Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-07-17
FASHION ARD F0RKSI

YEs-Fashion nowadays must have something
to do with every thing-even to Forks. We have
no allusion now to pitchforks nor to road: forks,
nor to WILLIs's 'forked combinations" nor to
flesh forks. nor to that praiseworthy description Of
forks used in 'forhing ober" the cash. Our allu-
sion is simply to Table:jorks-instrument used to
convey victuals to the mouth to be swallowed
from which circumstances they may also be called
"s,pallow:f forks" But this might be regarded i'm
proper interference with o term which strictly be-
longs to the ancient science Of "Ear.marking"
science, by the way, which is almost the only
remnant of Heraldry left in this Republican coun-
try of onrs.) We therefore confne ourself to the
word s'Table-forks, and proceed to say that many
empty-headed devotees Of Fashion carry their
craziness even to the extent Of regarding the kind
of forks they use and the manner of using them, as
essential to their reputation for good-breading.
This little fact lit IS uery little y is one of the many
evidences of the decenson Of real gentilitv in our
day and generation. Fashion has, in all things,
become the touch-stone of rropricty. Petty con-
ventional regulations have nearly frozen ''the ge-
nial current" ofsocial enjoyment. Men and women
beginning to think that there is but genteel
mode of walking, dressing, talking or eating How
preposterous! And it becomes more So when we
sec the idea fastening itself upon go small thing
as fork! Now we have no objection to my in
dividual's using just sueh fork Us he chooses;
nor or; We now attacking the fashionable fork
per Sc. The truth is, we long since approved and
adopted it. But we do object to this way some
people, Ihaveof seeming Mortified at the bare sight
Of good old-fashioncd knife approaching ones
mouth, we'll laden with wholesome hotch-potch
Of mouthfull. '!TThe fofk-the fork in mercys
name," e1claim they in affected agony Of soul
chow Gun YOU be so barbatous as to uss that awful
knife as you dog" Remember, affrghted ones,
that your grandfathers, your fathers-aye, and
your own selves perhaps have in times past, done
this nouU shocking deedfa thousand times over,
with no injurious resultsS See ye not that ye are
the tools of Fashion .,ss,;..
But, although Sterne himself essayed to write
chapter on Button-hoies,;we did not begin with
the purpose of writing onsapon forks. Our object
was merely to lay befofeIpur would-be fashiona-
bles the following, rational Fnarks upon the SUBJ
ject, which we pluck fos SfHeir benene- rom the
notes to an old book in our possession. Perhaps
perusal of this extract may save some from expos
ing themselves, and lead Others to give every fork
its mee, value and every knife its desert.
ssForks did not come into use till the time Of
Charlcr ", in the latter half Of the fourteenth
century. In France, these instruments, both in
silver and timed iron, are made to bear some
resemblance to the fingers, of which they are the
substitutes, and they are used exclusively in the
business of converting food to the mouth; while
the knives, being narrow and sharp pointed. can
answer no purpose but that Of carving.--ln Eng
land the case is different. The steel forks in COM
mon use among the people are incapable OF raising
thin viands to the mouth; while the broad, round.
pointed knife was obviously intended for this busi-
ness. The mistakes occasioned by inattcntion to
these simple facts are laughable enough Almost
all classes in this country now affect the fashion
of the French in eating with the fork but only
one cIass--namcly, the rich. who can afford 'iver
-.-.has thought of adopting the fashion of their in
struments. Who has notseen unhappy girl drilled
into eating fish with machine composed Of three,
or even tpo, thin, sharp prongs, almost half an
inch asunder! And to excuse the barbarity of
compelling her to the use in this way Of so fright
full an instrument, the sensible mother will pro-
test that she is terrified to see the comparatively
harmless and useful knife near her daughters lips