Now go right around the table putting a plate of meat before each person
and taking up the empty plate till all have been served. Put down and
take up from the right side.
If there is jelly or any small thing to pass, put it on a small tray,
having first placed a spoon in it, and, taking the tray in one hand and
a vegetable dish in the other, pass them all around the table, stooping
a little as you first offer one, and then draw back and offer the other
on the _left_ side of each person.
(It is a good rule to remember in serving a meal that everything that
admits of a choice must be _passed_ at the _left_ and that everything
that does not admit of a choice must be _placed_ from the _right_.)
Next take the remaining vegetable in one hand and a plate of bread in
the other and pass them to the left of each person all around the table.
Watch carefully to pass food again before any one has a chance to ask
for anything and see that all have water and bread throughout the
dinner.
When every one has finished this course, remove first the meat platter,
being careful that the carvers and spoon are secure so as not to drop
off. Then remove gravy boat on a small tray. Take out vegetables, bread,
etc. Remove the used plates, one in each hand, never piling them on top
of each other.
Bring a tray and quietly remove peppers and salts and any knives and
forks remaining on the table and take them into the pantry.
Bring a plate or small tray and with a napkin remove the crumbs.
From the side-table bring a dessert plate in each hand until you have
given one to each person, always going to the _right_ of the person to
set it down.
Put the dessert in front of the mistress, the spoon to left, and sauce
boat with spoon on her right side.
Stand by her with an empty dessert plate and pass the plates as in the
other courses.
After the dessert is finished remove dessert and all the plates, and,
after having filled the cups with hot coffee in the pantry, pass them
around to the family, either at the table or in the parlor, whichever
your mistress desires. If the coffee is taken in the parlor, bring an
empty tray in later and take away the coffee-cups.
Always remember that everything belonging to one course must be removed
before serving another course.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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