Reaching across 3 or 4 people for a dish "is not only vulgar, but
inconvenient." FOUR persons - what a loooong boarding house reach! Before there was 'lolling about' there was lolling. The American edition of Chesterfield's contained several new rules written by a Philadelphia lawyer in 1828.
In the "Chapter addressed to Americans" --
In the "Chapter addressed to Americans" --
"Another violation of decorum, confined
chiefly to taverns and boarding-houses of an ordinary class, is that of
reaching across a table, or across three or four persons sitting next to the
person who wishes for some particular dish. This is not only vulgar, but
inconvenient. It is a sure sign of having been accustomed to low company; and
should be avoided, by every one who is ambitious of being thought a gentleman.
The offensive practice of carving with one's own knife and fork, and of using
one's oven knife or spoon, when wanting salt or sugar, does not call less
loudly for amendment; but cannot always be dispensed with, unless the mistress
of the house will be careful in performing her duty, by seeing that the table
is fully provided with such things as a decent table requires.
There is another habit, peculiar to the
United States, and from which even some females, who class themselves as
ladies, are not entirely free.—that of lolling back, balanced, upon the two
hind legs of a chair. Such a breach of good-breeding, is rarely committed in
Europe. Lolling is carried even so far in America, that it is not uncommon to
see attorneys lay their feet upon the council table; and the clerks and judges,
theirs also upon their desks, in open court. But, low-bred and disgusting as is
this practice… Much injury is done also to the paper-hangings of a parlour, by
the practice of balancing on the hind-legs of a chair. By this reprehensible
indulgence, as well as sitting too near the wall, the paper becomes, in a short
time, marked, all round, with grease; exhibiting a most unsightly contrast to
the freshness and splendour of the rest of the paper; and compelling the owner
of the house to renew the hangings, in less than half the time that would have
been requisite, had his visitors been more careful.
The American Chesterfield: or, Way to
Wealth, Honour, and Distinction; … with… suited to the youth of the United
States. By a member of the Philadelphia
Bar. Phila: 1828
©2015 Patricia Bixler Reber
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