Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-08-31

in which several sets 81 Knives anu HUNS
are laid at each plat. is apt TO embar-
rass a neophyte, who does not know
which to take first, says Clara DE We're,
in Cincinnati Gdzctte. The smallest
fork is for the raw oysters, which gen.
orally precede a handsome dinner, the
next smallest for the fish, and so on. In
eating oysters the shell is steadied on
the plate with the fingers OF the LETT
hand, and the oysters are not cut, but
eaten whole. Soup should be served
with large spoons and never with des-
sert spoons, and there is good reason
for this etiquette of spoons. Soup Is
nothing if not hot; and as it is the Gus.
tom to give but a very small helping OF
soup-ahout half a ladle full to each
person-it is eaten quicker. and, there
fore, hotter with a large spoon than
with a small n The way in which a
man takes his soup is by many people
regarded as the test of his table man.
ners-to tip the plate and to take the
sour from the point of the spoon are
sins against the morality of the dinner
table, as great as to suck down the
LIQUID with the sound of a miniature
maelstrom. The best law-givers on the
subject demand that the spoon shall
be swept through the soup away from
the person, and the soup drank noise
lessiy from the side of the spoon, which
should be slightly tipped, as if it were a
small cup or bowl. For thirty years,
until q brief time ago, fish had been ca
ten with q fork and a bit of bread crust
to poke the flakey bits upon the tines,
and to this day old-fashioned people
fancy that that bread crust improved
the flavor of their salmon or black bass.
But one evening the youngest son OF
an Earl discarded this crust OF bread
and ate his fish with two silver forks.
This notion found such favor that So
ciety dropped the humble crust and
adopted the extra fork. After q time it
was found cumbersome and was super
| seeded by a dainty little silver fish knife
| and fork, which are in general use III
houses where the latest adjuncts to con-
| venience and elegance are in order. Ii
no fish knife be forthcoming, the diner
out can fall back upon either his crust
or his extra fork, and still be shining in
good company. Very small helps OF
fish are always given. When game IS
eaten it is needless to say that b old
license for holding the bone delicately
between the finger and the thumb has
long since expired. 'Set never on fish
nor flesh, beast nor fowl, truly
than two fingers and a thumb. for that
is courtesy" is the old measure for
manners, now disbarrcd. The leg OF q
fowl or game bird is never given as a
helping to a guest, unless at a pinch,
but the wing or breast cuts. From
these he cuts off the meat which can be
easily got at, and leaves all those NOR
sells about which there is the slightest
difficulty. A good host looks with
greater favor upon greediness than upon
indecision, Always refuse Or accept
promptly, and know whether You pre-
fer light or dark meat. One of the most
Objectionable diners out is the woman
whe Greatly has no choice in these
matters. Vegetables are generally ca
ten with a fork, with two OF three ex'
ceptions, as radishes, water cress, ant
olives. Asparagus is eaten by elderly
gentlemen who adhere to the custom;
Of their youth by holding the stalks IL
; their fingers. The Younger generation
cut off the pods Of the asparagus with
! fork, and Il knife if necessary, that is i
tough, and leave altogether the uppe
, parts of the stalks. Salads belong to TIL
1 Joint. and are eaten off small sala,
plates placed at the left of the Dime
I plate. The usual mode of eating chees
is to cut it in small squares and place
: with the knife on a morsel Of bread
G which is then conveyed to the mouth b
the fingers. The English fashion Q
serving celery with cheese is a GROWN.
one. 1t is Ii into fair-siEed mouthfuls
and thus eaten instead of bites being ia
ken from TIE end of 4 stick of celery
: held between the fingers, s~choolbo
fashion. If wine is drank the gias
$ should be taken by the stem and not b
a the bowl. Sparkling wines, the latc>
dictum declares, should be drank
olce and not slipped. In the matter
taking wine. Ole can decline altogether
O if one chooses, without any breach
good manners. Men turn down tn
l glass, and some of them make consid
cradle unnecessary parade in so doing
A woman motions the waiter away wit
, her foretinger put on the edge of thu
l. glass. If lady does not intend drink
ing more wine than remains in he
glass, she should make a little motiol
T. of dissent when the servant is about t
replenish it-otherwise a good glass c
~ wine is sent away untested until the art
D full waiter consumes it himself benin
10 the door of the buffers pantry. n
. condiments except salt are now put III
t. on the table. Individual salts are pure
ly American. In the best houses a pref
erence is shown for ample silver sa
r ieres. The custom cherished by nan
people of putting little piles of salt o
the tablecloth is a violation of the nii
t. est table etiquette. and though not e,
" actly a crime, is vexatious to the nos
: ess, and gives her faultless table ashaf
by look during the removes. The So,
should be deposited on the rim of tn
plate, on the left side, too, if 70
have respect for the old tim
!. tradition that ''salt and pepper shout
always be handed from left to right.
4 1t is NJ longer the custom, as it ono
a was, to wait till every one is helped
n A little tact will decide that question
# a doubt arises. The hostess must pr,
d tend to eat till her most lingering que
= is done to keep him company. 1t
always proper to ask for q second cut
to declare a preference for rare Or Ill
derdone beef or the reverse at an il
formal dinner, but one never asks twit
for soup, fish, salad, and rarely for de;
sert. When dinner is served a la Russ
one asks for nothing except perhal
d time to see what is on his plate befo1
4 the waiter spirits it away. When tt
- finger bowl placed on a napkin al
is glass plate arrives in the progress
the dinner, the finger bowl should |
d removed with the right hand and set
rs front of the plate, and the little dol
should then be placed at the left, lea
"a ing the plate free for the fruit. 1t
always proper to pare an apple, to CT
n a peach, or prepare an orange with ii
IT knife and the fingers. Some peop
70 waste their energies by sticking the.
70 fruits on a fork and carving them wit
h out any touch of the fingers, but this
D. unnecessary. Cake at dessert is broke
= and eaten as bread would be, and nj
cut into small squares with q knit
d After the fruit is eaten the fingers a
dipped into the finger bowl, and dric
70 on the napkin with as little parade
yps possible. 1t is permissible for a ma
d to dip u corner of the napkin in IL
,r finger glass, and wipe his mustache, b.
"a it must he done deity and quickly, f,
y. it is not q pretty sight to see a man
10 engaged at the table, though much ms
be forgiven to the owner of a luxurial
mustache or patriarchal beard.
One word more, and this to your
girls who have been carefully taug,
I nice courtesy to servants in their ow
homes and if ia a wnri not ont of Mac