The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-03
CUES =.
How They should BE s~-ved-Stupis' Gus
toms Outgrown.

How They should Be s--ved-stupis' Gus
toms Outgrown.
Not every one who can skilfully
carve a joint. or fowl, is capable OF
serving it. None but natural diplo-
mat can successfully accomplish tie
| feat. The eternal fitness of things
,hould be carefully considered b. the
host previous to serving N 5 guests; and
the apportioning of special parts of a
ds', to certain individuals should be
distinctly understood ard fully i'm
pressed upon the servant waiting on the
table Many host. however, fails in
this essent al requisite for the perfect
accomplishment of a dinner. his chief
aim apparently being to get rid of the
pieces before him, regardless of the sex.
age or tastes of his company. A man
of this kidney ought never to be allowed
to give a dinner. and it rests with the
guests to decide whether they will ever
a mans table.
1 have witnessed at private dinner
parties the most egregious blunders
committed by servants. Plates con-
tanning delicacies intended for certain
specified guests. given by mistake to
those who neither cared for nor appre-
ciated them: while those for whom they
were intended got that which they least
relished. A stupid waiter should be
carved, drawn and quartered.
When the carving is done at side
table hold it a good rule to place the
dish before the master of the house. so
that he. presumably knowing the tastes
of his guests, can properly serve it.
The custom of passing the carved meat
around the table, allowing each person
to help him or herself, l do not con .ider
wise. Two-thirds, PROBABLY, OF the
guests especially where the company
is a little mixed a regards age and sex
scarcely know the difference between
one piece of meat and another. and,
therefore. naturally take that which is
closest to their hand. Indeed if they
knew the difference, they feel deli
cacy about turning over the various
pieces on the dish in search of that
which they prefer. Whereas. if the
host himself sends it to them. they have
no scruple5 in accepting it. Of course
the waiter should be instructed, when
he receives the plates. to place them
without making an error before the
persons for whom they are intended.
The fashion VIII. ch used to exist of
passing, in the name of politeness, the
plate sent to you by the host, to your
neighbor. is now. happily ignored In
the old days-say twenty-five years ago
i have seen plate of meat handed
to guest a. the right of the host. pass
entirely around the table until it found
resting place in front of the guest on
his left side. How preposterous was
this! As the plate passed from hand
to hand its contents deprecated in
value. and was little better than ..cold
vit.als'' when it reached its final abid-
ing place.
Another old-fashioned custom which
we have fortunately outgrown. but was
once regarded rs the height of polite
ness, was for none ut the table to begin
eat NC until all surrounding it were
helped Q like the word helped in place
of served) Thereby. however. many a
plate of soup grew cold e'er partaken
of; and goodly slices of NUT on or beef
were chilled, and thus rendered unpal-
atable. OF course it would be quite inn
polite to proceed. the moment q plate
of soup was placed before you, to ''guz-
zle' it down Immediately, instead of
waiting n few seconds until Your neigh
Dor. especially if lady, was served.
You may employ the moment, If you be
dull man. with toying with the crust
of bread before YOU; but if a witty one,
you will critically examine, with one
eye closed. the sherry wine in the glass
you uphold. remarking upon the deli
cate perfume and the nutty flavor of
true wine-a real Amont,llado of high
grade-which it possesses; though in
your consciousness You may privately
shrug your shoulders and whisper to
yourself that it never saw the land of
Don Quixote nor ripened in the town of
Neres under Andalusian suns.-PhiL-
IRe'l C,ffPr,T