Manners and Social Usages by Mrs John M. E. W. Sherwood (great book club books TXT) 📖

are very convenient and elegant, and should be

answered by the fortunate recipient immediately, in the most

formal manner, and the engagement should be scrupulously kept if

accepted. If the subsequent illness or death of relatives, or any

other cause, renders this impossible, the hostess should be

immediately notified.

 

A gentleman is never invited without his wife, nor a lady without

her husband, unless great intimacy exists between the parties, and

the sudden need of another guest makes the request imperative.

 

The usual hour for dinner-parties in America is seven o’clock; but

whatever the hour, the guests should take care to be punctual to

the minute. In the hall the gentleman should find a card with his

name, and that of the lady whom he is to take in, written on it,

and also a small boutonniere, which he places in his

button-hole. On entering the drawing-room the lady goes first, not

taking her husband’s arm. If the gentleman is not acquainted with

the lady whom he is to take in to dinner, he asks his hostess to

present him to her, and he endeavors to place himself on an

agreeeble footing with her before they enter the dining-room.

 

When the last guest has arrived, dinner is ready, and the butler

makes his announcement. The host leads the way, with the lady to

whom the dinner is given, and the hostess follows last, with the

gentleman whom she wishes to honor.

 

The people who enter a modern dining-room find a picture before

them, which is the result of painstaking thought, taste, and

experience, and, like all works of art, worthy of study.

 

The first thought of the observer is, “What a splendid bit of

color!” The openwork, white tablecloth lies on a red ground, and

above it rests a mat of red velvet, embroidered with peacock’s

feathers and gold lace. Above this stands a large silver salver or

oblong tray, lined with reflecting glass, on which Dresden swan

and silver lilies seem floating in a veritable lake. In the middle

of this long tray stands a lofty vase of silver or crystal, with

flowers and fruit cunningly disposed in it, and around it are

placed tropical vines. At each of the four corners of the table

stand four ruby glass flagons set in gold, standards of beautiful

and rare designs. Cups or silver-gilt vases, with centres of cut

glass, hold the bonbons and smaller fruits. Four candelabra hold

up red wax-candles with red shades, and flat, glass troughs,

filled with flowers, stand opposite each place, grouped in a

floral pattern.

 

At each place, as the servant draws back the chair, the guest sees

a bewildering number of glass goblets, wine and champagne glasses,

several forks, knives, and spoons, and a majolica plate holding

oysters on the half shell, with a bit of lemon in the centre of

the plate. The napkin, deftly folded, holds a dinner-roll, which

the guest immediately removes. The servants then, seeing all the

guests seated, pass red and black pepper, in silver pepper-pots,

on a silver tray. A small, peculiarly-shaped fork is laid by each

plate, at the right hand, for the oysters. Although some ladies

now have all their forks laid on the left hand of the plate, this,

however, is not usual. After the oysters are eaten, the plates are

removed, and two kinds of soup are passed—a white and a brown

soup.

 

During this part of the dinner the guest has time to look at the

beautiful Queen Anne silver, the handsome lamps, if lamps are used

(we may mention the fact that about twenty-six candles will well

light a dinner of sixteen persons), and the various colors of lamp

and candle shades. Then the beauty of the flowers, and, as the

dinner goes on, the variety of the modern Dresden china, the

Sevres, the Royal Worcester, and the old blue can be discussed and

admired.

 

The service is � la Russe; that is, everything is handed by the

servants. Nothing is seen on the table except the wines (and only

a few of these), the bonbons, and the fruit. No greasy dishes are

allowed. Each lady has a bouquet, possibly a painted reticule of

silk filled with sugarplums, and sometimes a pretty fan or ribbon

with her name or monogram painted on it.

 

At his right hand each guest finds a goblet of elegantly-engraved

glass for water, two of the broad, flat, flaring shape of the

modern champagne glass (although some people are using the long

vase-like glass of the past for champagne), a beautiful Bohemian

green glass, apparently set with gems, for the hock, a ruby-red

glass for the claret, two other large white claret or Burgundy

glasses, and three wine-glasses of cut or engraved glass.

Harlequin glasses, which give to the table the effect of a bed of

tulips, are in fashion for those who delight in color and variety.

 

The hostess may prefer the modern napery, so exquisitely

embroidered in gold thread, which affords an opportunity to show

the family coat of arms, or the heraldic animals—the lion and the

two-headed eagle and the griffin—intertwined in graceful shapes

around the whole edge of the table and on the napkins.

 

As the dinner goes on the guest revels in unexpected surprises in

the beauty of the plates, some of which look as if made of solid

gold; and when the Roman punch is served it comes in the heart of

a red, red rose, or in the bosom of a swan, or the cup of a lily,

or the “right little, tight little” life-saying boat. Faience,

china, glass, and ice are all pressed into the service of the

Roman punch, and sometimes the prettiest dish of all is hewn out

of ice.

 

We will try to see how all this picture is made, beginning at the

laying of the table, the process of which we will explain in

detail in the next chapter.

 

CHAPTER XXXI. LAYING THE DINNER-TABLE.

 

The table, after being drawn out to its proper length, should be

covered with a cotton-flannel tablecloth—white, if the table-cover

is the ordinary damask; red, if the open work table-cover is to be

used. This broad cotton flannel can be bought for eighty cents a

yard. The tablecloth, if of white damask, should be perfectly

ironed, with one long fold down the middle, which must serve the

butler for his mathematical centre. No one can be astray in using

fine white damask. If a lady wishes to have the more rare Russian

embroidery, the gold embroidered on the openwork tablecloth, she

can do so, but let her not put any cloth on her table _that will not

wash_. The mixed-up things trimmed with velvet or satin or ribbon,

which are occasionally seen on vulgar tables, are detestable.

 

The butler then lays the red velvet carpet, or mat, or ornamental

cover—whatever it may be called—down the centre of the table, to

afford a relief of color to the �pergne.

 

This is a mere fanciful adjunct, and may be used or not; but it has

a very pretty effect over an openwork, white tablecloth, with the

silver tray of the �pergne resting upon it. In many families there

are silver �pergnes which are heirlooms. These are now valued for

old association’s sake; as are the silver candlesticks and silver

compotiers. But where a family does not possess these table

ornaments, a centre piece of glass is used. The flat basket of

flowers, over which the guests could talk, has been discarded, and

the ornaments of a dinner-table are apt to be high, including the

lamps and candelabra which at present replace gas.

 

The tablecloth being laid, the centre and side ornaments placed,

the butler sees that each footman has a clean towel on his arm, and

then proceeds to unlock the plate chest and the glass closet.

Measuring with his hand, from the edge of the table to the end of

his middle finger, he places the first glass. This measurement is

continued around the table, and secures a uniform line for the water

goblet, and the claret, wine, hock, and champagne glasses, which are

grouped about it. He then causes a plate to be put at each place,

large enough to hold the majolica plate with the oysters, which will

come later. One footman is detailed to fold the napkins, which

should be large, thick, fine, and serviceable for this stage of the

dinner. The napkins are not folded in any hotel device, but simply

in a three-cornered pyramid that will stand holding the roll or

bread. The knives, forks, and spoons, each of which is wiped by the

footman with his clean towel, so that no dampness of his own hand

shall mar their sparkling cleanliness, are then distributed. These

should be all of silver; two knives, three forks, and a soup-spoon

being the usual number laid at each plate.

 

Before each plate is placed a little salt-cellar, either of silver

or china, in some fanciful shape. Tiny wheelbarrows are much used. A

carafe holding water should be put on very late, and be fresh from

the ice-chest.

 

Very thin glasses are now used for choice sherry and Madeira, and

are not put on until the latter part of the dinner, as they may be

broken.

 

Menu-holders or card-holders of china or silver are often placed

before each plate, to hold the card on which the name of the guest

is printed and the bill of fare from which he is to choose. These

may be dispensed with, however, and the menu and name laid on each

plate.

 

The butler now turns his attention to his sideboards and tables,

from whence he is to draw his supplies. Many people make a most

ostentatious display of plate and china on their sideboards, and if

one has pretty things why not show them? The poorer and more modest

have, on their sideboards, simply the things which will be needed.

But there should be a row of large forks, a row of large knives, a

row of small ones, a row of table-spoons, sauce-ladles, dessert-spoons, fish-slice and fork, a few tumblers, rows of claret, sherry,

and Madeira glasses, and the reserve of dinner-plates.

 

On another table or sideboard should be placed the finger-bowls and

glass dessert-plates, the smaller spoons and coffee cups and

saucers. On the table nearest the door should be the carving-knives

and the first dinner-plates to be used. Here the head footman or the

butler divides the fish and carves the piece de resistance, the

fillet of beef, the haunch of venison, the turkey, or the saddle of

mutton. It is from this sidetable that all the dinner should be

served; if the dining-room is small, the table can be placed in the

hall or adjacent pantry. As the fish is being served, the first

footman should offer Chablis, or some kind of white wine; with the

soup, sherry; with the roast, claret and champagne, each guest being

asked if he will have dry or sweet champagne.

 

As the plates are removed they should not be kept in the dining-room, but sent to the kitchen immediately, a maid standing outside

to receive them, so that no disorder of the dinner may reach the

senses of the guests, nor even an unpleasant odor. As each plate is

removed a fresh plate must be put in its place—generally a very

beautiful piece of Sevres, decorated with a landscape, flowers, or

faces.

 

Sparkling wines, hock and champagne, are not decanted, but are kept

in ice-pails, and opened as required. On the sideboard is placed the

wine decanted for Use, and poured out as needed; after the game has

been handed, decanters of choice Madeira and port are placed before

the host, who sends