St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-09

A "Ccnsor' has written and ID. APP
plcton * Co. have published IS small
pages telling what people, mainly men,
table. "DOn't' is the title of the bro
churc and the first word in every par
arraph. 1t is somewhat English in
tone, and hand-boX English at that,
and much of it is childish. Thus {:
Don't handle Your fork or knife awk-
wardly. Don't stab with the fork OF
carry it as if it were Il dagger in the
belt a? Always carry food to the
mouth with an inward curve of the
fork or SPOON 70 tell Il man that he
shall not carry knife rs dagger is
all well enough, but when he is pro-
hibitcd from carrying soup over ii bee
line or even on an outward curve, one
is inclined to look for the fundamental
principles that make up the science of
eating soup, and also for the mental
diameter of the man who writes it up.
The discovery is easily made: ''Don't
bend over your plate nor drop your
head To get each mOuthlul. Keep an
upright attitude as nearly rs yOu can
without being stiff" This revelation
simply makes the eating of soup II
mere seductive pastime. Any kind of
soup will do as an experiments: the
mind. being charmed with the science
of sitting upright and curving the
spoon inward, will naturally he obliv-
ious of seasoning or flavor. If there
are. say. dozen at the table, the spec
tacle will be all the more instructive.
IT cannot Ice expected that all will he
in training, so to speak, and by cast
ing the eye about while the other
eleven spoons are going round the
curve. considerable useful information
will he CLEANED. We quite understand
the Injunction "DOn't ask for n second
service of soup" The natural iuclina-
ton would be to continue the operation
indefinitely, and the whole party would
30 to pieces on the first course.
Censor also knows something
about napkins. Don't tuck Your nap
kin under your chin nor spread it upon
your breast. Don't spread your nap
kin over your lap; let it fall over your
knee" This one can see ut glance is
very important. If spread over the
lap the napkin might get soiled, hut
by allowing it to fall over the knee it
is practically ont of the line of the
onward curve The most glittering
generality in the list of table rules is
to ''eat gently and quietly and easily"
I'm cutting meat keep your elbows
close to your Sides Don't mop your
face or beard with your napkin" and
don't load Up the fork with food with
your knife and then cart it," 1t isn't
considered the thing to Spread a slice
of bread and then bite it, The bread
should he broken and each piece but
tered, and, above all things, ''don't
crumb bread into your soup" \ sensi-
tive man could not survive the mOrti-
tication of telling his host 10y this ac-
ton that. as he may not get enough in
the following courses he proposes to
dine of soup and bread. 1t is quite
evident that the American boarding
house is responsible for the bread and
soup barbarity aimed ut 10y Censor
since man must have something to sus-
tain life, even when eating on a French
course schedule at an American table.
Many of the rules given by Censor"
as to the drawing room and the public
street will he serviceable, as they are
simply formal statement of what is
commonly Practiced. but such points
- the lifting of the hat when a man
passes woman's fare to the horse ear
conductor, are overdriwn. The hat is
simply not lifted under such circum-
stances to any extent in any of our
great cities. The man who sits nearest
the box in "A New York omnibus. for
example, usually has occasion to pass
"A nickel "A score of times. and the tip
IL ~ II .
uncalled for Springfield Republican.