Good Form and Christian EtiquetteHenry, S. M. I. (Sarepta Myrenda Irish)
Religion
Good Form and Christian Etiquette
Henry, S. M. I. (Sarepta Myrenda Irish)
Etiquette
In chancing to look up and recognize a familiar friend upon the opposite
side of the street, a slight inclination of the head on the part of a
woman is correct; on the part of a man or boy, touching or lifting the
hat; but a vocal greeting at that distance would be bad form. It is not
necessary to bow every time you meet in passing and repassing often
during the day, although some sign of recognition is always good; but
when upon the first meeting during the day proper greetings have been
duly exchanged, a slight inclination of the head, a touch of the hat, a
cordial glance is sufficient. More could be made very tiresome if you
were to meet often while about the day’s business.
“Is it good form to use a toothpick at the table?”
It is bad form to use a toothpick in any but the most private manner.
Its public appearance is always repulsive. It should never be used as an
article of table decoration. It is one of those necessary articles that
can never be suggestive of anything appetizing or graceful; in fact, its
suggestions are wholly of things concerning which one should be as
reticent and retired as possible.
“Which is the better form,—to use the fork in the right hand, leaving
the knife lying upon the plate, or to take the fork in the left hand,
and use the knife to push the food upon it? In short, in which hand
should the fork properly be held, and what is the office of the knife
at the table?”
The fork should always be used in the right hand, for cutting, taking
up, and conveying food to the mouth, unless one is left-handed. In that
case it should be used in the left hand. The knife should only be used
for cutting what can not be cut with the fork, and when not in use,
should lie on the plate. It has a very limited service at the table. It
would be very awkward to use the knife to push food on to the fork,
because it is entirely unnecessary.
“Should brothers and sisters call upon each other in their
sleeping-rooms in connection with boarding-schools?”
Those who are old enough to go away to boarding-school should come under
the same regulations in such matters as any other men and women must
observe. The bedroom is not designed as a reception-room. It has
properly only one use. If it must for any reason be used as a
study-room, yet the fact that it is a bedroom makes it unfit for a
visiting place. It is furthermore the usual rule for two persons to
occupy the same room in the school home, and manifestly immodest for
sister or brother to intrude upon the privacy of these roommates.
Besides these considerations the association of brothers and sisters
should be upon the same plane of modest deportment as between any other
man and woman. This should be taught the children in the home, and
practised everywhere, for the purpose of education and training
preparatory to meeting the conditions which exist in the world at large.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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