The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-02

This year. according to some chroniclers is
the 900th anniversary of the disappearance of
the fork in western Europe. In 995 son of
the Venetian Doge Pietro Orseolo married the
BYZANTINE Princess Anglia, who at the wedding
breakfast brought out silver fork and gold
spoon. She was copied by the great Venetian
families, though the Church opposed the FASH
ion as an insult to Providence. 1t took 3G0
years for the fork TO reach Florence; in 1879 it
is found in France, but it was not till 1908 that
1.-The traveller Coryar brought it direct from
Venice to England"
Now, Thomas Coryar was an English gentle
man who had travelled much in Italy, and
when he came home he brought with him
several new fads and fashions that were the
latest thing" in the hest Italian society, but
in England he was made fun of most heart
lessly. He argued that "al mems fingers are
not alike Clean" and therefore forks were de-
sirable but his countrvmen laughed, and ac-
cused him of being stingy with the napkins
Ben Jonson sarcasticaly alludes to the foreign
whim: 1.-The lsudable use of forks. brought
into use here as they are in Italy, to the
sparing of napkins" 1t is belief yet. among
some good people in this good land, that
fingers were made before forks" and there
fore are more desirable and convenient. so they
avoid using the fork. On the whole, however,
it has found favor, and Pm afraid some of our
English ancestors would be very much dis
gusted with the array of forks that fashion
able diners.out think necessary to convey their
food, and with the accompanying fact that we
serve only one napkin for person TO use
during the whole meal-but things will change
in this world. There's no telling what they'll
be eating with 900 years from now.
"
Bulletin: Another Englshman, now the
MARQUIS of Graham, but in time to come the
Duke of Montrose, is to visit this country on
his tour around the world. He is single and
not avcrse to matrimony, so save your pennies,
all you aspiring girls.
As surely as horseback riding makes men
bow-legged. bicycling makes the girls pigeon
toed. sVcl
4@4
In Washington the Christmas time has been
SO warm and bright that the dandelions have
blossomed in the grass in all the parks and
lawns.
Ready-made fchus--long ones and very
lavishly ruffied-are sold in the shops, and can
be had in chiff0ns or laces or in a combination
of the two. Ever since Marie ntoinette's time
these fichus have been desired by women, but
they are difficult 10 arrange gracefully and the
big ones are not becoming to the small women.
long fichn to be a graceful adornment re-
quires a tall, slender wearer.
Dumas the younger, whose death occurred
recently was an indefatigabe worker and a
careful observer. He was always afraid that
his fathers fame and style would win for him,
the son. undeserved laurcls so he tried in every
way to make his work different, to give it a
separate and distinct character He, rs all
novelists must be, was much given to character
studying Some of his observations on women
interesting "a well-bred woman does not
fall in love second time without allowing n
considerable interval to clapse."
"Shortskirted daughters keep mothers young