Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-12
IN TAMIL FASHION.
A LITTLE FOLKS DINNER EATEN
IN THE cEYLoN STYLE.

Tropical Leaves Made to Serve rs Plates.
An ErempIar In Table Etiqustte-Pian-
tain Plate in Neat Condition-EIpert
Manipulation.
Yesterday our two little girls were dressed
in the Tamil fashion and bad little dinner
party, at which, with formal state, they ate
as the Tamils do, without forks, knives or
plates. They sat meanwhile upon a carpet
strip of new mating, and they sat cross
legged. Their Tamil costume was complete.
They looked pretty in red calico jackets-vir
tually a short underwaist, which is tied by
its corners IN front. 1t supports thus the
adults womans figure. Except the short
sleeves and one shoulder little of the jacket
appears 1t Is hidden by six or seven yards
of cloth, which is uncut and without a stitch;
and it is so draped as to form both skirt
and waist covering. Aya nursel prepared
the repast, just what she would have had for
her own family dinner when she had rather
an extra good dinner.
When they We're properly seated all in a
row upon the mat, she slipped out Of the
room, and at one fetching she brought a
whole dinner and utensils for four persons.
They were Henrietta, Anna, Mary Spooner
and Aya's little daughter "TreSsia, who, al
though she lives in a house just behind the
kitchen wing, very seldom comes into the
bungalo. "TresSia" is for st. Theresa 1t
was an orderly, silent, stately dinner, yet
such simple affair, such all-sutficient table
furniture, and such a rich meal
Aya began by laying before each diner a
broad piece OF plantain leaf. They often use
as plates the large leaves of the teak tree--well
known for its superior timbeT-whose leaves
are not lobed, and are OF good size for table
plates.
A leaf, TO serve as a plate, should be of firm
fiber and sufficient thickness, and its surface
more soft, smooth and shining than a var
nished board. Tropical LEAKAGE is well ad-
apted to the needs of the social table, while
clean, dry cocoanut shell is a wholesome bowl
that does not leak A plantain leaf, the leaf
Of a banana tree, is ten or twelve feet long.
A stout mid rib divides the leaf longitudin-
ally. The winds often tear this giant leaf
into short ribbons on each side of the strong
rib. Aya's plates were each a square-cut
piece of one of these segments-a fresh, pure,
green, clean plate.
TABLE ETIQUETTE
Then Aya gave to each guest liberal per
ton of boiled rice, with two sorts of richest
curry, and, as an additional appetizer, bit
of some kind of dried fish, slightly fried, salty,
crispy. 1t was an extraordinary dinner, he
cause they had more than one curry
Little Tamil Tressia was now the exemplar
in table etiquette The others were not to
this manner born. Tressia kept on her lap
her left hand clean TO take hold of a drinking
cup or for any other emergency. Into her
right hand she daintily scooped a suitable
portion OF rice for one mouthful She
worked il in her closed hand until it was sufii-
ciently compact; then. slightly bending, she
placed it in her mouth, and so on in repeti-
ton After while she took daintily from
the curries TO give her palate a flavor, about
in the same drift as we taste one food and
then another in harmonious succession
Throughout the feast she kept her plantain
plate in the neatest condition. years old
and gentle lady in her manners Not a
crumb Of the rice or a drop of the curries fell
outside OF her verdant and vivid, glossy and
strong plate Of natures providing Her hand
was not submerged in food, nor did the grains
of rice cleave TO her fingers. The back of
her half-closed hand and the manipulating
finger forks seemed no otherwise than clean.
Nor was the food upon her plate in a slov-
enly state. Her finger ends, the deftest Of
table implements upon occasion, brought
every grain of rice TO its own compartment
The eaten curries left only richer polish
upon the plantain leaf. And when size had
chewed her crisp little morsel of dried fish as
q finisher the little Trcssia, following without
thought her home bahits and excellent table
manners, turned together the two corners Of
h-r leaf and quietly got up, slipped out and
threw her plate away. Then she came back
and resumed ber seat. A moistened towel
was passed. around and the Tamil dinner ex-
raordinary was finished.-Anna Billiards.
Ceylon Letter in Chicago News.