Boomerang On Table Etiquette

It has been stated, and very truly, too, that the law of the napkin is but vaguely undergtood. It may be said, ho wever, on the start, that custom and good breeding have uttered the decree that it is poor taste to put the napkin in the pocket and carry it away. The rule of etiquette is becoming more and more thoroughly establisned, that the napkin should be left at the house of he host or hostess after dinner. There has been a good deal of discussion abo upon the matter of folding the napkin after dinner, and whether it Bhould be so disposed of or negligently tossed into the gravy boat. If, ho wever, it can be folded easily, and without attracting too much attention and prolonging the session for several hours, it should be so arranged, and placed beside the plate, where it may be easily found by the hostess and returned to her neighbor from whom she borrowed it for the occasion. If, however, the lady of the house is not doing her own work, the napkin may be caref ully jammed into a globular wad and flred under the table, to convey the idea of utter recklessness and pampered abandon. The use of the flnger bowl is also a subject of much importance to the bon ton guest who gorges himself at the expense of bis friends. The custom of drinking out of the flnger bowl, though not entirely obsolete, has been limited to the extent that good breeding does not permit the guest to quaff the water from nis finger bowl unless he does so prior to using it as a finger bowl. Thus it will be seen that social customs are slowly but surely cuttingdown and eircumscribing therights and privileges of the masses. At the court of Eugenie the customs of the table were very rigid, and the most prominent guest of H. R. H. was liable to get the G. B. if he spread his napkin on his lap aud cut his ogg into with a carving knif e. The custom was that the napkin should be hung on one knee, and the egg busted at the big end and scooped out with a spoon. A prominent American at her table one day in an unguarded moment shattered the shell of a sof t-boiled egg with his knife, and while pryiug it apart, both thumbs were erroneously jammed into the true inwardness of the fruit with so much momentum that the juice took him in the eye, thus blinding him and maddening him to such a degree that he got up and threw the remains into the bosom of the hired man plempotentiary, who stood near the table, scratching his ear with a tray. As may readily be supposed, there was a painful interim, during which it was hard to teil for flve or six minutes whether the prominent American or the hired man would come out on top, but at last the prominent American with the egg ia his eye got the ear of the high-priced hired man in among his back teeth, and the honor of our beloved flag was vmdicated.