A mouthful must never be so large as to make it impossible for the eater to speak if a question be addressed to him while he is disposing of it. Nor can too great stress be laid upon the duty of slow eating and thorough mastication of all kinds of food. Not only does it add to the grace of the table-manners, but it prevents indigestion.
Never touch the food on the plate with the fingers, to push it upon the fork. If anything must be used for this purpose, let it be a bit of bread, but, if possible, dispense altogether with assistance of any kind. The fork should be equal to getting up all that is absolutely essential, and comfort does not depend upon securing every particle of meat or vegetables with which the plate is supplied.
THE SPOON AND THE FORK
Every year the spoon has fewer uses, and the fork has more. Now, when it is possible, desserts are taken with the fork where a spoon used to be employed. Pie, cake, ice-cream and firm puddings, with all kinds of fruit, are eaten with the fork. Some persons hold a fork awkwardly in an up and down fashion instead of in the proper graceful horizontal one. Of course the spoon is still essential for semi-solids, such as custards, creams and jellies.
There are a few things besides breads of all varieties which one is allowed to eat with the fingers. Such are Saratoga chips, olives and small bird-bones,—these last to be taken daintily in the fingertips. It is no longer considered good form to eat asparagus with the fingers, although some very well-bred persons still do it. It is certainly an ugly sight to witness one’s opposite neighbor eating asparagus in this manner. It is possibly not so unattractive as to see him eat corn from the cob. But no better way of disposing of this last vegetable has as yet been invented. If corn is served on the cob, the cob should be broken into two or three pieces before it is lifted to the mouth. If one is so unlucky as to drop a fork or spoon, allow the maid to pick it up and to bring a fresh one, without making any comment whatever. A glass of wine overturned, however, demands apology and the hope that the hostess’ cloth will not be irremediably stained.
AFTER-DINNER COFFEE
At breakfast, one may drink coffee with sugar and cream, but when black, or after-dinner coffee is served in a small cup, which is known as a demi-tasse, cream should be omitted. To ask for this when it is not on the table is the height of rudeness. One should learn to drink one’s after-dinner coffee without cream. Sugar is, of course, permissible. There is sense in this dictate of Fashion, as in many of the other rules laid down by this seemingly arbitrary dame. The coffee taken at the end of a hearty meal is intended to act as a “settler” to the repast and to aid the work of digestion. This it does much more easily when clear than when “qualified” with milk or cream. Before drinking from a glass of water one should brush one’s lips with the corner of the napkin.