The dessert is usually served by the mother, and the necessary dishes must, therefore, be placed at her end of the table.
If possible, always have flowers or a growing plant in the center of the table, but do not have it so high that it obscures the view of those persons sitting on opposite sides of the table.
Upon special occasions, particularly if the guests are many, it is convenient to indicate the place of each person by a "place card" bearing his name and decorated in some appropriate fashion. Suggestions for such place cards will be found on other pages of this volume.
Table-Serving (Tray)
Train both boys and girls to wait on the table quietly and quickly. Then they can save mother many weary steps. Remove soup-tureen first; then the individual dishes. After the meat-course, remove first the platter and vegetable dishes; then the plates, saucers, etc., from each individual place; then, if there is no salad course, the bread and butter dishes, cruets, etc., from center of table. Next the table must be crumbed. Do this by quietly removing crumbs from each place with crumb-knife and tray or by brushing with folded napkin. If salad is served, crumbing takes place after that course.
Hold all dishes to left of guest, so that he may easily help himself with his right hand.
Dish-Washing (Hot water in quantity, dish pan, wire tray, drainer, washing-soda, soap, dish-mop, washcloth, towels in plenty, both coarse and fine)
If two people are to work together, let one collect the dishes and dispose of the left-over food, while the other washes the kettles and saucepans. Get these heavy cooking utensils out of the way the first thing; then the drudgery part is over before the workers are tired out.
Dishes in which potatoes, cereals, or eggs have been cooked should be put to soak, not in hot, but in cold or tepid water; they are then readily cleaned. Fill with water as soon as emptied.
Keep a little washing-soda on hand, dissolved in water in a canning-jar, for cleansing greasy dishes. Have hot water in abundance, and, putting a little soda in with it, scrub the kettles briskly with the wire-brush that comes for the purpose, or with mop, dish-cloth or chain dish-cloth. Wipe dry with a heavy towel.