Evening star., 1935-07-16

line of the fundamental points to serve
as basic working guide for those who
are interested.
AS setting the table is very i'm
portant affair, we shall begin with
that. I am only going to use the din
uer table as an illustration in this
case-aS no family ever has the same
breakfast arrangement as another and
the luncheon setting is basically the
same as the dinner, with perhaps a
shade less formality in the matter Of
large napkins, very handsome service
plates and so forth.
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ITO BEGIN with, insist, in your
- household, that the table linen
must be Immediately clean, un-
rumpled and fresh. No table can be
made to look attractive with messy
linen. In these days of runners and
mats this should be easy, for the pieces
are so small that they may readily be
washed out and ironed frequently.
If, however, for your very formal
dinner you like to use heavy, glisten-
ing damask, don't forget the necessity
of having silence cloth or mat placed
under it. Damask laid fiat on bare
table has a very strange appearance
and the 'feel" of it is poorhouSe
indeed.
Over the cloth you may use hand
some lace runner, or iound, on which
to set the floral centerpiece. This is
not necessary, however, especially when
you use one Of the mirror plateaus that
have become so popular in the last
year or so.
If you use mats end runners on
the bare polished w'od you may use
silence mats underneath the plate
doilies if you like. That is purely
optional, and is often done by a
hostess whose dining room table is
Of exceptionally beautiful wood which
she does not wlsn p1arred by heat.
The center decoration should be
low, so that pers1ns seated on op-
posite sides of the table may see each
other without dodging a mass of
foliage. Four caldleSticks with tall
tapers are placed IL each corner Of
the table, halfway between the edge
and the table decoration, with COM
potes at even distances between them.
If you have candelabra, and use them
instead of the cand!e5ticks, place them
opposite each other, the long way
of the table, halfway between the
edge and the center piece.
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GERVICE plates should be set at
~ each place, with the napkin fold
ed on them. Set the knives at the
right side of the plate with the cut
ting edge toward it. Forks at the
left, of course. Soup spoons, at the
right beyond the knives. Remember,
in setting the order of these utensils,
that the ones to be used first should
be placed on the outside, always.
At the point Of the knives, place
the water and wine glasses, also fol-
lowing the first used fartheSt out"
principle. If you are fortunate enough
to possess a numoer of small silver
salt and pepper containers, place a
pair OF them IN front OF eacn place
otherwise, dispose them in pairs at
attractive angles about the table.
Butter plates and butter knives
should never be used when setting the
formal table Many families, how
ever, make an exception and use them
at dinner when dining alone or with
O. few friends, if the members of the
household particularly like bread and
butter or if corn on the cob Is to be
served.
The butler or maid announces
dinner by standing in the doorway,
catching the hostess eye, bowling
slightly and saying, Dinner is served,
madam" The guests and hosts pro-
ceed to the dining room, are seated
according to previously made plan