Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-24
Household.

Weight of authority sometimes gives
power to utteranoe that destitute of en-
dorsement would be like note upon
which there is no adequate security, rep
resented by nothing it is as valueless as a
blank. The following extract from the
Christian Advocate has so much truth in
it that there need be little apology for
quoting from it, for no one will for one
moment dispute the fact that there is no
surer test of inbred gentility and
true refinement, than ones table
manners, and any mother who excuses
such things in her children not only does
them lasting injury, but subjects others
to an amount Of discomfort that is un-
pardonable.
Says the Christian Advocate: There is
no pain of the social sort more exquisite
than the pain endured by sensitive and
refined nature when, by stress of circum-
stances it is compelled to feed on husks
with swine. This was the browning
agony that brought the prpdigal son to
himself, and influenced him TO return TO
his fathers home, where the servants
even had good food and TO spare.
The mother who would have her child
rem form correct habits at the table
should begin early and keep up the train
ing till it becomes second nature TO them
TO eat properly and behave faultlessly.
She must create a proper sentiment in
them by having the table wei appointed, ,
the food prepared and served daintily
and the order of the service unvarying
As TO the table appointments the cloth
should be scrupulously clean, though it
be only coarse material; it should be
nicely starched and ironed, and put on
Straight, its folds parallel with the sides
OF the table, and they with the side of
the room. The napkins, of however
coarse material, must also be clean,
carefully ironed and put on in
place. The arrangement of the
dishes on the table must be uniform,
regular and tasteful; each dish, plate,
spoon, glass, being i'll its appointed place
and kept there. Any one accustomed to
orderly appointments by habit soon learns
to feel the necessity of taste and exact
itude. These are fearfully neglected in
many families. Table furniture of all
sorts is hustled on without regard to ap-
pearance or order, the napery is disgust
ing, the carelessness i'll disposing it
equally so, and the results are only such
as might be expected. Children who are
required to behave at table every day as
they are taught TO behave when company
is present, must sit down every day to as
well set table as is set for company.
AS to food it is impossible TO feel polite
and well-mannered over unpalatable,
coFse, ill-prepared, iadIgestlble food
Every mouthful of it prevokes ill-humor i,
resentment, dissa tisfaction. The house
mother who insists on good table manners
must give her family good food. How
can one be gentle and polite and sweet
tempered on diet of sour bread, muddy
coffee, soggy potatoes, heavy pie-crust,
leather batter cakes. Chesterfield him
self would forget his manners if COM
PEELED for any length of time to subsist
on such diet
AS TO methods of eating, with the as
sistance of the knife and fork the food
may be so divided rs TO relieve the in
cisors of part of their work, and make
small mouthfuls pleasure. The grind
ers indicate that grinding in the mouth is
part of the process of nutrition. AMI