IN THE OLD DAYS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 932, 16 January 1908, Page 22

IN THE OLD DAYS.

Before the coming of knives and forks and what we call good manners, books on et’quet.e existed. There were vulgar ways of conveying food to the mouth, and our ances ors were admonished thus: —“Your meat genteely with your fingers raise, and as in eating there’s a certain grace, beware with greasy hands lest you besmear your face.” An Emerald Islander would say that “ sorra a bit of grace, certain or uncertain, would' be about you then.” In the fork’ess days the gues brought his own kn’fe to table, and a whetstone hung near him so that he might sharpen it from time to time. A banquet ball must have sounded like a slaughter-house. When the joints were

placed on the tab’e each guest tried to tear off the choicest portion, so that a , tender joint soon vanished. Another writer on the habi.s of good society says: ; —“ If you eat with ano her, turn the : nices; bit to him. and do not go picking out the best for yourself. See that your nails are clean, and do not set more than two fingers and a thumb on the flesh, fish, or fowl.” History tells us how fearsomeiy greedy were the men and women of the 13th century. Ih.-y d.d not hide their greed beneaeh a polish of po- ( liteness. There are still people who live j to eat. I