Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-10-26
Liberty Versus Custom.
BY HENRY WARD BRECHER.

Among all the declarations of liberty
| which American mankind Is so fond OF
making, it seems strange that there is no
| league. association, party, or other com.
| bnation to defend honest men against
WORKOUT or absurd customs.
For expmple, will any man tell Inc why
| am forbidden by what is called good
manners" to pour my tea into q saucer,
and cool it there? Much reproach has
been heaped upon strong tea and coffee,
| which properly belongs to hot tea and cof-
fee. Every one knows how much the ef-
iclent action OF chemical agents is intensi-
tied By heat. Scalding tea is far worse
| than strong tea but to scaldlng and strong
is an attack upon the human body which
| no man ought to venture who has any re-
| gard for health. But etiquette forbidS me
TO cool my coffee in any other manner than
by waiting. Coffee cups, in houses where
the secret OF making good coffee is known,
should be like the human heart, large and
.lcep, and in such cases the beverage will,
like true affection, cool very slowly. Hence
one who does not wish to wait till the meal
is over before drinking coffee, must either
cool 1t In his saucer, or drink it hot, or wait
and drink it after breakfast aud all be-
| cause of the absurd notion that It Is not
good manners to pour coffee into your sau-
ceri
The spirit of "seventy-siX" ought to rise
with every atilicting gulp Of hot coffee
The custom IS wantou and cruel. 1t Is
tyranny over the inner man, carried on by
for t, il not by the sword. | count il,
therefore, duty To humanity to set at de-
dance the edicts OF this liquid despot-hot
drink. For the welfare of msukiud | re-
fuse TO burn my mouth, or scald my stom.
ach, In behalf of mute deyotees of the
superstitions OF etiquette | raise II plea for
relief!
Meantime, endowed with courage, aud
armed with principle, | rejoice In pouring
forth the fragrant liquid into a capsclous
saucer, and, before the wandering eyes, to
raise the beverage TO my lips. Superstition
is rebuked, Health is justified OF her chill
dren.
Even more will be shocked, when avow
myself rs All advocate for the rights of the
knife. Now, custom has reduced ii to the
mere function OF cutting up ones food
That done, it is laid down, and fork
serves every other purpose. By practice
one gains unexpected deXterity IN using II
fork for purposes to which it is i'll adapted
The Chinese, in like manner, make awk-
ward chop sticks rarely serviceable, by
practice little short Of lcgerdemain; but is
that good reason for the use Of chop
sticks: \ fork, as now made, is untitled
to pierce any morsel with its tines, and
yet they are sharp enough To aff1ict the
tongue if carefully used rhey are split
50 as to be useless Tor liquids. and yet they
are used a II they were spoons. The fork
compels the manipulation to poke and push
and pile up the food material which tends
O." tail back aud apart; 1t is made to pur-
sue the dainty tidbts, in which often the
very core OF flavor iesides, around the
plate IA II hopeless chase, and at length
bit 0! bread as an auxiliary and thus while
The m-legged fork, in one hand. is chas-
ins slim liquid mouthful, wad Of bread
la the other goes mOpping and sopping
Arnmmd to form Il corner, and between the
Two is at length accomplished what is call
ed yenteel feeding.
Meanwhile broad knife is lifted for the
very junction which the fork refuses. and
the wad Of bread Ill performs. The reasons
for refusing the knife as an active feeding
implement are worthy of the awkward
practice IT is liable 10 cut the mouth
no more than fork 10 stick into lip or
tongue.
1t m=n ate with razors there would be
some reason for avoidance. But table
knives are blunt-edged. 1t is even difficult
10 make them cut when one tries, aud il
they are property used, the back of the
blade will be turned TO the mouth. We do
not object to the fork but we demand
restoration of the knife from Punishment.
We do not desire to enforce its use, but
such liberation as shall leave each one
free to use the knife for conveying food to
the mouth when that is most convenient,
and the fork when that is preferred Equal
rights we demand for home born or emi-
grant, rich or poor, for men and women.
and for knives and forks.-New York
Ledger.