The Cairo bulletin., 1910-03-04
ION SOCIAL MANNERS
Book Cautions Against Eating
Peas with a Knife.
One Chapter Of Volume 10 Devoted
to Gentle Art of Lying--Amer.
leans Are to profit--Ground
Rules Given.

class In London. All that seems nee
essary to accomplish this result is to
study the ground rules" just as the
golf aspirant popders over the book
of Instructions or the person ambi-
tious TO annex prizes in bridge whist
circles studies the cautions as to re-
turning a partners leads.
The way to the society goal has
been swept of obstacles, ostensibly.
| by the volume entitled Manners and
Rules of Good Society" which has
| Just been issued In revised edition
| that Is guaranteed to be up to the vi.
| innate minute.
| This route book to 24-carat man
ners attempts to tell the eager reader
everything from how to be born up
to how to meander along the path OF
life from the cradle to the grave. In
all seriousness--for the Englishman
takes everything that life affords
most seriously, as rule-it Is set
down that peas should be eaten with
a fork" That Is ground rule No. 1.
1t would seem. therefore, that the
| artist who can successfully consume
these Eighty vegetables by balancing
| them upon a knife must be counted
down and out even before the contest
begins When oysters are eaten in
| Buckingham palace this rule should
be adhered to rigidly:
THE shell should be oteadied on
the plate with the fingers of the left
hand; the oysters should not be cut.
but eaten whole with dinner fork,
Very many ladies do not like them.
whilst others refuse them under the
impression that it is more ladyllke
not to eat them"
With reference TO this latter charge
1t has been affirmed by the average
American who has wrestled with Eng
lish oysters, which taste like so many
chunks Of sulphur IN comparison with
the succulent American bivalve, that
the refusal to eat them has des-
ignated good Judgment rather than
any desire to appear more "iady!ike
The social aspirant, also, should give
careful attention to handling the
cheese course.
when eating cheese" so the guide
book advises, small morsels OF the
cheese should be placed with the
knife on small parcels of bread, and
the tow conveyed to the mouth with
the thumb and finger, the piece OF
bread being the morsel 10 hold. as
cheese should not be taken with the
fingers and should not be eaten OF
the point of the knife"
This evidently takes much practice
as the morsel of cheese has an EN-
barrassing habit Of tumbling off the
parcel of bread in the critical periods
of its voyage Until the entrant car
be sure of a score OF about five times
in six, II Is inferred that the doors oi
society will be closed to him. Other
rules which must be learned by heart
according to this form chart. are:
in eating asparagus a knife and
fork should be used, and the poin
j, should be cut off and eaten with the
fork"
"All made dishes, such as queneles
! rissoles and patties, should be eater
with fork only"
Cucumber is eaten off the dime
! plate"
or course, the knife seems to far
! badly as a vehicle of conveyance. bu
we'll unless experiences is obtained
In its handling one is liable to GU
himself with such an implement. any
. | how
mot at home" Is the formula thu
should be expressive of a desire 0
not wishing to see certain visitors
!. | There is extended explanation tina
, this message, when conveyed@ to
caller by q servant. is not intended I
imply an untruth but to signify tha
for this reason or that. the perso
called upon does not desire to see tn
visitor. AS 1t would be inconvenien
to explain in detail the why's an
wherefores OF this decision, th
I formula OF mot at home" Ia an al
? suficing explanation In itself.
Callers may have views of the
0 own upon this matter, now that 1t ha
S been thus exposed to public view. bl
the guide book to etiquette does NJ
consider that point When certai
embarrassing situations arise at dil
:. ner parties. here Is the way out {
e the difficulty:
3 THE leg of chicken, pheasan
4 duck or wild duck should never b
b given to guest, save on those III
fortunate occasions when there ar
more guests present than there
(. meat from breasts and wings to Civ
= them. Under the circumstances tn
carver is reduced to the necessity
falling back upon the legs of the bird
but in this case only the upper pal
. Of the thigh should be given"