The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-01-08
TABLE MANNERS.

A writer in the New York Tribune pre-
faces sundry directions as 10 the formation
of table manners by the remark that habit
creates sentiment. A mother seeking to
develop good table manners in her children
will first provide good table appointments
and carefully prepared and daintily served
food. These will inspire in the children
respect for the table and good manners will
follow. The writer then says:
As to the table appointments. The cloth
should be scrupulously clean though it be
only coarse material; nicely starched and
ironed, and put on straight, the folds paral-
lei with the sides of the table, and the table
with the sides of the room.
The napkins, of however coarse material
should also be clean, carefully ironed and
put on in place.
The arrangement of the dishes on the
table should be uniform, regular and taste.
full, each dish, plate, spoon, glass, being in
its appointed place, and kept there.
As to the food. It is impossible TO feel
polite and well-mannered over unpalatable
coarse, ill-prepared, indigestible food Every
mouthful of it provokes i'll humor, resent
ment, dissatisfaction.
The house-mother who insists on good
table manners must give her family good
food.
There is no need Of sour bread, muddy
coffee, sogRy potatoes, heavy pie crust, ,leath.
cry batter cakes. Chesterfield himself would
forget his manners if compelled for any
length Of time TO subsist on such diet.
As to methods of eating. With the assis-
tance Of the knife and fork, the food may be
80 divided as to relieve the incisors Of the
heaviest part Of their work make small
mouthfuls pleasure.
The grinders indicate that grinding in
the mouth is part of the process of nutri-
tion. Animals destitute of grinders bolt
their food
It is not fitting that human beings should
eat as dogs do, since they have each "mill'
ready for use-which dogs have not.
The lips are so constructed that the noise
of the grinding, which is intolerable TO ears
polite, may be effectually disguised. This
is a point that cannot be too urgently in
sisted on. Food, whether liquid or solid,
must be conveyed into the mouth and from
the mouth downward silently.
The position at the table should be un-
constrained and easy, the person sitting
erect or slightly bent forward when eating,
so that the mouth may be directly above
the plate the arms should be held at the
side, not extending at right angles with the
body.
The elbows should be kent off OF the table.
Leaning back in ones chair or dancing on
the legs Of the chair is grevious violation
Of table etiquette,permitted only and wrong.
ly to bad children.
The mouth aud fingers should he kept,
during all the process Of eating, absolutely
clean.
The dainty eater will keep his plate in
order and leaYe it 50, with knife and fork
laid together across the plate.
The use Of the fork to the exclusion OF the
knife in carrying food to the mouth is in-
sisted on.
Leave taking is admissible only by per-
mission OF the hostess.
Table talk should he light, agreeable gen
ersl, each person present contributing his
or her qnota 10 the general fund, aud chill.
dFen observing the excellent rule Of being
aseen aud not heard" unless they are in
such majority that the oonveraation is key ed
70 thsiI level.