Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-18
Suggestions About Serving Dinner.

The table should be carefully laid,
folds of the table-cloth in line, two
large napkins placed at the head and
foot of the table with corners to the
centre, every plate wiped before being
set upon the table, the glass clear, the all
yer polished, the salt cellars filed with
fresh sifted salt. A little stamp upon
the salt improves the appearance
When the plates are laid. two forks
should be put on the left hand, knife
and soup-spoon on the right. large
spoons crossed at each salt-cellar, and
tablespoons on the top !; tumblers and
wine-g asses on the right hand at each
plate, napkin folded with piece of
stale breat within its folds, the soup
plates placed in the plate at the head
OF the table, and the napkin in the
upper one. Soup-ladle, gravy-spoon,
and carving knife and fork go before the
mistress fish trowel (if there is fish
for dinner), gravy spoon, and carving
knife and fork before the master !;
if there is no soup, no ladle; if
no fish, no trowel; if but one dish
of meat, but one carving knife and fork.
If you have neither fruit nor flowers,
bowl with bits of ice makes O pretty
centre.
The side table should be laid with a
white cloth, the silver, plates, finger
bowls, that will be needed during din
ner, arranged tastefully upon it /; the
castors, pat of butter with ice upon
it, and one or two spare napkins, making
it pretty object.
When the soup 10 on the table, let
the waitress come quietly and say,
dinner is served" A good waitress
makes no noise. She will stand at the
dining-room door till the family has
passed in, and then take her place by
her mistress to hand the soup. When
the soup course is over, the waitress
takes off the plates, one in each hand,
and takes them to the pantry, or to o
tray outside the door. Permit no piling
of plates as they are taken from the
table, nor allow the soiled plates to be
placed on the side-table. AS the soup
is removed hot plates should be ready
for fish or meat, and as the waitress
places the hot plate before the diner,
she removes the cold plate to the side
table. Fish should be served alone
III Vegetables. Odlhu 10 tuo ouly tuluS
allowable with fish. If fish be broiled, o
lemon, cut in quarters, should be hand
ed, to be squeezed upon the fish, unless
fish sauce is preferred. With salmon,
thinly cut slices of cucumber, dressed
with pepper, salt, and vinegar, should
be served. Before the fish is removed.
the ish.trowel and spoon should be
taken off on tray or plate before the
meat is removed, the carving knife and
fork and gravy-spoon should be care
fully taken on plate or tray. After
the meat and plates are removed, the
unused silver should be taken off, then
the salt-cellars. The table being cleared,
the crumbs should be taken off with q
crumb-knife or with q napkin upon q
plate then the spread napkins should
be taken off by the four corners.
Place upon the table the dessert
plates, and spoons, and forks, if for
pudding or sweets of any kind; il for
fruit, plate with a colored dolly, q
finger bowl, and silver knife and fork.
If coffee is served, it should be placed
on tray, with coffee-cups and sugar,
at the head of the table. The old fash
ion of q polished and bare table for
fruit is gone out, except where an elab-
crate table and men-servants are kept.
Mrs. S. W. Oakley, IN Scribner.