Evening star., 1939-03-27
Table Of Quantities Of Food Needed for Large Number Oere
Woman Nav
Not Accept
Expenses
Host to Visitor Not
Expected to Pay
Her Hotel Bills
BY EMILY POST.

Dear Mrs. Post: I'm not young.
I tell you this at once in case the
usual rules apply strictly only to
the very young woman. I have a
very good man friend who lives at
his club in one of our largest cities.
He has invited me to spend week
end seeing plays and has written
that he will make reservation
for me at the Blank Hotel. This
is man who spends many week
ends all during the year visiting my
family and me. Now, then. what 7
want to ask is whether this week.
end invitation is meant to include
my expenses at the hotel? I'm sure
he intends that it does. and I don't
want to be unnecessarily caviling
about this point If couldn't be mis-
understood in accepting it.
Answer: Strictly speaking, it would
not be at all proper to let him pay
for your hotel rooms unless, of
course, he were the proprietor OF
the hotel. You must pay for your
own room and, let us say, for your
own breakfast, but you may, of
course, lunch and dine with him
and go to the theater and to what
ever other places of amusement or
of interest he can find to take you
to. In agreeing that you may go to
the city and spend the week end, I
am. of course, taking into consid-
Grafton your somewhat mature age
and how we'll your family knows
this particular man.
Dear Mrs. Post: My friend insists
that at buffet meal one Is sup
posed to pick up plate, silver, napkin
first and then proceed around the
table and help oneself. I contend
that 1t would be much easier to take
the silver and the napkin after
having filled the plate and that it
wouldn't matter which way it was
done. viii you please settle our
little argument?
Answer-There is absolutely no
rule, no precedent, no plan whereby
to help themselves to one item before
another. In other words, you take
what you choose and in the way it
may seem most eXpedient to help
yourself AS a matter of fact, I
agree with you that it sounds easier
to put food on your plate first before
laying whatever silver you will need
on the side of 1t, and then last of
all pick up napkin and hold it
underneath the plate in one hand,
leaving the other hand free to pick
up your glass. Actually the proce-
dure would have to depend upon how
the table was set and where at 1t
you happened to begin.
4
DEAR MRS. POST: I'm giving a
big family dinner, the occasion being
my parents wedding anniversary.
While all the arrangements are to be
carried out very simply, find that
I have to use place cards to seat so
many people. Do you think such
place cards should be signed Mr..
Smith and Mrs. Blank or in this
exceptional case may they be writ
ten informally?
AnSWer-On such an occasion
they should be written Informally
with the names that you always use
for each one.
Dear Mrs. Post: What is the
most inexpensive party that can be
given to bring out" a daughter?
Answer-A simple afternoon tea
to which your friends, but very few
acquaintances are invited, in addi-
ton to a number of people of your
own age to whom you particularly
want to introduce your daughter.
You ask as many young people,
both men and girls. whom she
knows, or who are the sons and
daughters of the people you know.
The table at simple tea is set
with nothing but tea, hot, and per-
haps cold tea punch, party sand
wiches and little cakes, and some
flowers in the center of the table
In the dining room.
Dear Mrs Post: What is the
proper way of cutting lemon for
iced tea? And hot tea? And how
is lemon cut to accompany fish?
AnsWer-For iced tea and hot tea
both, lemon is cut in very thin
slices, that is, slices about three
sixteenths of an inch thick. Lemon
used as decoration on a baked fish
is also cut in very thin slices, even
thinner, about an eighth of an inch.
It is cut in quarter moon shaped
pieces when served with fried fish.