Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-05-22
GOOD TABLE MANNERS
Art In Which the English Claim
to Be Supreme.
SHEER AT OTHER NATIONS.

Germany, France and America, Say the
5ritens, Cannot Compare With Then,
In Good Form at MesIs-Usc of the
Knife, Fork, Spoon and Napkin.
Let It be admitted that our army IS
failure, has never won n victory and
never will: admitted that our navy
would have difficulty In sweeping six
combined great powers or the sea: adj
mitted that we cannot act up 10 the
French standard or trade up to the
German or hustle up 70 the American
or cheat up TO the Greek. But we cher
ish our little pride and prejudice. The
Englishman regards himself and is
generally regarded as the best dressed
man In the world. He also pIuules
himself on having the best table man
ners. To the Frenchman may be con-
coded the supremacy In the prepara-
ton Of food. while the production of
it owing to the decay Of our agrlcuI-
ture may be left TO such outlying
places as Siberia and Chicago.
But when Il comes TO the eating Of
food the Englishman asserts his supreru-
acy, for II the highest art be TO con
ceal art the highest etiquette OF eating
should be the triumphant pretense that
one IS not eating ut all. And here the
Englishman wins. He can eat his
way through n seven course meal
quite unobtrusively. II was not al
ways SO.
Lord Chesterfield. rs I have been re
minded by Mr.. Philip Wellby's edition
! OF the advice ID HIS SON sketches
/ the awkward man who holds his
knife. fork and spoon differently from
/ other people. eats with his knife 70 the
| great danger OF his mouth. picks his
/ teeth with his fork and puts his spoon.
/ which has been in his throat twenty
/ times. into the dishes again. II he is 70
/ carve. he never hits the joint. but in
/ his vain efforts 70 cut through the bone
scatters the sauce in evcrybody's face.
lie generally daubs himself with soup
and grease. though his napkin IS COM
monty stuck through Luttonhole"
That napkin IS q test Of table man
| ners, and the nice conduct of the nap
| kin caught the attention recently Of the
German emperor. who saw one OF bis
guests tucking -thc napkin under i
chin. do you want TO be shaved F
was the imperial question. England
supremacy-in the matter OF soup-lies
IN tie spoon. An Englishman Is taught
TO take soup from the side OF the spoon
And he is the only man on earth who
emerges from soup with the white shirt
front OF a blamcless dinner and with
out the aid Of a tucked napkin. He
lays the napkin across his knees and
uses IL when necessary without osten
tatiOn
That discreet conduct Of the knife Z.
the Euglishman's pride and prejudice
at table. There Is no nation which Oh
Its upper middle classes) reaches tn,
English standard OF the nice couduc
OF the knife. though we are assured
that In the highest circles--amonl
arnCers, Shahs. sultans, dukes and mil
Icnaires-thvrc IS beautiful uniform
ity OF department. Our insular instinc
IS = make the knife as inconSpicuous
. rs possible for there IS some sugges
ton OF brutality IN the sliclns OF bit
of corpseS that are doomed TO keep GU
vile bodies alive.
No such feeling restraints the Ger
man eater. and the French diner 4
GGLtllNI
who feeds IN the average restaurant
: Will shovel his food into his moutl
J with the blade OF his knife and whel
: n ! difficulty VIII cram Il down Wit
, the handle. nor has he the least ScrU
! PIE about depoSiJing the rejected resi-
due upon the floor. Moreover. Wit
/ the continental eater the knife enter
/ Into conversation. II IS retained in -
gesticulating hand. Il Is raised implor
) ingly TO the ceiling. and-heaven,-it Z
/ brought into strange circles Of arcu
/ ment. 1t Is used 10 point tho conclu
: sion at the very breast OF the fellow
; diner.
| When you see man waving III
knife NJ table, you may be sure he I
an alien. We wear no swords here.
rs Sir Lucius O'Trigger says. nor d
we argue with knives at table.
? The English knife, with all its blood
thirsty suggestions. IS reduced 10 n
. lowest and least obtrusive office. 1t (
not even dug into the saltcellar. 10
; England has reached the delicacv @
} salt spoons. and only IN 4 Soho res
FauTant viii she give You the real save
Of the continent by providing saltce
, lars without spoons. You shove YOU
- knife into the salt and dream Of Pari.
/ Bohemia, the gypsy life IN which ''yo
: dip your fingers IN the pot"
- England has suppressed the knife q
; table. The Englishman does not use
= for argument or menace or persuasion
{ or even for lie taking Of salt His tabl
manners enjoin that the knife sha'
- never be raised The properly cor
: Quoted knife at table never reRche
{ forty-five degrees above the horizontal
Unfortunately the American goes
little too far IN the desire 10 avoid III
Obtrusive use Of the knife and take
refuge IN obtrusive concealment. Man
Americans VIII slice their meat wit
the knife. lay the knife by the side O
the plate and put the pieces into I'll
l mouth with the fork held In the rich
fhand. Now. this Is injustice to III
= knife. which has its modest function
London Chronicle.
He Went.