Evening journal., 1898-11-17
cHILDREN'S MANNERS.
IL Is no Easy Task TO Teach the Lit
tie Ones How TO Act Correctly
at the Table.


teach a family of youngsters to COM
port themselves with decorum at the |
dinner-table, but if the lessons of po- !
likeness and good breeding at meal |
time are early instilled in the elder
children, the battle is half won for the
younger ones, who naturally initiate
the example set them.
Though somewhat fatiguing proc
ess, materfamilias should have her
brood down TO dine with her as soon
as it is at all feasible, for she is OBJ
viously the best qualified person to
train them in nice habits. When there
Is no baby to be looked after in the
nursery, it saves time and simplifies
matters if nurse helps to wait at the
midday meal, as she can cut up the
little ones meat while the other is
carving. The plates should be hot TO
start with, for there is nothing more
unappetizing than half-cold, greasy.
dinner, and many little ones are very
slow in finishing what is on their
plates. While endeavoring not to let
the youngsters grow dainty, think
it a great mistake to attempt to force
matters of diet. To some children, for
instance, fat is absolutely repugnant,
and to insist on their swallowing it
is to render their entire dinner un-
savory. If, however, there is only
slight dislike to some food, such as
greens or rice, for example, and
very small portion is carefully mixed
with the meat and potatoes, it is often
eaten unnoticed by the child. Then,
too, have frequently found, If no op-
position is made when a certain article
of diet is rejected, after few days,
or few months, finding that he is
not forced to eat it, the youngster
will forget his prejudice, or, as is some
times the case, tastes change, and
what he formerly dislilSed may later
on appeal to his palate.
tits important that each childshould
have q comfortable chair, If there is
to be no fidgeting at table; cushions to
raise the height often prove insecure
and slippery, while to be seated too low
on a chair is distinctly uncomfortable.
For use in the dining-room there is
nothing nicer than Brentwood chair,
the long-legged kind seen in diapers
shops, and which for the smallest folks
can be bought with side arms and a
:. bar across. After dinner each child
should be accustomed to replace the
chair in its usual place, and before get
ting down the serviette or feeder
should be neatly folded in its ring.
Talking to any extent at meal time
should be discouraged. The welding Of
the spoon or knife and fork demands
certain amount Of attention from q
child, and if he or she is to eat nice
", and 60 on steadily, so as to be fin
ished with the grown-ups, there is NJ
time for chatter, and it is far better
training to teach the little people t.
eat in silence and let the elders d,
the talking.
Apriyilege, such assisting by father
4 side at dinnertime on Sunday, get
ting down to ring the bell (young PEG
pie are always glad of an excuse 70
moying), or something similar, can b.
s given from time to time TO the on,
who behaves best at table-that is t,
say, who eats all that is on the plate
finishes the piece of bread withou
crumbling or playing with it. is care
full not to use fingers when the spool
or fork is not quite successful in tn
work of shoveling, or other minor de
f linquencies, which every mother vii
notice for herself.
q Every child, whether promoted o
not from the nursery, should be laugh
from the beginning to come to tabl
e with clean hands and face and neatl
brushed hair, and no breach of thi
a rule must ever be overlooked, as moth
ing is more insidious than the az
N proach of bad habits, while steady
persevering training will soon teac
the children to comport themselves a
table so that they are not a troubl
TO anyone or an annoyance to the oC
easional visitor at lunch.-Philade
g phia Times.