_WAITING AT TABLE._
In giving directions for waiting at table, I shall describe the kind of
dinner at which you are likely to assist. It will be of no use to tell
you how to wait at a stately dinner, where all the dishes are cut up at
a side-table, and wine is handed round, for at such dinners only men
wait; nor will I speak of dinners a little less formal, but still large
and costly, at which two or three thorough house and parlour-maids
wait; for before you are admitted to such service, you will be expected
to have gone through some practice in waiting, and it is for a small
dinner at which you would acquire such practice that I will give my
rules,--such a dinner as we may suppose to be served in the house of a
gentleman keeping only two or three servants.
In dressing yourself to wait at table, see that your hands and nails
are scrupulously clean. Use a nail-brush, warm water, and plenty of
soap. If your mistress likes it, and you can manage it, wear clean
white under-sleeves; for your hand and arm will be often put close
to the guests and their food, and should, therefore, look clean and
pleasant.
It may be useful to some of you to have a few hints about laying the
cloth. It is a thing I have always had to teach my young servants to
do, and many of you who can do it for an every-day dinner, of two or
three persons, may still be puzzled by having to place a few extra
things on the table.
First, see that the cloth is laid even on the table, the middle crease
being straight down the centre; then put to each person a table-napkin
folded, with a thick piece of bread in it: for this purpose a thick
round of bread should be cut into six pieces. I cannot describe to
you how to fold the napkin for this; but should you not be able to
get your mistress or any one else to show you, let the napkin lie in
a neat small square, and place the bread at the left side of each
person; next, put as many knives and forks as will be wanted to each
person; and if there is to be soup, a table or dessert-spoon, as your
mistress may provide. If there is to be fish, meat, and poultry, each
person will want two knives and three forks, for no knife is used for
fish; they must be laid side by side, the knives on the right hand
of the napkin, and the forks on the left; the people sitting at the
top and bottom of the table must also have a carving-knife and fork.
Now put a dessert-spoon and fork, across, at the top of each napkin,
laying the prongs of the fork close to the handle of the spoon, and
the bowl of the spoon by the handle of the fork; they are to lie side
by side, but the crossway of the table. The salt-cellars, previously
well filled and stamped, should be put at each corner of the table,
with two table-spoons crossed, and laid so that each salt-cellar stands
between the two bowls of the spoons. Put the cruets in the middle of
the table, with mats on each of the four sides, ready for the meat and
vegetables. Unless the table is very small, there will be room for the
lamp between the cruets and meat-mat. There should be knife-rests top
and bottom, on which you should rest the tips of the carving-knives
and forks. Horseradish, jam, or anything else in a small glass dish,
can be placed at the corners, or along the sides, according to the
size of the table, and shapes of the dishes. A tumbler, and one or two
wine-glasses, as your mistress may direct, should be put at the right
hand of each person, and water-bottles, with tumblers over them, at
each corner of the table.
When the dinner is ready to be served up, you will put fish at the top
of the table and soup at the bottom, a pile of soup-plates, with a
napkin on the top, before the soup, and meat-plates, with a napkin on
the top, before the fish. The fish-slice should be put in front of the
dish; and if wine is to be on the table, let it be at the corners.
Before we proceed to the announcement of the dinner, let us talk a
little of the arrangement of the sideboard.
When you are arranging the dinner-table, put a cloth also on the
sideboard, and think of all you will want for the different courses.
Every thing that can be kept in the room should be placed there in
readiness, to prevent the necessity of going in and out while you are
waiting.
You should have pudding-plates in a pile, two to each person, as some
may take more than one kind of pudding or tart, and these are put
on the table cold; the meat-plates must be kept down-stairs at the
fire, as they should be hot. Sometimes, where a fire-screen hides
the fireplace, I have seen meat-plates kept hot in the fender of the
dining-room; but, as they are not put on the table one by one, as the
pudding-plates are, it is but little trouble to fetch the pile up from
the kitchen when it is needed. You should also have on your sideboard
a knife-tray, with knives, forks, and spoons of all sizes, as you can
never tell exactly what number may be called for. It is safe to have
half-a-dozen more of each than you see use for; if they are not needed,
they are clean to put away, and no time has been lost by having them
at hand; if they are needed, and are not ready, much time and credit
are lost in running to look them up in the middle of dinner. You will
probably want pounded white sugar for the tarts, and there will be beer
in a jug or bottles, and a jug of cold water in case the water-bottles
should be emptied.
You should have also a loaf of bread, or a bread-basket with some
small thick pieces ready cut, a corkscrew, cheese-plates in a pile;
the cheese on a dish covered by a crochet or other cheese-mat;
perhaps celery in a dish, or mixed salad in a salad-bowl; butter and
butter-knife; all of which should be put close together, because
belonging to one course. I have not mentioned small knives for the
cheese, because we may suppose they are in the knife-tray, though it
will save time and noise to have the right number by the cheese-plates.
Now comes the dessert course. All the dishes nicely arranged, the
fruit perhaps decked with leaves, and the table-spoons laid on such
dishes as require spoons for helping; the dessert-plates in a pile;
two wine-glasses for each person; doyleys in a pile; and wine in the
decanters. Remember, if there are nuts of any kind, to keep up one or
two of the salt-cellars, and to have nutcrackers laid on the dish.
I think you will now have all that can be properly put on a sideboard,
and you will find the convenience very great of having so many things
within reach, as it is indispensable that you stay in the room as much
as possible while waiting. I may add that any cold tart or pudding,
jelly, blanc-mange, custards, and the like, can also be on the
sideboard.
All being ready on the sideboard and table, see to the fire and candles
(should there be any), and then walk across to the drawing-room, where
the company are, and go in; shut and hold the door in your hand, and
say in a clear voice, “Dinner is on the table, ma’am.” Go out again,
shut the door, and walk to the further side of the dining-room door,
which you should throw open, and stand there till the ladies and
gentlemen are all gone in, when you should follow, shut the door,
and walk to your master’s side and stand there while grace is said;
immediately after which remove the covers, first from the soup and
fish, and then from the potatoes. The covers should be put on the
dinner-tray, which should be on its own stand, as near as convenient to
the door. After this, take the plates from the carvers and hand them
round as quickly and quietly as you can. You will probably be told
for whom each plate is intended, or you will have heard who was first
asked to take soup or fish; but should this not be the case, you must
take the first plate to the first lady, and ask, “Will you take soup,
ma’am?” If she says “No,” go to the next, and so on, taking fish to
those who refused soup. You cannot do very wrong if you begin with the
lady whom your master led in to dinner; and, after going to all the
ladies, begin with the gentleman who led your mistress in--leaving your
mistress to the last of the ladies, and your master of the gentlemen.
Potato is eaten with fish, and if you can get time, between taking each
plate from the carver, to give the potatoes to the person to whom
you give the plate, it will be best to do so; but this will not do if
you are not ready to take the next plate. It is very likely that some
one at the table will offer to help the vegetables, seeing you busy
with handing the plates; if so, as soon as you have set all the plates
round, relieve this person by taking the potatoes round to those who
may not yet be served; you may then see that each person has melted
butter, or sauce, and anchovy. In handing potatoes, take the vegetable
dish to the left side of the person, and say, if you are not noticed,
“Will you take potato, sir?” but always in a low voice. In handing
anchovy you may take the cruets, or the anchovy-bottle only, on a small
tray, saying, in the same way, “Anchovy, sir,” or whatever else it may
be, as the people will like to know what sauce it is before taking it.
Watch the plates, and as soon as any one lays down his fork or spoon,
take the plate away, saying in a low voice, “Will you take more fish,
sir?” If no more is taken, put the plate and fork which have been used
in the dinner-tray or basket provided for the purpose, and do the same
till all the plates are removed. You will then take away the soup and
fish, and carry all on the tray out of the room. I am supposing now
that there is another servant below. She will by this time have the
meat and fowls ready dished-up. You will empty the tray as quickly
as possible, and bring up the fresh course. Put the poultry to your
mistress at the top of the table, and the meat to your master at the
bottom; the vegetables on the middle at each side of the cruets;
plates before both dishes, and then remove all covers, hand plates as
before, and then see that every one has vegetables, always putting the
vegetable dish back to its place on the table, also mustard, and any
sauce, jam, &c., that may be eaten with each dish. Having seen to all
this, it will be time to take round the beer, should it not have been
asked for before. Take the jug or bottle in one hand, and a small tray
in the other, and go all round the table, saying to each person who
does not see you and at once give the tumbler, “Do you take beer, sir?”
holding the tray at the person’s left side for the tumbler. Those who
take it will put the tumbler on your tray, where you will fill it, and
hold it to be taken off again. Should any one chance to say “Yes,” and
yet go on talking without giving you his tumbler, you must of course
take it up and put it down again yourself; but this is not likely to
happen often, as the tray in your hand reminds the visitor that he is
to put his glass there. In pouring out bottled beer, be careful of two
things: first, having once turned the bottle over to fill one glass, to
carry it leaning down in the same position to the next person, as by
turning it upright again you spoil the beer; secondly, not to make “a
head” with bottled beer, but pour it very gently close to the side of
the glass, or it will froth over and fill your tray.
Having taken beer all round, stand again near the sideboard, but in
such a way that you may watch the plates, and supply vegetables, sauce,
and mustard, &c., to any one who may be without, and take away the
plates of those who lay down their knives and forks. In taking each
plate, ask, as before, if more will be taken; if so, take the plate for
more, first removing any bones or fat left on the side; but any one
taking meat after fowl, or fowl after meat, must of course have a clean
plate, for which purpose you must always have hot plates ready. If they
can stand in the fender, they will be hotter than on the sideboard; but
should it not be possible to put them in the fender, they should be
made very hot before coming up. When any one has finished altogether,
put a cold pudding-plate in place of the plate you remove, and leave it
there ready for pudding, so that by the time all have done, there will
be pudding-plates ready all round.
You will now remove the meat, poultry, and vegetables, and carry them
down with the plates which have been used as before, bringing any hot
pudding or sauce up with you. The pudding must now be put to your
mistress, and tart to your master. You will then hand the plates again.
Each person will give you an empty plate in exchange for the plate of
pudding or tart you take, and you will carry this to be filled, and
again exchange it till all are served; you will then take round sauce
or sugar. Though, in handing things _that people take from you_, you
should go on the left side, that the visitor may use his right hand,
yet in putting down a plate, or anything that _is not taken from you_
it is more convenient for you to go on the right side. This you will
soon find out by practice.
As the pudding-plates are done with, take each one away and put down
a cheese-plate, with a small knife, in its place. If there should be
game you will put no plate, as a pile of hot plates will come up with
the game. I need give no directions concerning game, because they are
served in the same way as meat or poultry, with hot plates, potatoes,
bread-sauce, gravy, &c., all of which you will know how to manage,
having gone through the meat course. So we will suppose there is no
game, but cheese after the pudding.
When all have finished with the pudding and tart, and you have removed
the plates and put down cheese-plates, you will place the cheese on the
table to your master, and celery or salad to your mistress, putting the
butter near the cruets in the centre.
Your master will now cut several pieces of cheese and put them into
his own plate, which he will give to you. You must hand this plate
all round; each person, who wishes it, will take a small piece with
his knife, (here you should go on the left side), and having gone all
round, you should take the plate back and put it down before your
master. It will now be right to take beer round again; also bread, to
those who may have none. Bottled beer should have the corks drawn in
the room, at the sideboard.
In removing the cheese-plates, you must not put down dessert-plates,
as the whole table will now have to be cleared. As soon as all have
finished cheese, take away cheese-dish and celery-dish, cruets,
salt-cellars, and everything. This should be done by taking round a
small tray and filling it, and then emptying it into the large tray,
till the whole table is cleared; and should be done as quickly and
quietly as possible. Some ladies like the table-cloth removed for the
dessert, but it is usually left on; sometimes two clean table-cloths
are put on, one over the other, so that the top one may be removed, and
yet a white cloth remain. In any case, the crumbs are usually brushed
off into a tray, with a brush made for the purpose, and the cloth made
perfectly clean; but in some houses the crumbs are left and folded in
the cloth, which is shaken afterwards down stairs. All pieces of bread
left should be taken up with a fork, not with the hand, and put on the
small tray into which the crumbs are swept, unless removed by a fork,
with the glasses, &c. If wine or beer is left in a glass, do not hurry
it away too quickly, but should it not be emptied when you are going to
sweep the cloth, you must remove it with your last tray full.
When the cloth is removed, or ready swept for dessert, put the
fruit-dishes on the table. It will be well to have asked your mistress
how she will like them placed; but there is not much difficulty
about it. If only two, they must be put top and bottom; if four, the
principal ones top and bottom, and the others on each side; if six,
there will be two at each side. A large round raised dish, if there be
any, should stand in the centre. The wine decanters must all be placed
in the front of your master.
Having placed the dishes, give to each person a plate with a doyley
in it, and a finger-glass, should there be any, or two wine-glasses
standing on the doyley. Should there be fruit-knives and forks, they
must also be put round with the plates. The table being arranged for
dessert, you should make up the fire and leave the room, your work of
waiting is ended. While dinner is going on, you should manage to run in
once to the drawing-room fire, or else ask the other servant to do so,
for should you forget it till dessert is on the table, the probability
is that it will then be out, and you will not only have the trouble
of lighting it, but will be thought neglectful by the ladies, who
generally leave the dessert-table very soon, and go to the drawing-room.
When there is only one servant kept, and no extra help procured for
dinner, the servant cannot, of course, be in the room the whole time
of dinner; she may, however, lay the cloth and arrange the sideboard as
directed--her mistress probably helping her--and she may, just before
she dishes up the dinner, put on a white apron, wash her hands, and
smooth her hair; then having put the dinner on the table, announce
it, walk to the dining-room door, follow the company in, remove the
covers, hand the plates, pour out beer, and go down to prepare the next
course. In such a case, people help each other to vegetables, and when
one course is over, the master will ring the bell; but if the servant
can manage to run up (having put the next course ready for the tray),
and take away the plates, &c. before her master rings, it will be
much better, and will save his rising from the table, which is always
awkward. Every girl should study the foregoing directions for waiting,
and, according to her quickness and method, she will be able to carry
them out more or less, when she has the cooking also on her hands.
When the puddings are once up, there is no occasion to leave the room
again, as all that is wanted for cheese and dessert will be ready on
the sideboard. In all probability, the dinner will be very simple when
one servant manages all. There will be no game, and perhaps no fish or
soup; so that the difficulty will be much less than in the dinner we
have described above. A single servant, still more than one who has a
cook down-stairs to help, will find the advantage of having plenty of
hot plates, knives, forks, spoons, &c., ready for use, as there is no
hindrance so great as having to search for, or clean up these things in
the middle of waiting.
Let every girl remember that a simple dinner, with good waiting, will
always appear more hospitable, and be more comfortable, than a costly
one, with bad waiting: every mistress is sensible of this, yet few
who do not keep a regular housemaid, expect to get good waiting. The
girl, then, who chooses to study and practise these directions, will
be valued accordingly. It will generally be a surprise to the mistress
of a young and inexperienced servant, to find her able to do what
is looked upon as the work of a higher servant, and yet any girl of
common sense will find it perfectly practicable to do all that I have
directed, though it may require the practice of three or four dinners
to make every thing come quite easily.
Before leaving this subject, I must not forget to warn you against
smiling at droll stories told at table, or seeming in any way to
notice or enter into the conversation. Should it even happen that all
at table are wishing to know something which you could tell them in
a word or two--as, whether it was the baker or the butcher who was
run over; whether the clergyman had found his stray cow or not;--you
must still be silent, unless you are appealed to, and then answer
modestly, in as few words as possible. If the question you are able
to answer should chance to be of consequence,--as whether the coach a
gentleman wished to return in had passed or not, you might go up to
your mistress, and say, in a low voice, “The coach is not gone, ma’am;
it does not pass now till nine o’clock,”--supposing you were certain
of being well informed; but even then, speak in a voice that only your
mistress may hear; for you may have misunderstood the conversation, and
it is possible that the question may be best left unanswered.
I advise you to read this chapter through several times, as it contains
many directions; and you will find that even after having studied them
carefully, the bustle of a dinner-table will be very likely to drive
many of them from your head, till practice has made them familiar to
you. When you know all these rules, the difficulty of waiting at table
consists in the necessity of being quick, and, at the same time, expert
and noiseless. It is better to be slow, than to spill gravy, overturn
glasses, catch your foot in chair legs, let things fall, or make noises
with knocking china and glass; and yet a slow waiter is very tiresome.
Every time you wait, you will do better than the last, and it should be
your constant aim to become less noisy, and more quick.