The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-05-14

sociability The family are still little
sleepy, and if they say Good morning Z
they feel that all the demands of courtesy
have been honored. They sink into their
respective chairs aud silence; and the fruit
or oatmeal or both will often be devoured
before any word betrays that they have the
gift of speech.
Alta meal one should never seem alb
sorbed in eating, even so are the swine
Neither should one ever, except to catch
train (and then, it is better to rise half an
hour earlier) eat fast! 1t is an insult to
the cook. A well cooked dish ought to be
as sacred as political party and no more
to be bolted Respect your own stomach
if YOU have not the consideration OF well
bred person for your cook and the people
that fate compels to see you eat. A cele-
brated cook computes that there are, every
year, at least thirty out of hundred peo-
ple who die because they have not eaten
Alright, and at least fifteen out ofthlrty who
die on account of eating too fast.
A neat and becoming toilet for meal
times is another proof of consideration that
is not wasted; hope that the odious day
of curl papers at breakfast has gone out
with the affection of small appetite for
Young women. We cannot always be smart,
but we can always be tidy; and, after all,
there is no beauty like habitual cleanliness.
I once heard a woman describing man
who had given his wife almost every cause
under heaven to regret that she had married
him. ~ don't understand how she endured
him" said she, "except," she added thought
fully, ''that he is the very cleanest man
alive" In the minor points of etiquette 1t
is good plan 20 have decided views about
the fork. The minds of most people wabble
good deal in regard to this indispensable
article. | do not mean that they would of
fer the knife asa substitute, although have
seen n German nobleman who had won the
iron cross and whose manners were OF the
finest, eat proudly and freely with his knife;
but even among those who are brought up
from childhood on the fork, there is dis
tinct uncertainty during certain courses.
They start boldly with the fork in the
right hand and shift, occasion tempting, to
the left; like Howells's country hero who
dimes for the first time in Boston, and
watches the guests uncertainly y and shifts
his fork from one hand to the other as his
mind veers.
If You start with your fork in either
hand. no matter which, it gives you a
superiority to cling to that hand to the
bitter end.
There is a general suspicion Of elegance
attached to eating with ones unsupported
fork. rather than with the knife and fork
together. In salads, for instance, the knife
is considered superfuity; one must shred
ones lettuce or endive with the fork, and
crust of bread or tiny biscuit allowed one.
| find this general rule obtains; the more
inconvenient, the more elegant
But there is one exception, the English
and by consequence our admirers of the
English always eat fish in the most sensi
BILE way, with a knife and fork.
In the family circle the different dishes
should be passed to the Oldest woman, IL
most cases. But if there is very hOnored
elderly man in family of women it is al
ways a delicate attention to pass to him
first. Sometimes the head Of the table
does not desire to be interrupted, the per
son of next consideration in this case should
be served first.
I know a lady who, no matter what
guests may be at the table, has her aged
mother served first. [ suppose were an
older lady than her mother present, this
rule would be waived in her favor, but
other motives to consideration do not pre-
vail.
In entering the room, in the morning, ii
is proper to give the morning greeting first
to the person of first consideration, although
this may be modified by the circumstance
of some other speaking as one enters; it is
natural then to return the salute before
speaking to any other.
1t is not bad plan-indeed it is a very
good plan-to have the service at table or
dinary. very much as it is at times when
there are guests. Then the waitress is not
| fiustered by multitude Of raw directions
os well as the unaccustomed risks of all the
best dishes.
The etiquette ofserviee is practically the
same when there are guests. The most
honored guest is served first. The gentle
man of distinction takes out his hostess and
sits at her right hand-or, if you follow
the English fashion, at her left-and the
lady to be eomplimented is taken by the
host and similarly placed. Everything is
passed first to the honored guest. Any
waitress accustomed to serve family pro.
perly, will not be Disconnected if half a
dozen or dozen people are added to the
number round the table, or a few courses
to the dishes served.
For the same reason, it is not amiss tC
have as good china in common use as ones
purse and ones courage permits. Thert
is really less danger where the maid always
has to take care, and thus carefulness il
handling becomes habit, than where tht
choice ware only comes out on occasions O
state and so much is said about it that every
ones nerves are quiver
1t is such simple thing to wait on tabl
properly and maids of average intelligenc,
so readily learn the few vital principles o
serving, that the greater the pity we shoul,
endure the hap-hagard makeshift that i
called by that name in many families
You may not be able to persuade you
waitress to wear cap although it would b
vastly becoming to her-and to you, toe
madam, perhaps-but you certainly cal
persuade her to wear clean white apron
And by very little thought and rathe
more than ordinary patience-which is
virtue and for your souls good to cult
vate you can teach her to pass each dis
to the proper side of each person, to watcl
the tumbler and to quietly and neatly re
move each course at the right time. /
tray or one of those little boat-shaped Jap
anese dishes that are for sale anywhere a
25 cents apiece, lined with folded napki
or piece Of white canton flannel will hol
knives and forks and prevent any of th
disagreeable jingle sometimes heard