Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-11
The Knife and Fork Question Eating
With Gloves
From the New York Times. ]

"Twere better for trenchmsn to wipe
his wittel on manchot of bread than
on his doublet; 'twere more tidy and
ccmely. Goodly breeding belongeth to
a gentleman. IT'S more like a Flamand
boor than aught else to sully napkin with
grease of knife. Bethink ye of manners,
my lord" This from al old play of
about 1915, shows that the knife and fork
question mnst have agitsted the world
at an early date, "They behaved strange.
ly and In an indecorous Manner writes
French chronicler, describing the hab-
its of the Russians, at Versailles, half a
century later. "Thelr knives they wiped
ON their boards, and it was most dstaste-
ful; they were not gems de bonnie com.
panic Their garments were greasy, and
they smelt ill-favored" Of course, no.
body nowad avs would think of cleaning
his knife in the primitive manner, though
at hotel or restaurant 1t might be per-
fectly legitimate to give dlngy spoon,
knife or fork little friction on the nap
kin, and in fact there are certain Italian
restaurants in this city where it h as
passed as custom with the clientele TO
aid the walters in that way. Needless to
say that anything of this character akin
to furnishing the steel or silverware at a
private house would be one of the rudest
of things to DC. We are not conscious
of having ever remarked want of care in
the cleaning of knives or forks at a pri-
vSte dinner, but still when the ninOr
equlpage of house is scanty, and when
fish is served, and the same small wares
have to dc second duty, and the cook or
waiter is not careful, and flavor of fish
awakens the suspicion of the guest,
the effect is dissgreeable. Now, if
Oft nf q or1xy
that a grain of carbonate of soda
in the water in which pastry plates or
knives, forks or spoons were to be washed
would carry away all the ichthyous odors,
then some very unpleasant ideas occur.
ring to the minds of the guests might be
obviated We slowly approach, then,
that absorbing topic, how the knife and
fork are to be used, or what is to be done
with them when the plate is passed to be
replenished. We think the question d.
vides itself into two distinct phases. IF
there is q servant, the knife and fork may
be left on the plate. 1t is then the duty
of the attendant who carries the plate to
the place of replenishment to take care of
the knife and tork, putting them on one
side Of the plate, so as to be out of the
way of the new supply of food. But this
leaving of the knife and fork is quite op-
tional. To cross, however, the knife with
the fork is to give extra trouble. IF,
however, there is no one in attendance it
is wisest TO retain the knife and fork.
Volunteer assistants at table, those other
guests who pass along the plates, may
not be accustomed to this duty. and &C
cidents detrimental to their neighbours
dresses or coats by the fall of the knife or
fork may occur. There are several posi-
tions which the person who retains his
own knife and fork can assume. He
might hold the knife in one hand and the
fork in the other, and apply the butts of
each of them on the table, grounding
arms, in fact, and thus assume most
awkward and stupid position. It is
perfectly easy thing to hold the knife and
fork in the right hand on the table,
or even to place them there, though
if they be dripping from the
food, which rarely occurs, the ia
BILE cloth would be soiled. IF there BIZ
stands on the table, OF course, the knife
and fork can be stacked on them; but
such stands are rarely in use today, save
for the carver. The bother about this
matter is slight after all, because in we'll
regulated service plates, knives, and forks
are changed at every course, and besides
1t is exceptional when guests ask for a
SCCOu0 nClpAuS VI tuC sdnC ulSU. Ii
might as well be said here of the marked
improvement generally as TO the use of
the knife, it is now as universally sheath
ed In mans or wOman's mouth as if
they were sword.swallowers. Thirty
years ago, In France the use of the knife
at dinner was almost tabooed. The Gus
tom was to divide the food with the fork,
rather an awkward custom, as forks have
generally no cutting edge, and to aid the
act of conveying food to the mouth on the
fork, by means of bit of bread. Long
habit makes people amazingly clever
about this kind of thing. and 10 see well.