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Show H1 nil j i. if'P HINTS ON TABLE APPOINTMENTS I jl and ETIQUETTE of the DINING ROOM If V N this ago o luxury It seems al-ffl al-ffl most Impossible to conceive of a ! , II time when our commonest neces- "f A. sltlcs were objects of the crudest workmanship and tho groatest consideration. I suppose there are few of us who can by any stretch of imagination imag-ination class in tho category of luxuries luxu-ries our ordinary everyday dining table and its really necessary uppolntnients, such as tablecloths, knives, forks and spoons, which articles make the ceremony cere-mony of eating a graceful function, and not a mere barbarous "fe'ed." It Is strange how little even the best informed of us know about the things around us. If one went the rounds of many tables It would be difficult to find an Individual who could tell when the table In its present servico as a. board on which to spread viands ilrst came into existence. The ancient Saxons and Danes, It seems, have Hie honor of Introducing In-troducing this Indispensable piece of furniture into their domestic circle and consequently Into our own. The term "board" applied to tho dining din-ing tabic Is literally exact, as the early examples were merely long, rough boards ,lald upon trestles, rcrnovablc when the meal ended The boards and trestles used at picnics and Informal outdoor "spreads" are replicas of the early Saxon and Danish dining tables. Gradually from these rude carpentry efforts of our forefathers the tabic became be-came more and more refined In appearance appear-ance until II attained to the polished expanse of fine wood we now know. Fashion has changed the contour of the modern dining table many a time and oft. We have seen the rise and fall of the square extension board and the revival of the round, highly polished mahogany, and now the latest decree Is the oval tabic. It is possible at the small expense of S6 for the housewife to call all shapes her own. Any carpenter will make her removable tops of the desired dimensions and shape of pine wood hinged In the center so they may be folded when out of commission. These adjustable tops arc placed upon an ordinary dining table and used for large dinners or luncheon parties to secure more seating space for the guests. - Our tablecloths are the direct de- '2k - scendants of the coverings put on the Wm early Saxon boards not as a means of By ornamentation, but for hard use as napkins upon which to wipe the K greasy fingers of the diners. Imagine the elegant damask and lace table covers of the present day serving such a purpose! The primitive table covers were not continuous length of cloth, but a sort of rough towel spread over 'the boards as a convenience for the guests. The modern idea of leaving the mahogany bare In the center and only covering the part of the table nearest the guest seems to be a revival of this old use, with the centerpiece as a later artistic concession Further on In the century the Saxon women begun to take a pride In making a better napery for their boards, and they also produced well spun and well woven short cloths for linger wiping. From these short cloths, themselves direct followers of the tablecloth, ta-blecloth, came our present table napkins. nap-kins. It seems that even in those early days laundry work was a considerable item, and the napkin was an economic Idea of the primitive housewife, who thought iho smaller cloths easier to wash than the larger ones. About the time cloths spread out Into proportions covering the whole tabic the board Itself was made a permanency. perma-nency. In other words, tables took the place of boards. The Idea dawned upon these ancients that It was more convenient con-venient to have the boards nailed upon four legs and made firm - than to have the shaky trestles formerly used. In this way the reign of the trestle ceased and that of the table began. In the huge banquet halls of the barons the ilrst knives used were the daggers of the warriors. Servitors carried car-ried immense portions of meat around to tho guests, who hacked off their favorite fa-vorite cuts with the dagger, often using us-ing the hands as well, meanwhile cursing curs-ing the menial if the meat was hot. Rush was the tloor covering, and It mattered little If the gravy and grease did drop on the earthen lloor In those days. The dagger as a table equipment was succeeded In noble houses by the short table sword, which was something like a razor and kept for the cutting of meat alone. It was only a step from this sharp instrument to the latter day knives. Forks did not come into use until the middle of the sixteenth century. The Romans used a stick like a skewer, which after the lapse of years was divided di-vided Into two prongs and made very sharp. At first forks were made of Iron, but in time this metal gave place to wood, and later In the century I curlou3 two pronged forks were seen in England. 'It became fashionable to use this two pronged fork instead of lingers, and in tho course of timo a third prong was added. Spoons for soft foods were in use almost al-most as soon as knives and were made of shells. Broth being a staple diet of our ancestors, an imitation shell spoon was made with a handle to keep the fingers from dipping into hot foods. As the age became more luxurious spoons were formed of precious metal and in very much the shape of today. The aboriginal plates were enormous rounds of black bread which soaked up ,5, A Miniature f Sepvice the gravy of the meat upon them and were the beggars' perquisites after the meal. Tho first drinking cups wero gourds and the horns of ca.ttlc, although tho manufacturo of glass has been carried on from the earliest ages of the world. The celebrated glass factories on the island of Murano, near Venice, where tho finest cut glass Ic still made, were in existence in the fifth century- Drinking Drink-ing glasses were not U3cd in England until the reign of Queen Anne, up to which timo earthenware and pewter mugs wero in general use. The trouble of the present day In ta- bio appointments arises from an embarrassment em-barrassment of luxurious serving articles arti-cles rather than from a lack of necessities, neces-sities, and unless one is well up in the latest table equipment a formal dinner din-ner is fraught with danger. In this table talk a word about dinner din-ner etiquette may not come amiss. To insure good home service on state occasions oc-casions reciuire your maid to wait at tablo when you aro alone exactly the same as when guests aro present. Good waiting Is only a question of training and habit, and unless the domestic Is taught to do things properly until they become second nature to her she Is cer- i ii if m aw- , 1 Is . Old Table ?"' j eC0 i ' ACCESSORIES OF THE DINING TABLE. tain to get flurried on special occasions. occa-sions. The maid should be Instructed that dishes to which guests help themselves them-selves arc handed at their left side, and fresh plates and glasses arc slipped In from tho right side so that she may avoid leaning across the guests. ; Authorities disagree as to whether entrees and plates of soup should be passed on a tray, but If the waitress Is not expert In carrying a plate steadily on the Hat of her hand the former method Is better. When hors d'eeuvres are served they are generally placed on the table before be-fore guests enter the dining room. A largo fish, like salmon, or any piece de resistance is usually carved by" the host, and at Informal dinners tho hostess serves the soup, and tho salad is often, .If of an ornamental nature, brought to the table In its entirety. Cheese is seldom sel-dom offered after an elaborate dinner, but when handed Is cut Into little blocks about a quarter of an Inch square. Very little wine Is drunk at dinners now. Many persons refuse It altogether, preforrlng aerated water. It Is well to have a glass jug of cold water on the sideboard, as many guests will prefer this to the aerated variety. Extra Ex-tra forks, etc., when required arc put on as the plates aro changed for tho next course. Small individual salts and peppers arc in the caso of a large party placed between each two of the guests. Dessert is handed around in the same ! way as the other courses and looks well If served on china or sliver trays. Coffee Cof-fee is handed to the ladles in the drawing room and to the men at table after the women have left or in the library. There are three ways of serving dinner din-ner the English, the Russian and the "compromise," which combines tho best points of the other two. The English style is where the viands are served from the table; a la Russc everything is served from the side and passed by an attendant. The compromise com-promise is when certain dishes are served by cither host or hostess. EDITH LAWRENCE. |