New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-21
HOW TO EAT PIE.

HOW TO EAT PIE.
II Is much to be regretted that the Editor OF
"Tho \cw-York SUM-" who is a recognized a'l-
,hority in phology as well as an expert in near
~ all the oogies except theology. should nave
permittcd himself in replying to an inquiry or
a correspondent, to treat in fppant manner
tho question how to eat pie Pie" says the
Editor OF "The SUM-" should be eaten In the
fingers like n piece Of bread and butter lhiS
&c either hippancy or satire; and 1t is hardly
necessary to say to the thoughtful reader mat
rho question how 10 eat pie should not be treated
I'm that way II is Of course. true that certain
kinds Of plc should be eaten in the fingers, but
the Editor Of "Thc Sun must know. II Ne ms
Looked into the pie question with anything Ike
the deep scrutiny he has given TO the farm Vi
tho Income Tax, or Mayor Strong's use Of chew
Ing tobacco. that there are more xmas Oh PIE
than there are different breeds OF dogs on fn'h-
ave Of Sunday afternoon To say men, Ill III
authoritative manner that pie-speakin2 gener-
cally. and in utter disregard OF the INFINITE Var'
o,ios Of spcclcs- should be eaten In the fingers
IS such n sweeping generalization as III any o'h'r
pcrson than the Editor II ''The Sun would indi-
cate either superficial Judgment or pauclty OF
thought Another thing: the Editor OF me
Sun" SAYS In \ footnote To this romarkaplr di'-
INN: Pies should he constructed ana pak"d
with Il view 10 this custom. They must not
"haye too much juice in them Of any Sort or De
"too flbby In The undcrcrIst' This IS not only
IN extremely narrow view ~ the pie question.
I'm, * an unwarranted invasion ~ the domain
of houscwifcry The Editor was asked simply
how 70 eat pie. not how pie should b" made
So much Of the answer rs relates 10 the manu-
f,curc Of pic IS extra judicial, not 10 say ultra
wires
There are pies and no mean pies. either that
II would be- simply ridiculous To- eat In the myers
Take that noble product 81 the New-Englahd
cuisine for instance. the huckcbcrry pie iihae-
inc the Editor II The sun" eating huckl"perry
ME I'm his fingers. Why. he simply COULDN'T do
r. Unless. indeed. h. tucked his napkin IN MS
neck AMI In good society gentleman hah p''-
ter 20 without his huckchcrry pie than do mat
IN take ,ha, other New England product. the
s,uosh formerly known ~ the pumpkin pie
rl,, now. I. a pie which Is never taken In the
n,rcrs .yc.pi IN The lnicn-thc-aftcrnoon hllari-
tic. ~ the unconventional picnic. when. appc-
,lt. heinz sainl IL Is 80 taken and welded MS a
v..,nnn ~ offence We might 20 on and cnuner-
ote several thousand varieties OF pie many OF
which wonll hc real pie that could not either
with propriciy or any reasonable hope Of sue
cc.s be- eaten In tho fingers. Some "f them clh'
under favorable conditions De managed with a
fork: others absolutely require the knife. ana
thor. are traditions In uptown boarding houses
%; pie that withStool ordinary cutlery ana hah
TO DE incklcl with buzz saw The one p'"
which should in every cline At all seasons ana
I'm All conditions NJ we'll II the pie Itself AS of
The. social III, which IL adorn> be eaten IN the
FINGERS IS the well known mincc. tn" mice
howev.r. +, should be said. IS the most insidious
and destructive II all pics. Taken late nj nlght
either I'm ,hr fingers or with a knife ar fork. or
hammer and cold chisrl, IL promotes bad dreams,
and when accornuanicl - II has been IN some
SCISSORS In Ii,rhne!d County. Conn by larg"
rotations 81 hard CIDER leads Ia homicide
There, another Kind II pie deserving Of men
ton. Al an enthusiastic Democratic meeting in
this town last autumn presided over by General
Sicl,Ics there were loul cries nj the very begin
ming. and at intervals all through the evening,
for "t:rady." meaning thereby the illus'rohS
mrIst. Thomas i. Grady Al length General
SIcklcs introduced Grady. saving: you began
"thc entertainment 10y calling for pie and you've
..bccn CRYING for pie al the evening. Now you
"shal have IT," So Grady was offered as pie.
Now. strictly speaking Grady is no pie though
he is always little tart. There is 10 upper
crust about him. and hc does not fulfil the con
dtlons laid down by the Editor Of "rhe sun
He WAS not constructed and baked with view
10 the custom of taking pie In the fingers lie
does have too much juice at times. and
is frequently too nabby In the undercrust.'
Still he is the kind Of pie that can be, and ought
10 be, taken in the iingcrs-in the thumb and
fingers In fact. he has becn-by Mayor Strong
and led out II may bc that the Editor Of
"The SUM- had the Grady pie strongly in mind
when he said authoritativcly that pie should be
taken In the fingers. But. ~ matter Of fact.
there are other kinds Of pie and not all 10 be
taken that way. And We take leave 10 express
the hope that the Editor Of THE sun" upon n
fuller investigation Of the subject and a more
searching inquiry into the mutitudinous aspects
Of the pie question. will revise his hasty Judg
ment and frankly admit that there is more than
one way 10 eat pie.