Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-05-05
MANNERS AT TABLE
A LESSON IN THE LAWS AND USAGES
OF POLITE SOCIETY.

How to Sit and What to Do With the
Hands and Feet-Rules For Inform
al and Ceremonial OccasIOns-The
Use of the Knife and the Fork.
To be we'll hammered is to be a lady
or a gentleman, to observe punctili-
ously all the laws and usages of soCi-
ETY., which is important unless one
would be ostracized.
II the Observation-Disclosures luncheon
or dinner 49, 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 wrists, is
most ineleSant. The napkin is unfold
ell 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 1t 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
bllStS vi NhlCll Du6l Dc cut
generously thick. The bread is placed
upon the napkin, not within its folds.
Remove the bread as soon as seated
and place 1t 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 clans
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 1t 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 1t up
from the edge of the soup plate oppo-
site. 1t is quite q breach Of savoir
faire to fill 1t with the movement to-
taken noiselessly. No one takes q sec
ond helping or tips the plate to secure
the last mouthful.
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 q special pattern. All vegetables
are eaten with q fork, asparagus with
a knife and fork, although 1t may be
taken up with fingers IL one prefers to
do so. A very safe rule at table, how
ever, is never to touch any bit Of food
with the fingers, olives and hors
d'9uvres generally excepted.
Ice cream is eaten with a fork in
America. In England a spoon is used
With all Difference to English custom,
a very safe rule is eat nothing with q
spoon that can be taken with fork
Peaches and pears are peeled, cut in
half and then broken by the fork and
thus eaten. An orange may be cut in
half and then eaten with an orange
spoon or 1t may be peeled entire, then
divided into sections and eaten with a
fork. AS already said, it Is very safe
to make the knife and fork do their
share and never to touch eatables of
uhg hAliu vim TIC IL pOSolDlC-
All pies are eaten with fork only,
and most puddings, except custards,
which require a spoon. Soft cakes, like
layer cake or eclairs, are taken with a
fork. Jellies, no matter how hard, are
eaten with spoon. Cheese is eaten
with fork
There are dozens Of people who
would be mortally offended by the sug
gestion that they "ate with the knife"
But they must be careful how they
thrust a knife into a dish Of sweets or
Of any sauce and convey that knifeful
to pieces OF bread or cake. This is
most unfortunate breach Of table man
ners.
Don't use the knife In this connection
at all. Sweets and sauces are not to be
placed upon the bread in any case.
They are eaten when possible with
fork; otherwise with a spoon.
Try TO WELD your knife, fork and
spoon with as much quietude as posi-
BILE. 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 well
bred knows that in using the knife and
fork q movement of the wrist and not
OF the elbow Is the proper thing, we oc-
casionally see people 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 a 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, up
right position 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 awkwardness.-New York
World