The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-10-21
WAY TO SET TABLE
SIMPLE DECORATIONS THAT WILL
MAKE 1T LOOK ATTRACTIVE.
Present Day Table Etiquette In the
Placing Of Silver Explained
The Hostess Now Serves
Herself First.

To make dinner table look at
tractive attention must be given to it's
decoration. For example, in the mid
die of the table there should be a pot
OF flowers or cut blossoms, and radi-
ating from the center at four corners
there should be candlesticks, glass or
silver. About the center may be laid
any large fancy silver spoons as orna-
ments, and four small dishes, glass or
silver. In one dish there should be
jelly, in two others candies and sailed
nuts, and pickles in the fourth. One
OF these dishes should be placed be-
tween two candlesticks. only farther
from the middle. These are left
throughout the meal. except that the
Jelly and pickles are removed when
the crumbs are wiped from the cloth;
that Is, before dessert is served
No more than three forks are put at
one place nowadays, others being
brought In afterward If extra courses
require them. A fork and spoon are
used with dessert, and plates for each
person are arranged before being
brought from the pantry. A small
dolly Is put on each dessert plate,
and on that is the finger bowl, also in
little plate. The latter should match
the bowl. A second dolly should be
placed between the bowl and its plate.
A fork and spoon should be placed on
each dessert plate, the silver resting
on the margin. The fork should be
on the left and the spoon on the right
side. the handles pointing toward the
person who will use them When this
plate is set on the table the guest re-
moves the fork and spoon. putting one
either side Of the plate.
She then takes the finger bowl, it's
plate and the dolly under and places
them little to the left In front of the
dessert plate, which is thus left ready
for the sweet when the maid brings it.
When that course Is finished the
maid takes off the plates used and
puts the finger bowl plates In their
proper places before each guest. This
serving OF dessert plates is the most
complicated part of a dinner for an
inexperienced maid.
Candies are not passed about the
table till the finger bowl plates are In
front of each guest after dessert. The
guest raises the bowl, puts it a little in
front, thus leaving the plate empty
for the candies. If coffee is served at
the table it is brought while the can
dies are being eaten.
A serving plate Is used at each plate.
which means that the maid, when she
removes plate used, has a clean,
empty one in her right hand, which
she Immediately slips into place.
When plates for the next course are
brought the empty one is taken up. In
this way places before persons at
the table are never without a plate.
There is a fad at present for all
dishes brought from the pantry to be
handed first to the hostess to serve
herself instead of to the guest of
honor. In these days of complicated
and elaborate dishes it Is frequently
tactful to follow this fashion that
others may see how the dish is served.
Carving should be done in the pantry
and neither meat nor vegetable dishes
put on the table.
A good menu for a formal dinner
consists of hors d'oeuvre of sardine
paste on toast. clam cocktails, SOUP.
fish, an entree, poultry with two light
vegetables. salad. ices, candies and
coffee.