Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-06-30
MRS. DODD's PORTIERE.

YOU live," announced Mrs. Dodd.
Lor, what's that?n asked Lucinda.
"One of Mrs. Parloa's new recipesP |
hope it's something good.h
"A portierei child alive! Don't you
know what that lisp They's curtains,
hung up to the doors, and they sweep
ON the fioor-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 gown. But Mrs.
Kitchener, the house-keeper, 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 ilan-
mel sewed on 'em; and the bagging ain t
over fifteen cents yard"
81 don't see the good of hanging cur
tsins up to the doors; nobody can see
through 'em.''
"Lor, child, the door is took of, and
the portiere hangs in its place, and looks
though you was living in a palace"
81 don't believe itll deceive me-"
shifted Lucinda.
''Do get the dictionary down, Lucindy,
and look out p0rttere. L 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 me his best wool
en- carpet she wanted to know if l wasn' I
afraid of moths getting into the house. "
Lucinda took down the consumptive-
looking dictionary and pondered over it.
II don't believe that's the right
word" she said presently; "there amt
no such word here"
"No 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
Browne'sp''
II daresay she's poking fun at you"
"Poking fpn at me! Do you think
your mothers aperson calkilated to hcv
fun poked at her, Lucindy DoddPn
1.-The Duncans have got an una
bridged," said Lucinda, waving the
question; "rll run over and hunt it
up
But don't let on what you're look
ing after. want the neighbors to come
in and ask what I've got a-hanging up
there, and want to tell 'em, "A portiere,
to be sure;' and ] want to see 'em n
turning it over in their minds, dying OF
curiosity to know what a portterc is, but
hating to give in that they never heard
of the thing before!'
But Mrs. Kitchener, who had been
ging in bingham. happened over with
il the next day.
.sDo YOU know said Mrs. Dodd,
II. Il
dictionary, and Lucindy's looked in the
unabridged, and we can't find aortiere,
high or low'h
s'Of course you couldn't" answered
Mrs. Kitchener. ''Why, it's a French
wordr'
"A French wordr' repeated Mrs
Dodd; "a real French word! You don'l
say so! Why folks'll come from Old
bury, and Nearfield, and all about to
see it, Just as if it was whole menag-
erie. Mrs. Jerry'll be just fit to die.
But don't know what Tom II say about
taking the door off the hinges.
Il guess he'll talk FRENCH put in
Lucinda. And lie did.
Take the door off the hinges" he
cried. .'What tom-foolery is this, eh!
Are you crazy, Pameleyp All the neigh
bors II be laughing at you. Hang your
portiere."
That just what we want to do
giggled Lucinda.
.'The neighbors don't laugh at Law.
yer Brownies folks, and there's portiere'
and pOrtiereS all over the house. ] see
'em with my own eyes,
"And the doors took offP" gasped
Tom.
Eyes"
blessed if | ever heard of such {
thing! 1t must be modern progress
Why not take down side of the houst
and hang up a curtain? What's 1t for
any wayP 1t amt pretty; it looks lik'
horse blanket. It'll be mighty nice fol
rheumatism and inhuenzy. Why no
take the roof off the house insteadP'
But for all Tom Dodd's disapprova
the door came oil and the pOrttere
brilliant with cotton-ilannel dragons
Japanese young men and women, half
moons, and hicroglyphics reigned in its
stead. Mrs. Dodd was ready for the
neighbors.
'sMercy sakes aliver' calculated Mrs
Jerry, who had come in with hel
darning for a little gossip. "What OF
earth have you got a-hanging up theres
and where's your door gomez"
"That? o, that's only portiere," as
if a pOrtiere in Millvillage was the mos
common thing in the world.
"A what! Itlooks like a side-show nj
the circus, or poster. F"
Everybody don't take TO 'em when
they first see en-" Uttered Lucinda
Fother didn't. Folks have TO be edu
Gated up 10 EN-. like eating tomatoes. v
"a portiere, did you say? Where'c
YOU get the ideerP"
f" It's French word" said Mrs. Tom
Il, if French were her daily speech. ~
,an.o from, Franoa -