Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-27
At TABLE,.
A Few Points OF Etiauette

OF the fret importance, as they concern ndi-
N1dual behavior. We would BE- inclined to
think every one acquainted with them, aud
ailusion 10 them matter of supereroyati IN
on our part, III II were not that we See them
so frequently violated Those of our readers
VINO are, or have always been, familiar with
lnt m, Will perhaps pardon our speaking of
tEem for the sake OF those who are not.
we do not expect 10 see the Idcheries in the
best soc ely; but there are many people per-
fectly well fi;te1 for the best society but f r
Ignorance concerning these things, which,
altnougn TITLES in themselves, are of such in
Unite Importance on the whole. For in
stance, where all requirements are not fully
Known, If a general Cessation of converse
ton should suddenly supervene upon the
serving of the soup, would there be a silence
In The place? Not at all; the gap wouIi be
nlled With q continuous buboling sound from
The mouth OF some one or other unlucky
wight, whose mother never taught him to
take soup properly, and who is possibly dis
turbli and Disgusting all those that do
better and who know how easily the trouble
might be avoided. Soup is To b taken from
II e side of the spoon, no from The tip and IT
Is not TO be sucked In, but the spoon beIng
signify tilted 1t is rather pour d INTO "a
mouth than Otherwise, the slightest inhala
lion being sufficient for the rest
Another generally neglected obi gatiOn =
that of spreading butter on ones Ore I'd as it
lies on ones plate, or but 81 Chilly IifLel at
one end from the plate; IL is very frequently
buttered In the air, bitten in gouges and still
held in the face and eyes of the table with me
marks OF The teeth on IL. This Is certainly
not altogether pleasant, and il T. better Id cut
1t a bit a: a time after butt=ring il, aud put
and thumb.
Letus mention q few things concerltls 8. G
eatlns, OF which there IS sometimes fDip.-
n cream cake and anything of a an -rr
mature should be eaten with kaife AMI fork
never bitten. ASDaragus-Which should
always be served On bread or toast, so rs 10
ABSORB supeTluous moisture-may ba taken
from the hUgsr and thumb; If 10 is tit u b.
set before yOn the whole of IL NAV eaten
Ieas aud beans, as We all kn Nv, req uira the
FORK only Potatoes, If mashe1, ShoIlI %
mashed with the fork. Green corn should b
eaten from the cob, but it must be held wi tn
3 Tgle hand, aud not after The fashion of
The alderman's wife at the Lord Mayors
dinner. French artfchOksS are % be "a el
with the fingers, slightly puilet apart at the
top and one of the leaves p-liled out with
finger and thumb; the fleshy end OF this ietf
Is lhen dipped in the salad dressing s-ry. al
with II, and only that atom o. a paIer color
al the bottom OF the leaf is Ia ken as il peeiS
OH between lie bps, when the dry portion is
To be laid back In the plate IL is ri .y4yS
served as separate course by itself, pretty
hand looks very pretty indeed when lingering
r rench artIchOke- Celery, crosses. rLii Snes
and all that sort OF thing. are, of course u De
eaten from the fingers; the salt should be AID
upon ones plate, not upon the cloth. Fish
is 10 De eaten with the FORK, without the
assistance of the knife; a bill of Dreai in the
LETT hand sometimes helps one TO master a
refractory mOr,el
Ii is best TO be very moderate in the begin
ming OF dinner, as one does not know what
ior one by an opposite course. We remam
Der the case of G. lady in Mexico, WHO. dining
with The Governor fthe province, was served
Tor the first tn a hash. She was som what
surprised; but il was very good hash and
she really made her dinner upon il. Bat the
next course was also hash,-there We're seven
teen courses of hash before the main Inner
OF which every delicious delicacy under the
sun. made its appearance OF course "a tiny
morSel OF hash, tor the sake of tiav1ring, was
all she should have taken; as IL was, she SAL
afterward like Tantalus.
Berries, OF course, are to he eaten with a
spoon. In England they are served with
Their bulls on, and three or four are cOl-
sldered an ample quantity. But then in En- =
land they are many times the size of ours.
There they take the big berry by the stem.
OPP d into powdered sugar, and eat il
drink with "A spoon in the cup; nor should
one, by The way, ever quite drain cup or
gaSs: spoons are sOnetimes used with
buildings, but for ks are the better style A
spoon should never be turned over in the
mouth. Ladies have frequently al affected
way OF holding the knife halfway down its
Ieng b, as II Il were too big for their little
hands; but this is as awkward way as IL is
weas; the knife should be grasped freely ny
TIE haAdle only, the foreEngef beng the only
one To touch the blade, auu that oaly along
The Ddca OF the blade "a its roo, and NJ
further down. In sending ones Ilt;e
To be h-lped second time, one snOIll
retain ones knife and fork, for tha
co ven ence of waiter and carver. At
TIE conc!usion of q course, where they
have been USE, knife 3ni forh >hou i BE Id
SIDE by side on tie pla.e never crossed; sc
@ u custom o. crossl-g them was N o. IL
eEce 10 an ancient religious formula. + .
servant should Offer everything ~ tne lef
lie : ue5T, that the guest may b 1T liberty 10
use thl rlEht LAM. III one has been given q
napkin ring, il is necessary 10 f0Il ones ma i.
kin q: q use tue ring; Otherwise the nap.,tu
Should be ie!t unfo,dej. Ole's teeth are not
10 be picked al table, but II il is impo .sIbIe
TO hinder IL, 1t should b. done behind the
napkin. One may pick bone at the table,
put, as with corn, only one hand is allowed
TO touch 1t; vet one can usually get enough
from it with knife and fork, which is Ger
tainly the more elegant way OF doing; and 20
take her teeth to IL gives the lady the LOOK OF
caring little too much for the pleasures OF
the table; one is, however, on no account to
suck ones fingers after il.
Wherever there is any doubt as to the best
way 10 thing, 1t is wise to ollow that which
Is The most rational, and that will almost
Invariably be found TO be the proper Ell
quette. There is reason for every thing in
polite usage thus the reason why one does
not blow thing to cool it is not only that it
Is an iIeiegant and vulgar action intrinsi-
cally, but because il may be Off ensiva To 9th
els-cannot help being SO, indeed; and it,
more over, implies haste, which, whether re-
suiting nom greatness or from desire to
getaway, Is equally rude and objectionable
Everything else may be as easily traced to
It's origin IN the fit and becoming.
IL, TO conclude, one seats ones self prop
erly at table, and takes reason into account,
one will DO tolerebly well: Oae must not
tie Natural result OF that is the inability 10
use ones knife and fork without inconveni
encing ones neighbors; the elbows re to ne
held well in and close 10 ones side wlich
cannot be done H. the chair Is too near the
board. One must not lie or lean along the
table, or rest ones arms upon it.. Nor is O0e
TO touch any OF the dishes; If q member Of
the family, one can exercise all the duties Of
hospitality through the servants, and where
ever There are servants neither family lOr
guests are to pass or help from any dish.
Among the English nobility an old custom
has been lately revived, in which at GER
tain point OF the dinner, The servants are dis
missed and the ladies OF the family take
their place. This is very pretty for a scenic
occasion; but il does not suit the luxury aud
ease OF modern times, and Is "Reminiscences,
however hOspiJable, OF the Old degradation
OF women that will meet with no wide favor.
Meanwhile in America, destitute OF knights
or castles, there is no excuse for 1t whatever.
(RarI)er's BazGr.
LIGHT FROM AN ELECTRIC CURRENT
Electricity is hand lamp is tue most recent
fruit of inventive enterprise. Messrs. Vol
son and Drouier, Of Paris, have just patented
a new scheme for obtaining light from an
electric current. The apparatus consists OF a
single cell Enclosed in q light mahogany case,
Il