The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-25
SERVING MEALS IN ENGLAND.
How Properly Trained Servants
should Wait at Table.

American AouHeheeptIS. W hlle the eS-
sentials OF these rules. given in the
Queen. fit American customs, there are
some curious differences.
The first meal, breakfast, requires just
as much care bestowed on It as any other,
says the writer The white cloth should
be laid over the balze cloth perfectly
straight and smooth. Then the small
cruets are placed at the corners or in
front Of each person; the tea and coffee
are placed at the bottom Of the table in
front of the mistress Of the house; plates
of rolls, toast racks. butter. jam. and
marmalade are arranged nicely on the
table; place is laid for each person,
with a cold plate, a napkin. and two
knives and two forks, one knife usually
being for fish.
In small households. at any rate. the
hot dishes, such as bacon, fish, &c, are
Naced at the head Of the table in front
of the master Of the house. though now
adays a good many prefer 10 have these
on the sidebOard on a hot plate. together
with the cold dishes, so that people can
help themselves as they like. II fruit
is given. this may be placed on the table,
the plates knives. and forks for it being
arranged on the sideboard.
is laid just as for dinner, save that the
flowers are usually simpler A lumber
and two wineglasses are arranged on the
right hand of each cover. and very often
a salad plate is placed on the left side
Luncheon varies in every house almost;
in some IL is perfectly informal. the sweets
being placed on the table and all the
meat dishes, whether hot or cold, are
arranged on the sideboard with the veg
etables. so that persons may help them
selves.
or again, in some houses the carving IS
done by the servants at the side just
as for dinner. and the other meat dishes
and vegetables are handed around; then
the sweets are left on the table and the
servants leave the room. Should the
luncheon be a formal one. then, OF course,
the servants stay in the room all the
time.
Finally. there is the dinner table. The
cloth is laid as before: then at the cor
ners are placed the little salts and pep
pers and two tablespoons and a place
is laid for each person. as follows. The
soup spoon IS placed on the right-hand
side. a fish knife and fork. and a large
knife and fork and where there is only
one servant TO wait. a small spoon and
fork are arranged above the space for
the plate. the dinner napkin is folded and
placed I'm the middle. with "A piece of
bread or roll in the folds.
other knives and forks are added as
required, the servant bringing them on
a folded napkin and placing them on
the table. Where there are two or more
servants waiting the small spoon and
fork are not put down until required
nor are the tablespoons placed at the
corners Of the table. The glasses are
arranged on the right side, tumbler
and two wineglasses being placed for
each person.
Table centers are hardly. il ever. seen
nowadays, but the flowers are arranged
IN the center according 10 the taste Of
the person. The lamp or candles, II used,
are also placed on the table together
with small dishes containing sweets.
olives. or sailed almonds, and water
Jugs these latter usually at the corners.
on the sideboa-d. which should also
be covered with a clean white cloth,
should be arranged the extra knives.
forks. and spoons likely to be required
through the dinner, the wine. the dessert
plates. with the finger bowls, the clean
wineglasses for dessert and the dessert
dishes on a side table should be ar
ranged a jug of water. the whisky
siphon bread. a rack OF toast, and any
extras which will be required through
dinner. such as ice. lemon. red currant
Jelly. cheese. butter, and biscuits, II TO
be offered.
For the actual waiting when dinner Is
ready the head servant announces IL
leaves the drawing-room door open' ana
stands by the dining-rOom door until ev-
oTnn IL
seated the head parlor maid serves out
the SOUP. the under maid handing tho
plates. beginning with the lady on the
hosts right hand and going straight
around the table, always handing plates
and dishes from the left and holding
the dish in the left hand
When the soup has been helped thu
head servant hands the sherry from the
right side. The second servant remover
the tureen and comes back with the FISH
and plates and removes the soup plates,
replacing them with the fish plates, and
when these are all in position the head
servant hands the fish, the second follow
ing with the same. Or II the fish requires
carving the head servant Carves this. the
second handing the plates and the sauce:
having finished carving the fish. the first
servant hands the hook.
The second servant meanwhile removes
the fish and returns with the entree and
plates and proceeds TO remove the sOied
plates and replace them with clean ones
as before The head servant always
hands the wine. and the second should
watch to see when bread, &c, is re-
quired.
The second entree Is served in the same
way, the first servant putting down any
knives or forks which may be required
~, he inf NO
the second hands the vegetables, jelly.
SC. The game Is served in the same way,
but usually the crumbs and sauce are
placed on the plate, the fried potatoes
and salad being handed around.
The sweets are served in exactly the
same way as entrees, but If iced liqueurs
are handed around, four or five glasses
being arranged on a tray. some being
filed with one liqUeur and the remainder
with another so that there may be a
choice After this comes the savory
and the servants then have to clear the
table
The head servant removes the glasses,
knives. forks, salt cellars. &c, onto a
tray held by the second servant, and
this tray Is then placed on a side table.
The head servant next clears away the
crumbs. the second servant placing the
dessert plates. &c, in front OF each per-
son, while the head servant arTanges the
wine glasses. The dessert being ready,
the head servant hands around the wine,
and then places it in front of the host,
the second servant handing the dessert
and then arranging It on the table.
When the head servant has placed the
cigars, cigarettes. and matches in front
of the host, both servants leave the room.
Coffee is first taken to the ladies In the
~
in the dining-room The cups, milk
cream. and sugar are placed on one tray,