Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-09-01
Etiquette and Custom.

Who is wise enough to tell why the head
| of man must needs he uncovered in public
places and in places of worship, while it is
considered quite improper for woman 10
remove the covering from hers2 And
why, in eastern countries, must the dust
soled boots of the street be laid aside for
slippers which arc worn only in the tenn
pies and mosques dedicated to religious
worship, while not only the heads of men
but the faces of women are covered? There
are, perhaps, no people more punctiiiOus
in the observance of forms than the Ger
mans, and none, from the standpoint OF an
American, whose habits at table are more
uncouth. In the very best society you
will olten see persons sit at an awkward
distance from the table; the arms will be
quite outspread, and the elbows elevated,
while carving their food, which is taken
into the mouth in extremely large pieces,
and in rapid succession, and not uDfre-
quently conveyed by the knife rs well as
by the fork. No one priv ileged 10 partake
OF PROFESSIONAL supper in German me-
tropohs, would think of calling the men
and women met with there Doors, because
of the peculiarilies Of their table habits.
One iorgels these very soon, but never the
social delights Of the occasion. This is then
one instance Of the possibility of rising
above precOnceived proprieties, and OF
recognizing the nobility Of men and wom-
en- whose ways are not our ways.
An American ambassador 10 a foreign
court had some very distinguished guests
80, a.,
customed to the use Of knife aud fork. The
host and hostess, seeing their dilemma,
laid aside their knife and fork, and ro-
quested their guests to do the same and
they were hidden TO partake of their food
according 10 their own methods, which
they did and tho delicate Difference 10
their habits was very highly appreciated
by them.
In Spain, at public tables, we were not
unfrequently offered a tit-bit poised upon
the fork Of our native neighbor seated OPP
posite us. 1t was something that pertain
ed especially to the Spanish cuisine, and he
wished to call our attention TO its excel
lence, and this was his familiar method of
doing ii.
In Norway we oflen ate our bonny-clab-
Der from the same dish with others. The
sc ction Of each partaker was indicated 10y a
line drawn across it, and each confined his
dip to his own boundaries. At country
wedding that We had the pleasure of at
tending in Norway, many of the entremets
were passed among the guests, each eating
in turn from the same dish, with the same
spoon as much or as little as he desired.
The native beer of the country was drank
from one glass, passed from guest TO guest.
AT very enjoyable entertainment given
us by professor and his family, in the de-
lightrul old university town, Upsala, like
custom OF partaking from the same dish
with others was observed.
There are universal elements of good
breeding, common 10 all civilized peoples,
and it is always refreshing TO find them
observed. Superficial societymauners can
never supply the place Of innate gentiity !;
and he who judges 0! character by its bau-
bles will ofien pass the true diamond un-
noticed, and take for real that which is on
ly gilded. Mary ISd6ord Blake in NeiO Age.