Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-19
WHOLE NO. 1919.
Manners at the Table,

A%hASAo CT thC 4dOx0s
Your tablecloth may be coarse. It
must be clean. My John maintains
gravely that there is something demor-
alizing in q dirty tablecloth, degrade.
ton more serious than the damage sus.
tanned by appetite and stomach. Put
under the linen cover (don't use COT
tom y asub-cover of thick canton flannel,
if you cannot afford the heavier table
felt y sold for this purpose. Or an old
blanket, darned, washed, and kept for
this use only. will do, if you can spare
it. The upper cover will lie moro
smoothly, look like much better quail
lty OF napery. and keep clean . third
longer than it spread upon the bare
boards. Have mats of some kind
crochet or basket work-under the
dishes, and q napkin at each place.
Beside those. have knife aud fork laid
straight and side by side at the right
side, a clean tumbler or goblet, and an
individual butter plate. The fash
ion of using these last is not only
c;eanly but economical, since the bits
OF butter left can be collected after the
meal and used for cooking without
clinging associations of gravy, crumbs
or sweets.
Do not let the boys wash in the eat.
ing room; nor comb their hair with q
family comb hung over the sink; nor
yet produce each his pocket comb and
make straight and sleek his locks in
sight OF the assembled family. It is
almost as Objectionable, make him nm.
derstand, to clean or pare his nails ct
the table or in the parlor. If obtuse
on this particular point, impress upon
him, at the risk of seeming coarse, that
the cuttings and scrapings Of the human
body are interesting only to the pos.
SCISSOR thereof. The shock of the idea
may prevent him from falling into the
habit of cleaning aud trimming his
finger nails during divine service, after
he becomes city millionaire, in the
persuasion that it is seemly and not
ungraceful diversion for the time and
place.
When seated at the table let the
helping be done in decorous turn as the
parents shall decree. An overloaded
plate in this day is considered unsight-
ly. Nor should the few articles taken
at the same time upon it be stirred
together and compounded as druggist
makes up prescription, the knife
taking the place of the spstuls. Teach
the children next to chew the food we'll
and slowly, with the lips closed to avoid
the sound of crunching and smacking.
Fast eating has more to do with our
national dyspepsia than have pies and
fresh bread. Never allow the sopping
or wlplng up gravy or molasses with
bits OF bread when the solid contents
OF the plates are consumed. II the
young people use water AS beverage,
see that they acquire the habit Of
wiping their lips before drinking, thus
leaving ths glass unsoiled. Tea and
coffee must be drank noiselessly. not
sucked from the side OF the cup, leaving
the spoon In the saucer, and the cup to
be- asld by the hsndle. hsva. .sat at .
table with ponderous DID,, LII D.,
who made me tremble for the dainty
china by grasping the CUP with bis
whole haud, the thu ub overlapping the
brim, while he imbibed the contents st
one mighty quaff. succeeded by loud
Demand that requests for food, 90.
ceptance and declinature OF the same
be conveyed in set and courteous
phrase; that all the members OF the
family seat themselves at the same time
and without hustle. Exact from the
chance laggard sentence of apology
addressed to yourself. To you also, as
hostess, should he directed the " Please
excuse me-" or May be excused 2"
without which no one. old or young,
should be permitted to quit the table
until oil have finished; put spoons in
empty cups, lsy knife and fork in close
parallels aorOss the plate, the handles
to the right. and leave folded napkins
on the same side between plate and cup
or goblet. When all rice the chairs
should be lifted. cot pushed, back and
set quite out Of the way of turning fig-
ures.
"When you leave the table, leave the
room. is an excellent rule in most
households. II the servants are ia
clear away dishes and plates, the pres
ence OF mere lockers. on will be rnvel
come. If the mother ard dsuRhfers
perform the work, Father" and thu
boys are apt to be in the way. 10th q
the kindly women are to hint this
Marion Harland. in Congregationalist,
RASPBERRY JAM.-To five or six
nOnD1a of f;po ~ol