Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-24
AseLomAsl. ~ EATING

osws PIsss Tan Absuf Dc Rfssa&y Wsy0
~ Ovss1y Dainty People
The Anx3o-sAxona are aszaid % Use their
fingers 70 eat With. especially the English
Thanks 70 this hesitation, have seen tn the
eourss II my travels tn the oIc world many
distressing sightx J have sesn . lady al
tempt 10 eat cra~Ash secrsvisse} With q kniss
and fork, and abandon the attempt in Do
spair have also seen msn In the sanae tx
] have seen-os. oArharous and rrusi spec
otherwise apparently
civilized. cut on the points Of asparagus, and
eat the~e points only with . fork, thus ieav-
ing the lest part Of the vegetable on their
plsses. "A Tor srtscbokes, they generally
utterly esseat the attacks d tho~ who trust
only u tie knife and fork
Fingers must be used for eating certain
things. notably asparagus. srtichokes. fruit.
olives, rasiishes. pastry, and even small fried
fish In short, everything which viii not dirty
or grsase the fingers nay be eaten with the
fingers Por nay own part, prefer 20 at
Ls,taee saIaa With my fingers rather than
with a fork, and Qssen Marie Antoins.te and
other lsdles 81 the Eighteenth CENTURY we're
n my way u thinking II the ladies' could
only ses how pretty Is their gesture when
their dia ttanesis forefinzer and thumb grasps
a leaf u deiieat. green lettuce, and raises
that leaf from the porcelain plate 70 their
rosy lips, they would all immediately take %
eating salad la Marie Antoinetts. Only
hear In aissd. good ladies, that II you do wish
Dr. eat lsttaee salad with your fingers yesu must
mix your salad with oil and vinegar, and not
with that abominable reaiy made white
-'salad dressing" 10 look upon which Is nau-
seating
May heaven preserve Us from excessive An
zlofnania In matters 81 table service md eat
ing The English tend 10 coinpileate the eat
ing tools far too much. They have too many
forks for comfort and the forums Of them are
too quaint for practical utility. Certainly
silver dessert knives aud forks are very good
In their way, tscans.s they are not susceptible
10 the action OF fruit acids, bat 1t IL vain and
clumsy 10 attempt 10 make too exclusive nse
Of the knife and fork in eating fruit Don't
initiate. for instance, certain ultra correct
English dnrlseis who eat cherries with fork
and swallow the stones because they are too
tnyls4st, or rather too a<inlne, Ia spit them
out GA to the plate. Eating is not IA thing 70
be ashamed o. To thoroughly enjoy peach
you must bits IL, and feel the juicy periunied
flesh melt la your mouth But bet the Anglo
nnanncs say what they pleass, there Is no ne
cessity II sticking fork into the peach, and
pseling 1t while 40 innpaed, as II it were an
III favored and foul object.
A peach Is rs beautifui 20 the touch as 1t Is
To the eye; pssaeh held between human fin
gers has it's beauty enhanced by tho beauty
~ the fingers However dainty and ornate
tho silver dessert knife and fork may be. it
always irrtatas me 10 $50 people cut up their
peaches, or pears, or apricots, or what not,
into cites and parallelopipels, us II dessert
were a branch 81 comic sections Initiate
Marie Antoinette. ladies; use your fingers
more freely; eat dscently, Of course, but do
not h. the slave Of silly Anglomania or New
port cra<es To ent pear or an apple con
veniently, cut IL into quarters, and peel each
quarter in turn as you cat 1t The peach,
too, can be cut into quarters, II the eater is
timid Aprcots do not need peeling, nor
plums q, q. Ser Would you be bold enough 10
peel fresh Zig, or to touch such "a delicate
fruit even with the purest silver instrumental
Theodore Child III Harpers Bazaar.