Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-01-08
Sundry Small Points I'm the Mat
ter Of Behavior.


Soup is to be taken from the side of
the spoon, not from the tip, and it is not
to be sucked in, but the spoon being
slightly tilted it is rather poured into
the mouth than otherwise, the slightest
silent Inhalation being sufficient for the
rest.
A generally neglected obligation is
that of spreading butter on ones bread
as it lies in ones plate, or but slightly
lifted at one end from the plate; it is
very frequently buttered in the air, Bit
ten in gouges, aud still held in the face
and eyes of the table. with the marks of
the teeth ON it. This is certainly not al
together pleasant, and it is better to cut
it bit at a time, after buttering it, and
put piece by piece in the mouth with
ones finger and thumb.
A cream-cake, and anything of a sim
liar nature, should be eaten with knife
and fork-never bitten. Asparagus
which should always be served on bread
or toast, so as to absorb superfluous
moisture-may be taken from the finger
and thumb; if it is fit to be set before
you, the whole of it may be eaten. Peas
and beans, as we all know, require the
fork only. Potatoes, if mashed, should
be mashed with the fork: Green corn
should be eaten from the cob; but it
must be held with single hand, and
not after the fashion of the Alderman's
wife at the Lord Mayors dinner.
Celery, crosses, radishes, and all that
sort of thing are, of course, to be eaten,
from the fingers; the salt should be laid
upon ones plate--nOt upon the CLOTH
Fish is to be eaten with the fork without
the assistance of the knife; a bit of bread
in the left hand sometimes helps one to
master refractory morsel.
1t is not proper to drink with spoon
in the cup, nor should one, by the way,
ever quite drain cup or glass. Spoons
are sometimes used with puddings, but
forks are the better style. A spoon
should never be turned over in the
mouth. Ladies have frequently an af-
fected way of holding the knife half way
down its length, as if it were too big for
their little hands, but this is as awkward
way as it is weak; the knife should be
grasped freely by the handle only, the
forefinger being the only one 10 touch
the blade, and that only along the back
of the blade at its root, and no further
down. In sending ones plate to be help
ed secone time one should retain ones
knife and fork, for the convenience of
waiter and carver. At the conclusion
of a course, where they have been used,
knife and fork should be laid side by
side on the plate-neVer crossed; the
old custom of crossing them was in Obe-
dience to an ancient religious formula.
The servant should offer everything at
the left of the guest, that the guest NAV
be at liberty to use the right hand. II
one has been given napkin ring, it is
necessary to fold ones napkin and us,-
the ring; otherwise the napkin shOult
be left unfolded. Ones teeth are not To
be picked at table; but, if it is impOss.-
BILE to hinder it, it should be done b,-
hind the napkin.
One may pick a bone at the table, bu.
as with corn, only one hand is allOwei
totouch 1t; you can usually get enough
from it with knife and fork. which is cen
tainly the more elegant way Of doine:
and to take her teeth to it gives the lad
the look of caring little too much f,.f.
the pleasure of the table; one is, howes-
er, ON no account, to suck ones finger ;.f-.
ter it.
Whenever there is any doubt as to the
best way to do thing, it is wise to ft,i-
low that which is the most rational, AID
that will almost invariably be found ID
be proper etiquette. There is reason
for everything in polite usage; thus, tie
reason person does not blow thing Iu
cool it is not only that it is an ineleg;uit
and vulgar action intrinsically, but be
cause it may be offensive to others can
not help being so indeed; and it, more
over, implies haste, which, whether re-
sulting from greediness or from desire
to get away, is equally rude and objec-
tiOnable. Everything else may be us
easily traced to its origin in the fit and
becoming. r1
If, to conclude, one seats ones self
properly at table, and takes reason into
account, one will do tolerably we'll One
must not pull ones chair too closely -
the table, for the natural result of thsit
is the inability to use ones knife IN
fork without ineOnveniencing ones
neighbors; the elbows are TO be he'll
we'll in and close to ones side, which
cannot be done if the chair is too near
the board. One must not lie or lean
along the table, nor rest ones arms upon
it. Nor is one to touch any of the dishes;
if member of the family, one can exer-
else all the duties of hospitality througl
servants, and wherever there are SER
wants neither family nor guests are To
pass or help from any dish.
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