Dressing for Hotel Dinners. — In dressing for a hotel din-
ner it is not in good taste to adopt a full evening costume, and
to appear as if attired for a ball; for instance, with a colored
velvet robe, or one of a splendid brocade, or a transparent
gauze material over a satin, or with short sleeves and bare neck
in cold weather, or with flowers or jewels in the hair. Such cos-
tumes should be reserved for evening parties. If worn at the
table d'hote, it may be suspected that you have no other place
in which to display them. Your dress need not be more showy
than you would wear when dining at a private house. There is
no place where dress escapes with less scrutiny than at a hotel.
Still it is in bad taste to go to the dinner table in ungenteel and
unbecoming habiliments, such as a figured or party-colored
mousseline-de-latney a thing which has always the effect of cal-
ico, and like calico gives an unladylike look even to the most
decided lady.
A profusion of jewelry at a public table is in very bad
taste, particularly if the jewelry is palpably false; for instance,
a brooch with mock diamonds, or a string of wax beads,
meant for pearls, or glass things imitating topazes or garnets.
A large imitation gem always betrays its real quality by its
size.
Endeavor to make your arrangements so as to be dressed
for dinner, and seated in the ladies' drawing-room about ten or
fifteen minutes before the dining hour, that you may be ready
to go in with the rest of the company.
In seating yourself, look down for a moment to see if you
have placed the foot of your chair on the dress of the lady
sitting next to you; and, if you have done so, remove it
instantly, that her dress may not be torn when she attempts
to rise.
'Sit close to the table, but never lean your elbows upon it.
To sit far from it and reach forward is very awkward. Having
unfQlded your napkin, sepyye it to your ■vys^i^t by a pin to pr§«
ETIQUETTE. 36
vent its slipping down and falling under the table. This may-
be done so that the pinning will not be perceptible.
Refrain from loud talking or loud laughing. Young ladies
are never conspicuously noisy at a dinner table or anywhere
else. Still more carefully refrain from whispering or ex-
changing significant glances. Whispers are always overheard,
and glances are always observed.
In the best society, fish is now usually eaten with a siWer
fish knife and fork. The method of eating it by the aid of a
piece of bread held in the left hand, while the fork is kept in
the right, is now fast becoming obsolete. Servants and all
other persons should be taught that butter-sauce should not
be poured over the fish, but put on one side of the plate, that
the eater may use it profusely or sparingly, according to taste,
and be enabled to mix it conveniently with the sauce from the
fish-castors.
Do not attempt removing a cover from the dish that you
may help yourself before the rest of the company. Leave all
that to the waiters; tell them what you want in a distinct but
not in a loud, conspicuous voice. Where servants are numer-
ous, they should always go by their surnames, which will pre-
vent the confusion arising from half a dozen Johns or as many
Williams.
Page 21
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Dressing for Hotel Dinners. — In dressing for a hotel dinner it is not in good taste to adopt a full evening costume, and to appear as if attired for a ball; for instance, with a colored velvet robe, or one of a splendid brocade, or a transparent gauze material over a satin, or with short sleeves and bare neck in cold weather, or with flowers or jewels in the hair. Such costumes should be reserved for evening parties. If worn at the table d'hote, it may be suspected that you have no other place in which to display them. Your dress need not be more showy than you would wear when dining at a private house. There is no place where dress escapes with less scrutiny than at a hotel. Still it is in bad taste to go to the dinner table in ungenteel and unbecoming habiliments, such as a figured or party-colored mousseline-de-latney a thing which has always the effect of calico, and like calico gives an unladylike look even to the most decided lady.
A profusion of jewelry at a public table is in very bad taste, particularly if the jewelry is palpably false; for instance, a brooch with mock diamonds, or a string of wax beads, meant for pearls, or glass things imitating topazes or garnets. A large imitation gem always betrays its real quality by its size.
Endeavor to make your arrangements so as to be dressed for dinner, and seated in the ladies' drawing-room about ten or fifteen minutes before the dining hour, that you may be ready to go in with the rest of the company.
In seating yourself, look down for a moment to see if you have placed the foot of your chair on the dress of the lady sitting next to you; and, if you have done so, remove it instantly, that her dress may not be torn when she attempts to rise.
'Sit close to the table, but never lean your elbows upon it. To sit far from it and reach forward is very awkward. Having unfolded your napkin, serve it to your waist by a pin to prevent its slipping down and falling under the table.. This maybe done so that the pinning will not be perceptible.
Refrain from loud talking or loud laughing. Young ladies are never conspicuously noisy at a dinner table or anywhere else. Still more carefully refrain from whispering or exchanging significant glances. Whispers are always overheard, and glances are always observed.
In the best society, fish is now usually eaten with a silver fish knife and fork. The method of eating it by the aid of a piece of bread held in the left hand, while the fork is kept in the right, is now fast becoming obsolete. Servants and all other persons should be taught that butter-sauce should not be poured over the fish, but put on one side of the plate, that the eater may use it profusely or sparingly, according to taste, and be enabled to mix it conveniently with the sauce from the fish-castors.
Do not attempt removing a cover from the dish that you may help yourself before the rest of the company. Leave all that to the waiters; tell them what you want in a distinct but not in a loud, conspicuous voice. Where servants are numerous, they should always go by their surnames, which will prevent the confusion arising from half a dozen Johns or as many Williams.