The Washington times., 1937-07-06
Etiquette
Dinner Details
Are Helpful
By MRS. CORNELIUS BEECKMAN
Dear Mrs, Beeckman:

BY MRS. CUhNELIOS bCHOhMAN
Dear Mrs. Beeckman:
"These questions I am asking
seem idiOtic, I am sure, but I
need help and you seem 20
friendly and understanding about
it all. Will you help me, please?
"WhO sits in the arm chair at
the dinner table, the mother o.
the father?
when a meal is served from
the dinner table, does the host
begin by serving the meat first,
or does the hostess begin the serv.
ing from her end Of the table?
"Who sits at the head Of the
table the man or the woman?
when you have only coffee
and, of course, water which IL
always served, should the coffee
be served with the main dinner
o. with the DESERT" "W."
Indeed you questions are very
helpful ones, for all questions
concerning table-service are i'm.
portant.
The careful hostess, when she
sets her table-that "altar to the
gods of hoSpitality"-and when
she plans her service, wants
everything to be as fine as she
possibly can make it. And 1t Is
attention to details that achieves
this perfection she aims for!
Usually, If there are arm chairs
at all in a dining room set of
chairs, there are two, one for the
hostess and one for the host. If
there is only one, it probably would
be assigned to the hostess.
But there's no rule about this.
and if she doesn't like an arm
chair at table (some people don't)
she may re-asSign it to Father"
It's really a question Of choice.
The host begins the serving. by
carving and serving the meat at
mis- end of the table. Then, if the
vegetables and so forth are at his
end Of the table, he serves these
next.
If they are to be served at the
hostess end of the table, he passes
the plate with the meat on it, and
the hostess adds the other food
items of the course.
The idea to remember is that.
in serving, we serve the food items
of a course in the order of their
Importance to the course. first,
the meat, then the vegetables. and
then any accessories. such as mint
jelly for lamb, and last the bread
or toast.
The hostess sits at the head"
Of the table. and the host opposite
her, at the foot" ...
Coffee is served according to the
preference of the household. At
an informal family dinner it may
be served during the main course.
if that is the family's choice, or
with, or after the dessert.
The more gracious table-Servlce
is for the hostess to bring in or
have brought in, the coffee service.
placed either before her place at
table, or on a serving table on her
right, and served from Shere.
Or, best of all, the most charm
ing and leisurely, and appropriate
for informal service as for formal
service, is the serving of the after.
dinner coffee in the living room.
It's no trouble at all. and such
a gracious gesture.
The tray, complete with the cof'
fee pot, sugar bowl. cream pitcher
(if you wish to serve cream, and
after-dinner coffee cups, is brought
in, placed on the coffee table or
any other convenient table, and
the hostess pourS the coffee and
passes the cups to the guests.
Or a member of the family may
oass the cups of coffee. With life
so "unleisurely" these days, it is
the wise hostess who captures and
capitalizes this leisurely and gra.
cious hour of rest and contemplar
ton"
Copyright. 1897. by King Features
| Syndicate, 1nc.)