The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-26
HOME, FARM AND RANCH.
Small Details in Table laying.

Small Details in Table Laying.
The si,ieboard for the late dinner
must be laid fancifully and prettily,
and with such disposition of the
tallest articles that all the rest are
shown to good effect. No knives
should be seen, all should be silver
and glass. Never turn tumbler or
a wine-glass upside down in arrang-
ing a sideboard or a Tablet is a vul-
garity. AT hotel or restaurant it is
reasonable to do so, where tables are
really laid for hours, as it keeps out
the dust; and on the washing stand
of bedroom it is proper to turn med
icine glasses and tumblerS upside
down for the same reason, but not In
preparing meals in a private house,
where the glasses are going to be i'm
mediately used Neither should any
spoon or fork be turned upside down,
only salt spoons, because otherwise
they would not lay on top OF the salt
cellars. Arrange on the sideboard
dessert spoons and forks, some large
spoons and forks, sauce ladies, gravy
spoon, fish slice-in short, all of silver
that will be required during the
different courses. Lay them out in a
tasty manner. not too struggling,
never in bundles as you would keep
them in plate basket. This is only
admissible when there is large din
ner or ball supper, and then you must
of course have a reserve in bundles, in
addition to those you lay out Orna-
men tally.
In laying the table do not place a
soup ladle, gravy spoon and a fish
slice or fish knife and fork altogether
at the bottom of the table, as so many
servants do. Keep the fish knife and
gravy spoon on the side-board until
they are wanted 1t is quite right to
place the carving knife and fork from
| the beginning at the bottom of the
| table; they are then ready and yet do
not make confusion; in fact, it
would make more confusion if you
were to place them only when they
were wanted; but remember in laying
| them to let the bottom of their han
| dies correspond exactly with the bot
| tom of the handles of the two large
| knives, and let the ends lie on the
| knife rests. Put four salt cellars, one
at each corner, or small one to each
person, us the custom Of the family
may be. Place the tablespoons on each
side of the salt cellars, so that the
| handles are in a line; and if you pre-
| fer to place your tablespoons straight,
LIT the salt cellars be on a line with
the ends of the large knives; but if
| you prefer to put our tablespoons at
cross corners they ought to be nearer
to the edges of the table. Ii you
place the tablespoons straight the
water bottles ought to stand off a lit
tie from the tip of the inside table
spoon. If the tablespoons are at cross
corners the water bottles must stand
across the middle of the inside table
spoon, and in this case you may turn
the handle Of one tablespoon one way
and that OF the other spoon the other
way; but when you place them
straight. it is better style to have
both handles in a row.
AS guide how far apart you
should place the knives and forks for
each person, put IA plate down be-
tween the edges of a large
plate should go over the knives and
| forks, a small plate should not. Salt
ought to beImOulded in little hillock,
either out of small -egg-cup, or
WineglaSS that has lost its stem, and
| then turned out into the salt-cellar.
Remember to place the knife rests.
The buffers tray is very ugly OBJ
ject unless clean tray cloth is put
over it; but it is very necessary
relief to the sideboard, as it holds the
pudding and cheese plates, knives and
cheese, which ought all to be ar
ranged there during the laying of the
cloth, and room left for two vegeta
BILE dishes-if the family is small if
not, IA large side table is needed. The
dinner wagon should only be used for
dessert plates, and such dessert dishes
as cannot be put on the table until
dinner is over. Wine for dessert
ought also to be placed in the dinner
wagon. Each dessert plate ought to
be arranged quite ready for placing,
with its dolly, finger glass, knife, fork
and spoon. The finger glass out not
to be even half full Of water If des-
sert plates are used without dolly or
d finger glass, then place your dessert
knife and fork handles on the plates,
aud let the points go over the plate,
this prevents their falling or stray
Cling.