Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-28
THE FAMILY DINNER.

In all households where some degree
of ceremony is observed in serving the
family dinner, the first essential in OBJ
tanning good table service is a moder-
ately intelligent butler or waitress.
The laundering efforts of stupid or
badly trained servitor in the dining
room is not only an offense to nice Gus
toms. but makes the position Of the
possible guest quite as uncomfortable
/ as that of the hostess.
The serving of the meal may not be
complicated or difficult, but there is al
ways the possibility of peculiar situa-
tons arising. which only a watchful,
Intelligent servant can ward off so
skillfully as to leave guests and even
/ the hostess unconscious of the averted
cOntretempS.
In most houses neat, bright girl is
Z to be preferred. for obvious reasons.
/ 4 Well-trained and elf-sutiiCient but
/ Ter is expensive. and rather white
! elephant in a family Of moderate
| means and social ambitions. When
but one or two servants are kept, the
second girl generally performs the du-
/ ties of waitress.
/ She should be taught to be noiseless
and def in her movements about the
dining-roOm and table Neat and
dainty in appearance. and observing
the same rule in regard to serving. She
must show perfect Indifference to the
4 conversation carried on at the table,
and know just when to appear and dis
appear, as the mistress should not be
obliged to resort to call bell unless
at the finel ending of a meal: for. with
the placing of the dessert or coffee. the
MATTRESSES service and attendance are
no longer required
( First of all the table must be covered
with a silence cloth. This is a matter
OF economy as well as nicely. The
soft padding protects the table from
| hot dishes and also preserves the table
linen. preventing its wearing around
the edges. where even the neatest darn
ing is 50 noticeable. Double ccd
I canton flannel. made especially for this
purpose, is best. over this cloth place
the damask cloth, arranged very
smoothly. When one has a highly
polished table of some handsome wood,
plate and service doilies are used with
out the other cloths. This gives
glmpses of the table between. This
arrangement is not advisable when
hot dishes are TO he placed on the table
as asbestos mats must be placed under
each dish to protect the table. But
when all the carving and serving of hot
foods is done from side table. and for
the luncheon. this is an effective way Of
arranging the table.
For ordinary dinner service all knives
ana spoons to be sued through the meal
should he placed at the right of each
-.
/ silver should be arranged in the order
| III which it is to be used: the piece first
used put farthest from the cover.
| Tumblers for water and glasses for
wine. place at the right of the cover at
the proper corner. the wine glasses in
the order according to wines served.
| observing the same rule as for the sill
yer. so no false moves will occur on the
part of the guest. At the left Of cover
or plate. place the folded napkin and
the bread and butter plate. if used. At
no time during the serving of dinner
should the place in front of each diner
| be left without q service plate.
The first course may consist of oysters.
SOUP or as is now the fashion. some saw
DRY tid-bit. such as canapeS. Place the
| soup plates when filled from the right OF
person served and upon the plate when
already is there. w hen removing plates
take them from the right. but when pass
ing anything which the person at table
must help himself TO. ii must be present
ed at the left. The soup may be brought
to the table in soup plates, but much the
better way is to serve 1t from the tureen
at the table. With the soup may be
served rather thick squares of bread with
crust removed. sippets, which are small
rectangles of toast or canapes. Butter
| should not be served with bread for the
soup course, and in fact, ra:s diners
a x,-itl 4, mt tor ~ no
| the many sauces sufficient. and eating
sparinsly of bread at this meal, as it is
rather SupertiuouS.
When removing the soup course the
| waitress should first take away the tu-
reen and then the soup plates. Trays are
not used in serving except when the diner
is expected to help himself from the dish
offered him.
If fish must be served, it may be placed
on the individual dishes by the host at
table or previously carved and arranged
in the kitchen or buffers pantry. In the
latter case the sauce served with the fish
should be passed at table, in order that
IL may be hot.
When fish is not served the roast and
it's accompanying vegetables come after
the soup. When the carving is done at
ion. the roast should be placed before the
carver. the plates in front of him, the
carving knife at right III roast and cary
ing fork at the left The knife-rests are
found "A great convenience to the carver
and projection to the table cloth. When
the meat course is finished, first remove
: the knife and fork. then the meat platter,
then the plates, one in eacn hand, but
never pile them up. Then follow the
: bread and butter plates. and then the rel
ishes. after which the crumbs should be
removed with silver tray and scrapes. \
napkin and china plate is sometimes
used. but there is some question as to the
nicely Of this practice.
, The English fasnlon is to serve the
salad with 40 meat course. but Ameri-
cans give a more distinctive feature "a
these dishes, and unless game and it's ac-
complaining salad is served it forms a
separate course. Sometimes the salad