Evening star., 1924-08-28
THIS AND THAT
BY c. e. TRACEWELL.

| That happiness for mantle hungry sinner
Since Eve ate apples. much depends on dinner.
| Man is not yet in thrall to the
books OF etiquette. The race Of Din
ner Table Bolshevists is increasing.
Many q brave man Is ready to rise in
his place and make this confession to
| the world:
/ II like to eat with my elbows on
the table. rejoice to put crackers
in the my soup. I fancy eating out
as 1 do not violate common sense and
good taste"
There is tocsin that will 90 ring
Ing down the ages. freeing men from
the fear of being "impolite." allow
ing them to be natural. (Naturalness.
| 1t may be added. does not mean be-
ing boorish.)
| In that so-called etiquette books
make for better manners. they are to
! be commended: but in that they set
down slavish rules for slaves they
must be firmly resisted.
So arises the modern Dinner Table
Bolshevist.
They say fingers were made be-
! fore forks. and hands before knives"
The Table Bolshevist honestly likes
to eat with his elbows on the table.
He is not put out Of countenance by
that silly sign. III you do it at home.
! do 1t here"
| This is his confession Of faith, to
which he gives adherence at all
times. Nine out of ten. If honest.
! will admit they are dinner bolshe-
! visits to this extent, at least. even if
! tley cannot subscribe to the more
| helnous sin of putting crackers in
the soup.
| Unless a man is held down under
the thumb of the advertising writers.
and orders his life by the rule, What
will others say" he will not submit
to the injunction that he must never
| put his elbows on the table.
Now eating with the elbows on the
| table Is one Of the pleasantest
methods of eating to be found any
| where. Those who have solved the
rules Of living know this. They
practice 1T in their own homes.
| What Is wrong with this picture? -
| That awful question does not scare
| them bit. They smile, shrug their
| shoulders and refuse to whimper be-
| cause of the sad fate Of the young
| lady who is committing the cardinal
sin Of eating with her fair hinges on
| the table.
The picture shows all the other
cultivated diners snickering behind
her back. That is one Of the charms
/ of these pictures, they are so natural
! While the grand object lesson is be-
ing pointed out. giving the A. B. de-
gree in good manners. the rest Of this
stylish crowd is giving a wonderful
example of bad manners.
Hogs wouldn't behave so. There
44 AL at
clutching her soon-to-be-
arm as il she were afraid he would
get away from her. The entire we'll
bred audience is convulsed with
| laughter.
| So a blow must be struck, once
and for all, for the fine art Of eating
| with the elbows on the table. 1t is
the natural way, way that is prac-
ticed by many naturally. without
| thinking, both because it is comforta-
bic and also we'll bred
You will never see your really
| well bred persons sitting at a table
stiffiy, afraid to wigEle a finger for
fear some courteous mentor will
shout. "Oh, look at him, eating with
his elbows on the table,
| He is too much a master Of living
He was past the stiff stage long ago.
That were we'll enough for beginners
and bounders. but not for him.
He sits at ease, master Of his dinner.
| As the dog rends and snaris over his
| food. as the cat laps up its saucer Of
milk, the Dinner Table Bolshevist sits
easily, with his right elbow firmly nxed
| on the edge of the table while he drinks
his coffee.
! II there is any more pleasing, we'll
/ appearing method of drinking at table
than this I wish some one would point
! 1t out. Of course, it cannot be recon-
mended for children. They would be
j apt to step over the fine line. They
would sit too far over the table. plump
both elbows down. as If to hold the
table in place. and then drink with
| signing noises.
The Table Bolshevist, on the other
| hand, places his elbow just on the
edge. as a perfectly natural support,
and the point Of contact is so lightly
! made that a pun Of wind could blow
| it away, it seems.
II there is a vacant chair to his left,
| the most natural and graceful gesture
| in the world is to throw his arm across
| its back. 1t need hardly be said that
this motion is not to be INDUCED in if
| the chair is occupied.
| With this pleasant eater it is not a
question Of First come, first served"
| He is at ease, because long ago he
| mastered the ins and outs Of human
| feeding en- masse. He Is like a master
Of English, who Is so saturated with his
subject that he is able to dispense with
the rules that formerly bound him and
still bind common men.
The fine line, beyond which none
may step, is the essential thing in this.
as in all the other walks Of life
knowing it, one may put his elbows
on the table with equanimity. Not