fT^ARYING is an art — it is to be regretted that it is an art so I y^ little understood, for there are far too many poor and indif- i^ ferent carvers in the world. Every man and woman must at times be called on to carve, and they should certainly know how to do so properly. A joint of meat will go very much farther, and the guests will be much better served when handled by a skilful, than by a poor and awkward carver. It is not difficult to learn to carve well, and it ought to be a pari of the education of every boy and girl. Certainly it is an accom- plishment they may be proud to possess, and it will often save them from embarassment. Any one who will begin at the beginning and give the matter a little thoughtful study can master the art, and it will be of far more advantage in life than many other accomplish- ments to which much more time and thought are given. Before coming to the table the knife should be well sharpened and put in good condition. It will be very annoying to wait to sharpen the knife, and without having it sharp no one can carve well. Keep the carving knife for that purpose alone, and never use it to cut bread or other articles. During all pauses in carving, the knife and fork should be placed on the knife rests, and not thrust and left under the meat. It would be much better if instead of sending all the gravy to the table at first, a portion was reserved to be sent in hot for the "sec- ond help." To have the meat swimming in a platter full of gravy is not at all desirable. Many platters are now made with a well to receive and hold the gravy. When such a dish is not used, a crust of bread can be slipped under the platter to tip it a little and cause the gravy to run to one side, but to tilt up the plate with one hand, while the gravy is ladled out with the other, is considered inelegant. The dish upon which the article to be carved is placed should be near the carver, so that he may have full control of it. If placed far away, ungracefulness in appearance and difficulty in performing the task are inevitable. Any display of exertion reflects either on the skill of the carver or the quality of the meat. Work deliberately and carefully, and try to divide the material so that all may be served equally well, and when serving the meat lay the best side up. 589 590 CARVING The directions which we give, and the illustrations accompany- ing them, will make the best methods of carving clear. Always do the best you can while carving, but as practice alone makes perfect, no opportunity to practice should be lost, for thus alone can the facility so essential to ease be acquired. TONGUE — This can be carved in either of 2 ways. One is to cut f of the way down, as shown by the line A B, and then cut thin, even slices A from each side, but this method is waste- ful. A more economical way is to cut clear through the tongue, and then cut slices from each half. A little fat should be cut from the root of the tongue and placed with each slice. Although it is not generally carved in that way, it will be an improvement if the tip of the tongue is cut lengthwise, in thin, even slices.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

CARVING is an art — it is to be regretted that it is an art so I y^ little understood, for there are far too many poor and indifi^ ferent carvers in the world. Every man and woman must at times be called on to carve, and they should certainly know how to do so properly. A joint of meat will go very much farther, and the guests will be much better served when handled by a skilful, than by a poor and awkward carver. It is not difficult to learn to carve well, and it ought to be a pari of the education of every boy and girl. Certainly it is an accomplishment they may be proud to possess, and it will often save them from embarassment. Any one who will begin at the beginning and give the matter a little thoughtful study can master the art, and it will be of far more advantage in life than many other accomplishments to which much more time and thought are given. Before coming to the table the knife should be well sharpened and put in good condition. It will be very annoying to wait to sharpen the knife, and without having it sharp no one can carve well. Keep the carving knife for that purpose alone, and never use it to cut bread or other articles. During all pauses in carving, the knife and fork should be placed on the knife rests, and not thrust and left under the meat. It would be much better if instead of sending all the gravy to the table at first, a portion was reserved to be sent in hot for the "second help." To have the meat swimming in a platter full of gravy is not at all desirable. Many platters are now made with a well to receive and hold the gravy. When such a dish is not used, a crust of bread can be slipped under the platter to tip it a little and cause the gravy to run to one side, but to tilt up the plate with one hand, while the gravy is ladled out with the other, is considered inelegant. The dish upon which the article to be carved is placed should be near the carver, so that he may have full control of it. If placed far away, ungracefulness in appearance and difficulty in performing the task are inevitable. Any display of exertion reflects either on the skill of the carver or the quality of the meat. Work deliberately and carefully, and try to divide the material so that all may be served equally well, and when serving the meat lay the best side up. The directions which we give, and the illustrations accompanying them, will make the best methods of carving clear. Always do the best you can while carving, but as practice alone makes perfect, no opportunity to practice should be lost, for thus alone can the facility so essential to ease be acquired. TONGUE — This can be carved in either of 2 ways. One is to cut f of the way down, as shown by the line A B, and then cut thin, even slices A from each side, but this method is wasteful. A more economical way is to cut clear through the tongue, and then cut slices from each half. A little fat should be cut from the root of the tongue and placed with each slice. Although it is not generally carved in that way, it will be an improvement if the tip of the tongue is cut lengthwise, in thin, even slices.

The household cook book