Show r- r Woman Wom Loses Chance Of Off I f Promotion Promotion- In Business i Du 1 BY EMILY POST I Although I have many times I written about table manners I II have rarely larely if if- ever considered the I subject apart from ro the they teaching of children That anyone of maturIty maturIty maturity matur matur- ity and intelligence co could ld be in need of a serious course ourse in elementary ele table behavior never entered entered entered en en- my mind 3 The often emphasized question ques l Uon tion of which fork to to- choose is about the least im important detail possible a and d has perhaps perhaps been the reason why so m many think of etiquette eti eU- quette as too trivial a subject to I bother about If one should take the wrong fork what of it Unless Unless Un Un- less and this might easily happen one should use the soup spoon for fora a shaped moon-shaped slice of melon and andI nd find oneself with nothing but forks I to choose from for Jor the soup This is the only case I can think of that could matter in the least And even this could not occur occur unless a dessert dessert des des- sert spoon were improperly supplied sup plied instead of a tablespoon for or soup in a plate But should this happen one would merely say to whoever Is serving Im sorry Will ili you bring me a spoon please But tw two different exp experiences I that I chanced to encounter within the last few weeks have suddenly made it clear to me that training in n table manners might t not necessarily sadly sarny match appearance or or even keep pace with education The first of my three experiences occurred oc oc- oc- oc cUlled in the students students' dining room of a college In which I lunched with a member of the faculty The second was the occasion of sitting at table with a young woman whose behavior and its consequence were ere the in incentive for this ar are tf tide cI e. e The table manners of half the thc college bo boys were passable the behavior beha of the others was able They gulped and chewed noisily made a clatter with th table implements ments held their knives and forks in their fists stuffed their mouths full uH hugged their plates and chewed with their mouths op open In s short or their theil be- be navior at table completely discounted discount cd ed whatever cultivation an A. A B. B might confer on them And now the third incident The Thet pr resident presIdent of a very large turing company and another executive executive tive Ive invited in me to lunch at their offices because the they wanted my help in deciding which of the young women should be given a avery avery avery very high promotion as saleswoman an on extraordinary 01 or whatever it may have been called The officers of of- of the company had decided decide ed that a clever competent young woman of or unusual personality arid and charm might perhaps be especially efficient in selling to women omen buy ers era certain objects ts of house rind and nd table decoration Their idea of the campaign was a social semi one and the saleswoman was to be In certain respects ts hostess who would invite not only buyers but in customers too perhaps to toa toa la a table perfectly s served ed as well as set The he long list of ot those possibly eligible had narrowed down to two who were rated as having hav hay ing lug approximately equal equal- abilities Miss Bright was perhaps the more experienced and resourceful but Miss r Fair was slightly younger tall slim and blonde and had ex ex- extraordinary ex- ex effectiveness Both were told that they were Invited to lunch with me because there were several questions I wanted to ask about the problems confronting confront confront- ing lag young oung women entering modern business This was camouflage only In part be because use I am always eager to find out as much as I J can ati about e every ery new problem th that t anyone can encounter So we to took tok k our places at table the table the V t two officers of the company compan th the two unconscious ous contestants contestants' for a very very realand real prize and I playing the part of Paris Pans I There was no question JI about the he appeal of Miss FaI Fair I had noticed that she rather made an entrance and ana her unusually pleasing voice was j j Just st a little plaited plaited but but not to the point of affectation Afterwards After I J. learned that she sh had spent two years in a dramatic school and had studied and singing sInging and and was still studying It The advantages of these two courses put her far ahead of Miss Bright Personally I liked Miss Bright very much I liked her obviously ob 01 obviously well bred and unselfconscIous unselfconscious conscious naturalness But as oneto one oneto to tobe be sent among strangers there was no question that Miss Fair Fall would make a dazzling impression where Miss Bright might be over over- looked And then in less than five minutes minutes' Miss Fairs Fair's chances were over Right straight through the meal every mouthful she ate was chewed chew ed cd in plain view also she talked I with her hel mouth full frill In fact she stuffed her mouth so full she could have havo hardly closed her lips Ups had hadI she tried but she didn't try I Twice at least she opened helmouth her hel mouth wide and laughed and her hei mouth had food in it And that is i ithe the he end of the story There isn't much space left to te I say anything more about table manners except to suggest to you yourself that if there is any possibility possibility pos pos- that you do unpleasant things test yourself by askin asking yourself all these questions Do Dc you spot the tablecloth tablecloth ever ever Is I your napkin always soiled at the en end of a meal rieal or 01 is it usually P fresh The only importance of thiIs this thi is that tha if Jf your napkin gets smeary then you must get your lips lip smeary when you eat It is true truc that the tile smearing of r certain t. t ln f foods od ca cant can't t be helped corn helped corn on the cob for for- example Also it is impossible that a mans man's mustache shall never neve brush brus through either cither food or drink A Another question Is your place at al table reasonably neat or ordo do you yot I disarrange the Implements mess the food on your plate Do you yov I ever er hug your plate with your left elbow Or 01 nail nall your right elbow to the table using yo your r arm as a alever alever lever and spill soup or 01 cream or other liquid over the back of the bowl of a spoon Anyway if you'd like Uke to know whether you are a pleasant table companion or 01 one who is possibly the contrary you can easily find out by propping a mirror on the table in front o of you yon when you eat alone and by by- glancing into It from time to time and thus catch your manners by surprise This is written in all seriousness We Ve all have tricks of manner manne manner perhaps we have very unpleasant ones of which we are completely unaware At all events it could not do us harm larm t to try the mirror test test just just justo to o see see sec Copyright 1936 By Emly Emily Emi Emi- ly y Post A delicious dessert may maybe be be quickly quick quick- J ly prepared for the unexpected guest by adding any preserve fruit fruito t to o sponge cake which has has' been cut in ser serving ing slices and topping with whipped cream Plain or figured colored silk dresses should be washed and rinsed rinsed ed quickly Keep the garment movIng nov nov- i Ing ng and prevent streaking color-streaking by drying without hanging up the dress dress' dripping west vest Such dresses should not be soaked before being l laundered Flour should be kept in a a dry place and never r near fish or vege vege- t ables tables It absorbs odors quickly and will be spoiled if allowed to come comen I In n contact with strong-smelling strong foods Copyright 1936 by ly The Associate Associated ed Newspapers ers |