The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-05-08
ETIQUETTE OF THg TABLE.
4 New Book Of DOnts-- Rules for Eating
Which Nay Assist Some,
And which VIII Cause Harm 60 No
One who EeadSs.W hat IL PeFmIts
ted And what IL TabOOed.

ENNNy Duuy AAONo INV " uAANg W
perhaps somebody may get a useful hint
as to dining decently and in order from
the following paragraphs taken from
DINNERS" a c~ommendable little vol
ume published by Frederick A. Stokes
New York;:
First, Of all things, decline nothing. II
you do not like certain foods 1t is q cour'
tesy to your hostess to appear as II yon
did. II the dinner is served from the side
q Ia Russo, you can take as little upon
your plate rs you choose, and you can ap-
pear as II eating it, for there is always
your bread to taste, and your fork or
spoon to triie with and thus conceal your
UNIV illingness to partake Of a disliked
course. II the dinner is served by the
host, a concealment is equally easy by
using a little skill and tact in manner
and conversation.
Never ask for another helping when
there are several courses, and for soup
not at all. 1t delays the progress Of din.
ner u~npleasantly, and announces a dis
creditable devotion to appetite.
To take soup with q noise, or indeed to
make a needless sound with the mouth
while eating or drinking anything, is un.
refined. To be candid, It is vulgar.
Dip the spoon from you in the plate to
take up soup. Drink it from the sid
next you and not from the tip Of the
spoon, even though a mustache should b,
in the way.
Fish is eaten with al ordinary fork,
with as much dexterity in the evasion
Of bones as can be demanded with such
nm inadequate instrument, and a bit OF
bread as aid. A little modern fish knife
with an ingenious fork, is nov in attend.
ance uLon fish, and many difficulties with
small bones are more easily overcome,
To prolong n sitting at table being one
Of the purposes Of a modern entertainer
it is good form to be reasonably delilerat,
with the fish course, as, indeed, It is witt
every replacement Of a Wand, and thereby
one expresses a prevailing elegance"
Most fool is eaten with a fork, the knift
being only its preparer, except when
cheese that is neither grated or cream.
is partaken Of as an ever-respecied part Of
a dessert. Here It is that knives retain
their grip on ancient custom anil bring il
down to modern tables. Cheese is eaten
with a knife.
Forks are used with the right hand and
are pointed toward the mouth no NOR
directly than is necessary to put food be-
tween the lips.
Forks are laid for such desserts as are
not wholly liquid, these instruments be-
ing used to sop broken bits Of pudding IN
its sauce, thus banishing the spoon when.
ever possible. Ice creams are eaten with
forks, but water ices with spoons, and
good form does not tell us why. Its com.
mands are not often thus arbitrary
Strawberries are eaten with forks unless
their leafy tips have a stem, in which
rase It is proper and graceful to take each
with the fingers, touch 1t to the y
lying upon ones plate, then half dip it in
cream and place it to the mouth. The
Same service Of sugar and cream is per.
formed by a fork when strawberries are
not served with their stems.
Spoons with tea, coffee, chocolate and
bouillon remain in the saucer when not
~ronveying liquid to the mouth. They are
correctly PLACED at the right Of the cup
whenever not in use.
Do not pass to another a plate that has
been sent to you by q host or hostess, be-
cause it disturbs the plan u your enter
tainer. 1t is silently taking an exception
tn his sense Of fitness or courtesy and
submitting your own instead. OF course
this applies only when competent service
Is at hand. In its absence, with the ap-
nroval Of a host, to aid at table is obliga-
tory.
1t is in bad taste to lay a napkin over
the breast. At elegant tables the napkin
is only partly shaken from its folds, and
is then dropped in the lap to use for wip-
ing the lips and fingers. It is supposed
that those who have refined table manners
do not scatter crumbs or drop fuod,