The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-01-31
Etiquette of the Table.
Chicago Tribune.)

Etiquette OF the liable.
Chicago Tribune)
Since the world began the severest
test of breeding has been table man
ners. There is a correct way of doing
everything, no matter how trivial, even
to helping ones self to salt or butter.
If the hints which follow seem to
deal with the smallest details of table
etiquette, it must be remembered-al-
though it is a trite remark that it is
little things which make up the sum
OF existence.
If the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. luncheon
or dinner-is one of ceremony and
| gloves are worn to the table, they are
removed as soon as one is seated and
laid in the lap. The habit of tucking
them in the sleeves, at the wrist, is
most inelegant. The napkin is unfold
ed to half its amplitude and laid across
the lap. Gentlemen do not tuck their
napkins in their waistcoats, no matter
how convenient they may find such an
arrangement. Nor is the napkin used
as if it were a big cloth, one end is
all-sufficient for touching the lips. The
napkins, at dinner, placed upon the
plates, hold the dinner rolls, or the
slices of bread, which must be cut gen
erously thick; the bread is placed upon
the napkin, not within its folds. Re-
move the bread as soon as seated, and
place it at the left of the plate. The
napkin, at the end of the meal, is left
unfolded at the left side.
Bread is always broken in small
pieces. never cut and never crumbled
into soup or sauce. Oysters and CLAIMS
are eaten without bread. Butter, of
course, is not served at dinner. At
other meals don't butter an entire slice
of bread at once. Break ii into small
pieces and put the butter upon each in
turn. Don't break the entire slice at
once into bits. Let it lie by the plate
and butter a piece as wanted.
Soup is taken from the side Of the
spoon, which is filled by drawing it up
from the edge of the soup plate oppo-
site: it is quite a breach of SAVIOR faire
to fill it with the movement toward
you. Soup, of course, must be taken
noiselessIy. No one takes q second help
ing or tips the plate to get it all.
Fish, in days past, was taken from
a fork supplemented by bit of bread;
nowadays a silver knife is allowable;
forks and knives for fish being made
of a special pattern. The king of Eng
land takes his fish with two forks, but
in democratic America the knife is
preferred to a second fork. All vege-
tables are eaten with a fork; aspara-
gus with a knife and fork, although it
may be taken up with the fingers if
one prefers TO do so. A safe rule at
table, however, is never to touch any
bit of food with the fingers, olives and
hors d'oeuvres generally excepted.
Ice cream is eaten with fork in
America; in England a spoon is used,
fhn,-nfn-o ,aN-;o ~it,pr f~Nso
anglophobia, insist upon a spoon when
taking their ice cream. With ali def
erence to English customs, a safe rule
is to eat nothing with spoon that can
be taken with a fork.
Peaches and pears are peeled, cut in
half, and then broken by the fork and
thus eaten; an orange may be cut il
half and then eaten with an orange
spoon, or it may be peeled entire, then
divided into sections and eaten with a
fork.
Al lpies are eaten with fork only
and most buildings, except custards,
which require a spoon. Soft cakes, like
layer cake or eclairs, are taken with
d fork Jellies, no matter how hard
are aeten with spoon. Cheese is eaten
with a fork.
There are dozens of people who would
be mortally offended by the suggestion
that they "ate with the knife" But
they must be careful how they thurst
a knife into dish of sweats or of any
sauce, and convey that knifeful of
these to pieces Of break or cake. This
is a most unfortunate breach of table
manners.
Don't use the knife in this connec-
ton at all. Sweets and sauces are not
to be placed upon the bread in any
case. They are aeten, when possible,
with fork; otherwise with a spoon.
Try to WELD your knife, fork, spoon
as quietly as possible. Don't let fork
or spoon jangle upon the china. A
half dozen jangling or scraping plates
make a frightful concert.
Although it is generally supposed
that every one calling himself we'll
bred knows that in using the knife and
fork a movement of the wrist, and not
of the elbow, is the proper thing, occa-
sionally people are seen using their ell
bows vigorously. The handle of the
knife should repose in the center of the
hand, and no part of the hand should
touch the knife above the handle. In
using fork, only the half of the han
die is covered by the hand.
Upon leaving the table the chair is
placed far enough back out of the way
to enable the other guests to pass out
with ease.
One of the fundamental rules to OBJ
serve is the manner of sitting down at
the table. One should not sit on the
edge of the chair: nor sideways; nor
should the back rest continually on the
back of the chair. An easy, upright DO
sition is the proper one. The feet should
rest on the floor, and one should sit far
enough away from the plate to be able
to use the knife and fork without awk-
NardneSS