New-York tribune., 1908-03-29
TABLE MANNERS DON'T COUNT.

! A, .be n.xt table sat thin sallow with
s,eeI bowed spectacles over his He had a
fclinsine sparse beard. which had evidently never
known a razor and looked like grass meadow
after winter overflow. His dank hair was
llooped backward from his high. narrow forehead
down to his shoulder He had the loEy<set 1olsloy
nose, spreading at the base the typNai nlouJik
nose high cheekbones. betrayins a Finnish inter-
,nix,u-e and he was untidily dressed in a shiny
t,ack sack suit The head waiter said he was ?
great Orientalist- who sighed over the time one
wasted ct meals dned out because his wife
wanted him ,sociable. He always carried a
thick volume and propped or held II open ana
read while eating To avoid delays he usually
ordered chopped meat outlets. Tonight he had
taken rracaroni. and when il came baked hard he
was really woebegone until a happy thousht- -lIiu-
mined his usually unexpressfve face lie arnhed
his fork firmly In the core passed has knife
.rouod the edge Of the baking dish and con-
tentedly nibbling from the edges like rabbit
eating a cabbage head. Nobody paid the slightest
attention TO him except the Engishman ana the
American
You simply cannot -s.artte Russians by ecosen-
fricitv- said the American To make UP for
their rigid political system they claim and grant
absolute freedom in dress. manners ana private
conduct Probably the rigidity Of the state Is
6ue tc the piiabiSty people If a man
rbooses TO make spoon Of his knife people here
do not see why anybody should make a fuss about
. n Tolerance goes the whole hog, | recently
had occasion observe. when porty, well cur
Yied-CrOouSd- ! n1edfl-ouSlneSS HidIl CdIe1uAlS
ccmbed his Il.lstaches with crust of bread and
ME the crust Loads Of people could see him do
1t and they did not even smile:
III is nothing uncommon 10 see girl tidy her
hair at table, removing and replacing her won
'derfui hedge Of amber side and back combs and
T hxVe ceased to take notice unless she takes
i,n,rrcr and a powder rag from her reticule and
proceeds remove the street dust Russians as
n rule have fixed code OF table manners Those
vhose parents cannot afford foreign governesses
a tod ~ rr6 fri
aslities z1ppins soup or resting both elbows
on the cloth while carrying food to the mouth
..rf a man chooses wear Prince Rupert curls
or a leonine: name. or TO shave his head, NOBODY
will express the slightest surprise. The Official
classes usually affect rather close cropped HAIR the
,xeass,rs and traders theirs nearly like the
bible illustrations they can get 1t by put
tinr a so.lp bowl on their heads and cutting off
~hat hair shows beneath the rim. As TO the stu
oen,s and the so-caiIed intellectuals, If there is
sny way they DO do their nlops and faces you
would have to 60 TO Central Africa or the South
Sea for models.
There is restaurant downtown frequented by
almost all classes except women Of the highest 1t
beats the pay. and move we take our cofee
shere"
As ,bev entered the place the American peered
into the corner behind live fish tank. where
can pick your supper and see II taken In a
net, ri unned and carried OF TO the kitchen
woman with dark hair, large and brilliant eyes.
with q steady glow like anthracite not yet red hot
and a translucent complexion, was smoking, sur
rounded by fse men who we're laughing at her last
remark She of uncertain age, and, though
beautiful had been handsomer. Presently the
waiter brought her dinner-rhe cavaliers were not
dninr-snd she threw away her cigarette. In
eating her hands uncertainty with jerks and
Sumps and often missed the mark. and her tongue
shot out serpcntlike she ate or talked Every
uf,e.ance was preceded by sharp sound, almost
q bark Her admirers paid attention TO these
uncouth gestures.