The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-08
Table Manners.

Table Manners.
Nothing is so important in the train.
ing Of family of children, after teach.
ing them reverence and to tell the truth,
as to give them good table manners. II
is said by foreigners to be agreat national
defect with us Americans. We do not,
as nation, comport ourselves we'll at
table. In the first place we eat too fast,
our soup. Well-bred people put their
soup into their mouth without sound,
lifting up the spoon slowly, thinking
about it, and managing to swallow it
noiselessly. In the second place, we
are accused of chewing our food with
the open mouth, and of putting too
much in the mouth at once. Again, we
are accused, particularly at railway sta
tons and at hotels, of putting our heads
in our plates, and of eating with the
knife instead of the fork.
Therefore child should be taught to
eat with his fork in the right hand early,
and to manage knife and fork with ease
and composure. Heremoves them from
his plate when the plate is placed before
him with them on, and he crosses them
ON his plate when he has finished, so
that they may be easily removed. He
also learns to use spoon properly, not
leaving it in his cup, which it may tip
over, but putting it in his saucer. He
breaks his bread neatly, not covering
the table with crumbs; nor does he
make bread pills of it, as some slovenly
people do.
No one should leave the table eating.
Let the food be swallowed slowly, and
few minutes conversation follow the
last drop of the final cup of coffee, which
generally ends the repast of dinner. 1t
is not well to talk or laugh loud at table;
all well-bred people take quiet tone at
meals. 4 good appetite is no disgrace,
but the people who eat a great deal,
ravenously and fast, are never consid-
cred refined. We should moderate our
appetites in all things, and learn to keep
the rebellious body in order.
Next to greediness, indecision should
be avoided. Always refuse or accept
promptly. Tell your host if you prefer
white to dark meat; do not give him
the labor of choosing. Be firm in your
determination not to take any kind of
wine if you do not wish it. 1t is gener-
ally poured by the waiter, that he may
drink it himself after dinner. Never
play with food, nor handle the glass,
silver or china unnecessarily, but try to
be composed in manner even if you do
not feel so.
The mouth should be carefully wiped
with the napkin after soup, after drink
ing, and after eating anything which
can leave its traces on the lips. Gentle
men with mustaches should be very
careful in this respect. 1t is not now the
fashion to pin the napkin up to the coat
or dress, although some elderly people
do it. The napkin is placed across the
lap, ready, at the right hand.
1t is no longer the custom. as it once
was, to wait until every one is helped.
The service of modern dinner rather
demands that every one eats what is
put before him when it is placed there.
A little tact will, however, decide this
question. A hostess must always notice
if some one is behind the rest in finish
ing, and must pretend to eat, to keep
him company, unless her guest is I'M
reasonably long in getting through.
If a person is so unlucky as to break
anything at table, the best apology is a
very short one. Do not lose your COM
posure, or trouble your hostess. She will
be far more sorry for you than you can
be for her, if she is kindly, well-bred
person, and if she is not, her feelings
are of not so much consequence.
fanything is to be removed from the
mouth, let it be done from behind the
napkin, and all use of the tooth-pick
should be also from that obscurity. Nor
should one drink or speak with eatables
in the mouth.
In getting rid of the skins of grapes,
or the pits of fruit, much delicacy should
be cultivated. The hand is the proper
medium from the mouth to the plate
Some people eat instinctively with great
elegance, some never achieve elegance
in these minor matters, but all should
strive for it. There is no more repulsive
object than person who eats noisily,
grossly, or indignantly. DR.. johnson is
remembered for his brutal way of eating
almost as much as for his great learning
and genius. With him it was selfish
preoccupation.
Table manners should begin before
going to table, in making ones self fit
for the table. If no further toilette is
possible, one should attend to the clean
illness of his hands and face, and the
smoothing of hair. In ordinary house
holds one can make modest toilette for
dinner. In any event, students and
clerks, or women who are artists or
authors, or shop girls, or in any walk of
life, can at least make themselves clean.
And then the business of mutual respect
and mutual good breeding begins. The
humblest meal may show the highest
manners, and the real lady or gentleman
shines at the boarding house table as at
the queens banquet.
Abuse of ones food is in bad taste
everywhere. Travelling in America is
yet rather severe trial to those who
have cultivated the gustatory powers,
and the cook is not abroad. There are
often reasons for complaining. But the
person who spends the dinner hour in
complaining of the food makes one more