Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-22
WOMAN AND HOME
HOW TO HANDLE THE KNIFE,
FORK AND SPOON.
Bringing Up Chfldren-Furntture of tho
Sitting Room-What Remedy
aiity-Care of Closets-Care of the
Feet-Stocking nIendiDg-Items.

/ Sitting Room-What ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| aiity-Care of Closets-Care of the
| Feet-Stocking nIendiDg-Items.
! To begin with, we know that the knife
/ never should be used as medium OF convey
1 ing food from, the plate to the mouth: then
/ the very naturalness and ease OF the move
| ment suggests what table etiquette demandS)
that the fork be raised laterally with the
! right hand--never twisted around so as to
/ bring the points of the fork at right angle
with the mouth To do that an awkward
wrenching Of the elbow is necessary. Happily
In this instance the easy and natural way Is
the way of good society.
! Among the refinements Of this general idea
we class the taking but little food on the fork
at time, moderation in this respect being
regarded as decided evidence of good breed
ing and neat habits
In considering the spoon all authorities
agree that it is to be used for soup, straw
berries and cream, melons that are too juicy
! to be eaten with a fork, preserves and al
kindred dishes, including the Roman punch
that forms SO agreeable an incident of the
well equipped dinner table.
With those who practice the last limit OF
| elegance" each cover is accompanied by two
arge silver knives, a small silver knife and
lfork for fish, an oyster fork, tablespoon and
three large forks. In the center of this arma-
ment is the napkin, in the clean folds OF
which is wrapped a piece of bread As each
! plate or cover is used the accompanying
knife, fork and spoon go with it. The law
has it that fish must be eaten with silver
knife and fork Most 'made" dishes and
should be eaten with the fork, but when it
comes TO roast beef and the like of course
the knife also, is indispensable.
Between dinner proper and dessert every
thing on the table save the cloth must be re-
moved. Then each sitter is provided with
dessert plate, spoon, knife and fork. Fresh
fruits, such as apples and pears, should be
peeled with a silver knife, Quartered and con-
veyed to the mouth with the fingers. 1t is
also necessary to peel oranges, but it has of
late come to be regarded as a good thing to
adopt the Spanish fashion Of having them
peeled by the servants and served on a silver
fork, the handle of which serves as a con-
venient means for getting at the fruit.
Fashion as well as good taste requires that
grapes be eaten behind the half closed hand,
letting the skin fall into the hand unnoticed
and dropped thence to the plate.
Unless the salad be cut up before it is
brought forward, both knife and fork are es-
sential, a fact that is too obvious to require
elaboration. This necessitates a salad knife
and fork in addition to the equipments al
ready listed. The fact that saltcellars are
now placed with each plate makes it permits
sible to serve oneself in this particular with
the knife.
For the black coffee after dinner the tiniest
of spoons are used. Some conscientious law
givers have so profoundly felt their response
biity as to carefully instruct us to guard
against putting the spoon too far into the
mouth. Particularly has the soup spoon its
rocks on which it may be wrecked, one Of
which is the kissing sound that often accom-
panies soup taking, and which excites the
nmazement of the well bred diner out,
We are told that there are always persons
happy in their fashion of eating as in every
thing that falls to them to do. Refined man.
ners at table are regarded as infallible proof
of innate politeness or of early good breed
ing-Detroit Free Press.