Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08

tTOOO manners anu SOU WOIuS HdN0
brought many difficult things to pass
Aesop.
You must practice
The manners of the times, If you intend
To have favor from it, -Massinger.'
The Goops they lick their fingers,
And the Goops they lick their knives;
They spill their broth on the tablecioth,
Oh they lead disgusting lives.
-Gelett Burgess.
From the earliest times the Importance Of
good table manners has been recognized.
Even our dignifed Washington deemed
them of sufficient importance to write a
treatise on the subject. Make no show of
taking great delight in your victuals" said
he; feed not with greediness; lean not on
the table, neither find fault with what you
eat"
In colonial days books of etiquette for the
young paid special attention to the neces-
sity of cutivating attractive manners at the
table. In a popular Book of Manners"
reprint of an English edition published in
London in 1901. the following explicit d.
rections were given for the conduct of the
young:
Eat not too fast nor with Greedy Be-
havior. Eat not vastly but moderately.
Make no noise with thy Tongue. Mouth,
Lips OF foTedtn III my EdtlnS OF drinking.
Smell not of thy Meat, nor put it to Thy
Nose; turn it not the other side upward on
Thy Plate. Bite not thy bread, but break
it; but not with sovenly fingers nor with
the same wherewith thou takest up thy
meat. Dip not thy meat in the Sauce. Take
not salt with greaZy Knife. Spit not.
Cough not, nor blow thy Nose al Table, If 1t
may be avoided; but If there be necessity,
do it aside, and without much noise. Lean
not thy Elbow on the Table, or on the
Back of thy Chair. STUFF not thy mouth so
as to fill thy Cheeks; be content with
smaller mouthfuls. Blow not thy Meat but
with Patience wait till it be cool Sup not
thy Broth at the Table, but eat it with a
Spoon"
While the minor details of table man.
ners vary with the years on broader lines,
they still remain the same-cpnsderation
for others, the suppression of animal-like
characteristics, such as gluttony and greed
mess, and the cultivation of those finer in
stincts that makes the breaking of bread
together a beautiful family ordinance, not
wild scramble of pigs at trough-an
eating to live. not living to eat.
Good manners should be ingrained not
superficial. and put on for company. To
make them natural. training should be be-
gun as soon as child is able to sit at the
table. If little one is early taught by
example and precept all those little details
that mark person of gentle breeding. he
Will always appear to advantage and that
without self-consciousness.
Il always like to take meal with a man
pefore engaging him for my school," said
prominent educator. mo matter how bril-
liant record he may have as a scholar. if
his manners are boorish / do not care to
have him"
Boorishness must not be confused with
ignorance of who's who and what's
what in the thousand and one table ac-
cessories, knives. forks, spoons. glasses
and the like that one but the manu-
facturer can keep tab on. A person may
be gentle-mannered and not be able to
tell the difference between an olive fork
ana a butter pick; a bouillon cup and
tea cup, sherbet glass and one for a
cocktail. He shows a distinct lacking in
manners. however. when he stabs the bread
with fork. gobbles his food. masticates
his glass in drinking, talks with his mouth
full, shovels in his food with a knife. picks
punches and pokes the general dish of
bread cake or fruit to be sure he is getting
the best. or shifts ostentatiously at each
article of food as placed before him.
TABLE DON'TS.
A list of table don'ts that should be
taught every child runs something like
this:
Don't sit down at the table until the
mother or older persons are seated. (This
of course after the child leaves the high
chair and bib period)
Don't drum with the fingers, play with
KNIFE or FORK. roll bread into pellets, put
elbows on the table. fdget or monopolize
the conversation.
Don't expect to be waited upon first.
Elders first. then girls before the boys.
Don't drink without first wiping the
mouth with napkin, so as not to leave
a smudge.
Don't criticize the food. If you don't like
II, leave il.
Don't use the fingers as a pusher Take
a bit of bread
Don't take soup from the point of the
spoon, but from the side, dipping back In
the plate, not forward.
Don't leave teaSDOOn standing in
cup. When not in use. lay 1t in the saucer
. Don't make bridge of knife and fork
If not in use. lay side by side on right of
plate.
Don't make a noise In eating. Don't
chew with the mouth open, don't dispose
OF whole glass of milk or water at one
fell gulp.
Don't thrust the elbows out while cut
ting meat Keep elbows at side and use
the wrists Don't plaster food on the back
or FORK and then convey 1t to the mouth.
Cut whatever is necessary, then use the
fork. If the knife is not needed lay 1t on
the side of the plate and convey the food
to the mouth with the fork held in the right
hand
Don't leave the table without asking to
be excused.
PRETTY NORWEGIAN CUSTOM.
pretty Morse custom that is worthy
adoption here Is the returning thanks at
the close Of meal to the one who has
prepared 1t. TAX for maden! say chill
dren and guests on arising from table to
hostess or servant. That is, Thanks for
the .repastr' Vel bekommenr' May 1t
agree with your is the reply.
GRACE BEFORE MEAT.
1t is a great pity that in the mad rush
of American life that extends even to the
gathering of the family about the table
grace is seldom heard. The father Is
usually in hurry to get to business. and
the members OF the family gather so ir-
regularly, owing to different engagements,
that the beautiful old custom has.gradually
dropped out of many of our lives. Surely
we are all thankful for what We receive,
and ought We not to give verbal expression
10 our gratitude? In some homes the old
est child is expected to say grace when
the father is absent. In an English home
the old monastic grace is still used. Before
meals the head of the house simply re-
peats the Latin invocation, "Benedictus
benedicat' (may the Blessed One bless).
At the close of the meal "Benedictus- bene-
decatur (may the Blessed One be blessed).
FOR THE OPEN CRATE.
With the returning tide of summer travel
all sorts of fiotsam and jetsam are drifting
into our homes. and still there's more to