The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-09-30
MANNERS AT TABLE
a LEssoNlN THE LAWS AND usAeEs
OF POLITE SOCIETY. w


NJ and cercmoniaI ocea.ions-rhe
Use OF the Knife and the Fork.
To be well hammered Is to be a lady
or q gentleman, TO observe punctiil.
ously all the laws and usages OF soci.
ETY., which 10 important unless one
would be ostracized.
II the Observation-Disclosures, luncheon
or dinner lis 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, ut the wrists. 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 II 1t were 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
generously thick. The bread is placed
upon the napkin, not within Its folds.
Remove the bread as soon rs 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 Mt 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 1t lie by the plate.
and butter piece as wanted.
Soup is taken from the side of the
spoon, which is filed by drawing 1t up.
from the edge OF the soup plate oppo.
site. 1t is quite breach of SAVIOR
faire to ill It with the movement to
ward you. Soup. of course. must be
taken nolselessly. No one takes a sec.
ond helping or tips the plate to secure
;he last mouthful.
Fish In days past was taken from n
fork supplemented by bit of bread
Nowadays silver knife is allowable.
forks and knives for fish being made
Of special pattern. All vegetables
are eaten with fork. asparagus with
knife and fork, although it may be
taken up with fingers II one prefers to
do 50. 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 fork In
America. In England a spoon is used
With all Difference to English custom,
a very safe rule is eat nothing with
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
fork. As already said. It Is very safe
to make the knife and fork do their
share and never to toach eatabieS of
any kind with the fingers II possible.
All pies are eaten with fork only.
and most buildings. except custards.
which require spoon. Soft cakes, like
layer cake or eclairs. are taken with q
Cork. Jellies. no matter how hard. are
saten with spoon. Cheese Is eaten
with fork.
There are dozens Of people who
would be MORALLY offended by the sug-
gestion that they ''ate with the knife"
But they must be careful how they
thrust knife into dish OF sweets or
of any sauce and convey TINT kn.fefui
TO pieces of bread or cake. This is n
most unfortunate breach OF table man.
ners.
Don't use the knife in this connection
ut all. Sweets and sauces are not 10 be
placed upon the brend in any case
They are enten when possible with -
fork: otherwise with spoon.
Try to WELD your knife. fork ana
spoon with as much quietude as posi-
bic Don't let fork or spoon jnnSie
upon TIE china. a half dozen janglIna
or scsnplng plates MAKE frightfrl
concert
Aithoc:h IT ~ generally supposed
that every one calling himself well
bred knows that In using the knife and
f1r.s movement or the wrist and not
OF the elbow Is the proper thing. we oc.
casionaliy see people using their ell.
tows vigorously. The handle Of the
knife should rcposc In the center of the
hand. ana no part OF the hand should
touch the knife above the nai.die. In
ns-in;; fork only the half of the han.
de is covered by the hand. p
Upon leaving the table the chair Is
pinced 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,