Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-06-22
MRS. DODD'S PORTIERE.

M hS. UODD - VA 1LlaLs
q mean to have portiere, sure's you
live announced Mrs. Dodd.
Ior, what's thatg asked Lucinda.
One of Mrs. Parloa's new recipes s l
hope it's something good
"A portierel child alivel Don't you
know what that is? They's curtains,
hung mp 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 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 collored cotton
flannel sewed on 'em; and the bagging
amt over fifteen cents a yard
Il don't see the good of hanging cur
tains up to the doors; nobody can see
through EN-
Lor, child, the door is took off. and
the portiere hangs in its place, and
looks mighty grand, aud makes you
feel as though you was living in pal
ace.'
Il don't believe it'll deceive me- sniff
ed Lucinda.
DO get the dictionary down, Lucindy,
and look out portiere. 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 bel You
know when brother Ben left me 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.
Il don't believe that's the right
word, she said presently; there amt
no such word here
No such world You're just like
your Aunt Jerry Dodd,-always max
ing folks miserable. Don't you sup
pose Mrs. Kitchener knows, and she
living this twenty years up ter Lawyer
Browne'sT
Il daresay she's poking fun at you
.Poking fun at mel Do you think
your mother is a person calkilated to
hev fun poked at her, Lucindy Dodd ?
The Duncans have got an unabridg
ed said Lucinda, waving the question
I'll go over and hunt it up
But don't let on what you're looking
after. l want the neighbors to come in
and ask what I've got Arranging up
there, and want to tell 'em 'portiere
to be sure ; aud L want to see 'em a.
turning it over in their minds, dying OF
curiosity to know what portiere is, but
hating to give in that they never heard
Of the thing before
commissioned to buy the coffee-bagging
in Hingman, happened over with it the
next day.
DO you know said Mrs. Dodd, pri
vately, we've hunted through the die
tionary, and Lucindy's looked in the
unabridged, and we can't find portiert
high or low
of course you couldn't, answered
Mrs. Kitchener. why, it's French
wordp
"A French word repeated Mrs. Dodd
"A real French word You don't say
so Why folks'll come from Oldburv
and heartfelt, and all about to see it
Just as if it was a whole menagerie
Mrs. Jerry'll be just fit to die. But
don't know what Tom'll say about tax
ing the door off the hinges
Il guess he'll talk French, put in Lu
cinda. And he did.
Take the door off the hinges T ht
cried. What tom-foolery is this, eh
Are you crazy, Pamelyp All the neigh
bOrs'll be laughing at you. Hang the
portiere.'
That's 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. sex
'em with my own eyes,
And all the doors took off p gaspet
Top.
Yes
Blessed if l ever heard of such {
thing 1t must be modern progress
Why not take down side of the house
and hang up curtainp What's it for
any way? 1t amt pretty; it looks like
a horse-blanket. It'll be mighty mic,
for rheumatism and infuenzy. Why
not take the roof off the house. instead ?
But for all Tom Dodd's disapprova
the door came off, and the portiere
brilliant with cotton-aannel dragons
Japanese young men and women, half
moons and hieroglyphics, resigned IL
its stead. Mrs. Dood was ready for thu
nsighbors.