The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-13

- HE details of table service
- are so intricate that only a
wise housewife knows her
own needs. Every course
has its special china, glass
or silver, and good usage changes so
frequently that women accustomed to
observing varying fads cannot keep
up With all. Even fashionable wo-
men sometimes fail to recognize in
noVauons and blunder. Few mistakes
are so laughable as one alleged to have
been made in the long, long ago by a
charming American woman. She was
the guest of friend in Paris, wo-
man who has the means and the in
chnatlon to indulge a taste for ev-
erything novel and dainty in house
furnishings. The Parisienne is espe-
claIly serupulous in regard to her table
and most critical of errors in etiquette.
Just before the visit of the American
Lady she bought some new finger
bowls, 1ridescent globes of crystal
mounted upon graceful stems When
dinner was served, they stood beside
the plates. The American woman was
thirsty, the bowls looked exactly like
good sized glasses, and, supposing that
the taddist had discovered a new kind
of goblet, she slaked her thirst with
the contents There was a very per-
ceptible taste of lemon, and the fair
American inspected the grass critical
ly. Every eye was fixed furtively up
on her, and she placed the bowl back
upon its dolly.
The activity with which topics of
conversation were brought into reoui-
sition indicated that social charity was
being exercised in regard to a faux
pas The hostess was visibly nervous.
Tor the servant had forgotten to pro-
vide the usual goblets for water ana
TO call attention to the fact would ex-
= pose her friends mistake The guests
70 nd xxvI1A
time for finger bowls arrived the for
mality of using them was omitted
The hostess put her newfangled crystal
away, and, according to the good old
legend, it was never used thereafter.
The blunderer (wIro related her eX-
perience as a joke at the expense of
n too up to date hOstess) in the course
of time heard from the other guests.
Every one of them regarded her as
personal benefactor, for the look of
horror that overSpread the face of this
hostess as the American woman slipped
from her bowl alone enlightened them
Otherwise each declared that she would
have made the same error.
While such ridiculous miSapprehen-
sion are scarcely possible in these up
to date times, it is just as well to be
prepared to avoid them by knowing ex-
actly what are the latest ideas in table
furnishings.
At present every housewife is in
terested in knowing what to do with
fruit. Berries, ordinarily placed upon
the table in a bowl are pOrtioned on.
by the hostess into small fruit dishes,
when, if the large receptacle happens
to be of cut glass or china, match it
in quality and design. A large hand
some piece of silver known as berry
spoon is employed to distribute the
food. Each small fruit dish is placed
on a dolly laid over the plate.
Cut glass are even more fashionable
than silver berry bowls. A tray of
glass supports the handsomest anG
: newest dish of this sort. Therefore,
if a berry falls over the side of the
bowl it is caught by the tray, and the
cloth is not stained. A cut glass fruit
dish of about ten inches in diameter
is worth $40, but good limitations are
to be found and cost very little. An
ordinary glass bowl scrubbed in soapy
hot water with small brush will take
on a polish almost as bright as that
of the fine ware Decorated china
fruit bowls, as in the case of the cut
glass, are designed with and without
trays. A very pretty one of Dresden
ware may be bought for So
Silver berry sets are sold for $50.
Each consists of three pieces, including
berry bowl, sugar basin and cream