The one who is to wait on table must be careful to see that everything
is in readiness before the meal is announced, so that she can do her
work easily, without subjecting those at the table to unnecessary delay.
She should have water, bread, and butter (if used), hot dishes ready for
the hot foods, and dessert dishes conveniently at hand. She must see
that her hands are perfectly clean and her hair and dress in order. A
clean, neat apron will always improve her appearance. The room should be
clean and neatly arranged.
If the meal is to be a family one and all are to sit at the table
together, plates will be passed from one to another as they are served:
but it will still be well to have one person appointed to wait on the
table. She should be ready to supply more bread, water, etc., when it is
necessary, and to change the plates for the dessert course. She should
rise from the table quickly and quietly, in order not to disturb others,
and should take her place again as soon as the necessary service has
been rendered.
The following rules should be observed: Hold the tumblers near the
bottom, being careful not to touch the upper edge. Fill only
three-quarters full.
Put the butter on the table just before the meal is announced, and serve
in neat, compact pieces.
Cut the bread in even slices, pile them neatly on a serving plate, and
place it on the table, covering it with a clean napkin or towel, if
there are flies about or there is danger of dust. If preferred, the
bread may be cut at the table as required. Place the dessert dishes at
one end of the table or, better still, on a side table, until it is time
to use them. When carrying the dishes to and from the table, be careful
not to let the fingers come in contact with the food. Learn to place the
hand under the dish. In particular service a napkin is used between the
hand and the dish, or a tray, if the dish is a small one. The tray
should be covered with a napkin or doily.
When a dish is being passed, hold it at the left of the person to be
served and at a convenient height and distance. Be sure that each dish
is supplied with a spoon or a fork for serving, and turn the handle of
the spoon or the fork toward the one to be served.
If a plate is to be placed in front of a person, set it down from the
right. Never reach in front of others at the table.
When a course is finished, remove the dishes containing the food first;
then the soiled plates, knives, and forks. Be careful to handle only a
few dishes at a time and not to pile them. If another course is to be
served, remove the crumbs from the table, using for the purpose a napkin
and plate, or a crumb tray and brush, and brushing the crumbs lightly
into the plate. Fill the tumblers, and arrange the dishes and forks or
spoons quickly for the next course.
When the meal is over, the chairs should be moved back from the table,
the dishes neatly piled and carried to the kitchen sink, the table
wiped, the crumbs brushed from the floor, and the room aired.