?
hope it's something good.''
"a porttere! child alive! Don't YOU
know what that is? They's curtains,
hung up to the doors, and they sweep
on the floor and they're worked with
crewels, and yarns and things! Lawyer
Brownies folks, over to bingham, have
real satin brocade ones in the best par
lor, good enough for a gown. But Mrs.
Kitchener, the housekeeper, she took
me into her room, and there they was
nothing but coffee. bagging, If you'll be-
lieve it, with bits of colored cotton fan
mel sewed on 'em; and the bagging amt
over fifteen cents a yard"
II don't see the good of hanging cur
tains up to the doors; nobody can see
through 'em.''
''Lor, child, the door is took off, and
the portiere hangs in its place, and looks
mighty grand, and makes you feel as
though you was living in palace"
Il don't believe it'll deceive me"
shifted Lucinda.
''Do get the dictionary down, Lucin-
dy, and look out portiere. I want to
know how to spell it, and all about it,
and when Mrs. Jerry comes in she can't
trip me. How cut up she'll be! You
know when brother Ben left nue. his best
wooden carpet she wanted to know if
wasn't afraid of moths getting into the
house."
Lucinda took down the .consumptive-
looking dictionary and pondered over
it.
II don't believe that the right word, -
she said presently; ''there amt no such
word here"
mo such word! You're just like your
Aunt Jerry Dodd, = always making
folks miserable. Don't you suppose
Mrs. Kitchener knows, and she living
this twenty year up ter Lawyer Brown
esp
Il daresay she's poking fun at YOU -
''Poking fun at me! DO you think
your mother is person calkilated to
hev fun poked at her, Lucindy Dodd?''
''The Duncans have got an una
bridged,'' said Lucinda, waving the
question:; I'm run over and hunt it
up.''
"But don't let on what you're looking
after. Iwant the neighbors to come in
and ask what I've got Arranging up
there, and I want to tell 'em, "a portiere,
to be sure;' and I want to see 'em g.
turning it over in their minds, dying OF
curiosity to know what a poyttere is, but
hating to give in that they never heard
of the thing beforer'
But Mrs. Kitchener, who had been
commissioned to buy the coffee bagging
in bingham, happened over with It the
next day.
''Do you KNOW said Mrs. Dodd,
privately, we've hunted through the die
tionary, and Lucindy's lookedin the un.
abridged, and we can't find portie,r,
high or low?''
'.Of course you couldn't answered
Mrs. Kitchener. why, it's q French
wordr'
"A French word" repeated Mrs.
Dodd; ga real French word! You don't
say SO! Why folks'n come from Old
bury, and heartfelt, and all about to
see it, just as if it was whole menagerie.
Mrs. Jerry'l be just fit to die. But
don't know what Tom'll say about TAX
ing the door off the hinges!'
II guess he'll talk French" put in
Lucinda. And he did
''Take the door off the hinges!' he
cried. ''What tomfoolery is this, Ell?
Are you crazy Pameley? All the neigh
bors'n be laughing at you. Hang your
portiere.''
That's just what we want to do, :"
giggled Lucinda.
1.-THE neighbors don't laugh at Law
yer Brownies folks, and there portieres
and p0rtieres all over the house. I see
'em with my own eyes"
''And the doors took off?'' gasped
Tom.
Eyes,
BLESSED if ever heard of such a
thing! 1t must be modern progress!
Why not take down the side Of the
house and hang up curtain? What's
it for, any way? It amt pretty; itlooks
like horse-blanket. It'll be mighty
nice for rheumatism and influency.-
Why not take the roof off the house in
stead?''
But for all Tom Dodd's disapproval
the door came off, and the portiere, bril-
liant with !cotton-fannel dragons, ia
panese young men and women, half
moons and hieroglyhics, reigned in its
stead. Mrs. Dodd was ready for the
neighbors.
..Mercy sakes aliver' CALCULATED Mrs.
Jerry, who had come in with her darn
ing for little gossip. what on earth
have you got a-hanging up there? and
where's your door gomez
''Thatp Oh, that's only p0rtiere,'' -
if q portiere in Millvillage was the most
common thing in the world.
"a what! It looks like side-show at
the circus, or q poster"
Every body don't take to 'em when
they first see 'em," Uttered Lucinda.
''Father didn't Folks have to be .edu-
Gated up to 'em. like eating tomatoes. y.
"A portiere, did you sayp Where'd
you get the ideer?''
'.It's a French word, y said Mrs. Tom,
as if French were her daily speech. ut
came from France =
..Pity it hadn't stayed there. Unjust
let in sight of cold air.
I'VE haven't suffered no .inc0nveni-
ence," returned Mrs. Tom, loftily.
It amt to be sneezed at = said Luz
cinda.
As luck would have it, however, q
cold snap set in about this time. Mrs.
Dodd piled on the coal and shivered sur
reptitiously.
.'Your what-you-may-call-it don't
seem to keep out the cold like door,