Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06

no little political distinction, was unacquainted
with the uses of the modern doylies, which is a
thing intended purely for decorative purposes
and not FOR utility. Mrs. Morton had Just had
imported from Paris a set of these luxuries of
table ornament. most costly for the reason that
each one was hand-painted in water colors by
skilled and proportionately high priced art
list. On the occasion referred to the doylies
in question were displayed for the first time at
dessert under the finger bowls Imagine the
hostess horror at seeing her guest. SO famous
as legislator and yet so ignorant of social
conventions. coolly dip his fingers deep in
water and wipe them with the greatest nom
chalancc upon one OF her precious new works
of art on flmy boiling cloth.
The Vice PRESIDENTS wife was not equal in
this emergency to the philosophy of Mrs
Whitney, who, when a guest of hers smashed a
most precious tea cup, calmly picked up an
other and fractured it, saying, Aren't they
absurdly brittle?' But of course, she was too
well bred to make any remark, and was Obliged
to content herself with mournfully describing
the melancholy incident to sympathetic friends
IL Is funny thing, though not SO very sur
prising after all, that this mistake about the
decorative doyly is only too frequently made.
Not very long since the thing SO provided with
the dessert was intended for use, and not
merely for beauty, and SO it does occur that
people not mp 10 the latest social fashions right
often commit the solecism Of wipin2 their wet
paws upon the morsels Of embroidered and
decorated fabric. One has always sympathized
with the man-and he must have come along
many time-who drank out of his finger bowl
and observed that il was "devilish poor lemon
ade."
Obviously. the best thing to do when one ia
IN doubt about anything at a dinner party is to
watch the others. But there are 80 many
strange fxings-new ones, at all events-to be
found at the tables of the rich in these days
that the inexperienced may we'll be excused
feeling puzzled occasionally. true story ia
tural district who found himself q guest not
long ago at dinner given by . cabinet officer
from his state.
He discovered miniature silver hay fork at
the side Of his plate, the likenesses of which
he saw the other people use for their oysters
de did the same and was 30 far all right, help
Ing himself to salt with a very small gold spade
provided Tor the purpose. 1t reminded him OF
the tool he had employed many a time to dig
potatoes with, save for the metal Ofpotatoes
themselves. mashed, he was presently helped
to portion, and he found that his fellow
guests utilized an instrument, the like of which
he was also supplied with, to push the vepe-
table upon their forks Subsequently he
learned that the instrument was called a
'pusher, but at the time it seemed to him
nothing more nor less than a diminutive hoe.
In the exact shape of which it was undeniably
constructed.
But there was one utensil that made him ex-
treme!y nervous, inasmuch as he could not i'm
aglne for what purpose it was intended, and he
was carefully guarding himself against a possi-
BILE faux pas. For course after course he
watched his fellow guests to see when thew
would bring the curious tool into play. 1t was
not, however, until the asparagus came on that
he saw an eminent diplomat who sat opposite
PICK up the silver hay rake from beside his
plate and employ it to convey the vegetable TO
his mouth.
"Well, I'm DIR CALCULATED the Congress
man under his breath. so that's what the
thing Is for! But why in blazes. if we're goin'
into farming for the dinner table, don't We
have a threshing machine to make the beef
steak tender and moving machine to clear of
the crumbs"