Prepare and Serve a Meal and Interior Decoration | Page 2

plate.
NAPKINS, SILVER, CHINA AND GLASS
Napkins (fold flat and square) lie at the left of the forks. The hem of the
napkin, turned up, should parallel the forks and the table edge.
When dinner is served without a maid, everything yields to avoiding
leaving the table. In that case put on the dessert silver (which otherwise
should not be done) with the other dinner silver. Place all silver in its
order of use, and remember that three forks are enough. If more are
needed let them appear with the courses which demand them. The
quietest and therefore most desirable way of putting the dessert silver
on the table, is to serve it from a napkin, from the right. Knives should
have their cutting edge toward the plate, at its right, and lie half an inch
from the table edge. Spoons, bowls facing upward, lie at the right of the
knife; forks at the left of the plate. When shell food is served (clams,
oysters or mussels) the fork is placed at the right of the plate. The upper
right-hand side of the bread and butter plate is the place for the butter
spreader.
In general do not arrange your cover too loosely, and see to it that the
glass, china and silver for each cover sets close without the pieces
touching. Glasses are placed just above the knives, a little to the right.
Neither cups nor glasses should ever be filled to the brim. The bread
and butter plate (bread and butter are, as a rule, not served with formal
dinners) somewhat to the left, beyond the service plate. Between each
two covers, or just in front of each, place your pepper and salt sets. The
salt spoon lies across the open saltcellar.

When the table is set for some impromptu meal at which a knife will
not be used, the fork takes the place of the knife at the right-hand side,
and the teaspoon is laid beside the fork.
DESIRABLE IMPROVEMENTS
No one wants to see the inner economy of the butler's pantry, nor
should the perhaps fragrant but cloying odors of the kitchen be wafted
into the dining room whenever the swingdoor of the pantry opens or
closes. The screen obviates both disadvantages. Another improvement
has been the introduction of the serving table in place of the sideboard.
It now conveniently holds all the extras needed for the meal.
CHAPTER II
ENTER THE WAITRESS
The waitress has already been busy, as we have seen, laying the cloth
and covers for the meal. Now, however, she must live up more closely
to the implied meaning of her name. Either the hostess or the daughter
of the family who is acting as waitress, or the waitress herself
announces the meal. For informal service, with a member of the family
acting as a waitress, the former may quietly leave the table to attend to
the bringing on or carrying off of a course, or to supplying water, butter,
etc. But the same care and attention to everyone's needs is expected of
her as of a regular waitress. Water, butter, rolls, bread, etc., should
never have to be asked for. Within reach of hand the waitress should
always have a soft napkin to remove any liquid spilled during the meal,
at once covering the spot with a fresh doily. She must see to it that
there are hot plates for hot dishes, and chilled plates for cold ones.
THE MAID AT THE TABLE
The waitress should serve and remove everything, except beverages
and extra silver from the guest's left. Fork and spoon should always be
easily at hand for the person served, and dishes should never be offered
and removed by reaching across a cover. Remove glasses, cups and
saucers from the right, and serve all
beverages from the right. Plates

should be placed and removed, one by one. Two plates of food
(especially salads or soup) may be brought into the dining room at the
same time, but _one should be left on the serving table_.
The host is served last, the hostess first, then the guest of honor (at the
hostess' right), then the guest at the right of the host, and so on till all
have been served.
Waitresses should not grasp the edge of the plate or put the thumb over
the rim in placing or handling. The left hand should always be used for
removing plates. Take away with each course whatever is needed for a
later one, large dishes of food, soiled china, glass and silver. Then
crumb the table with a small plate and clean, folded napkin.
When serving dishes of food do so with a dinner napkin folded square
on the palm of the hand. The serving dish should be held firmly and not
too high.