I do not suppose that any housewife is ignorant of the particular order in which the dining table is set; every girl learned it when small, from her mother and in the household management classes at school. She knows, from the many times it has been repeated, that the knife is placed to the right of the plate and the fork to its left, with the spoon between them; and every girl also knows that the water glass is placed in front of the plate at the right corner, and that the napkin is placed folded in the plate.
These are self-evident matters that need no explanation. But there are some observations that may be of use to housewives newly embarked on married life and on what it asks of them by way of giving dinner parties from time to time. If you invite your friends, madam, to a dinner, arrange all its affairs in advance, and above all beware of creating an anxious atmosphere that disturbs the guests and puts them on edge. Let all your orders be brief and in a low voice; and whatever incidents may occur — the fall of a glass of water, or the maid slipping with the dishes — take the matter with cool nerves and make no reference to it. In this you show a refined breeding and a wide knowledge of good manners.
And the table, madam, reflects your personality and your taste; so let there be upon it some trace of this personality that catches the eye and rests it at once — a few little green leaves, scattered around the plates in a pleasing geometric pattern, or small flowers in colors harmonizing with the colors of the dining room. These simple touches, which you lend your table from your own personality, leave a great impression on your guests of the extent of your taste...
And know that candles on the dinner table bring pleasure, and lend the room an out-of-the-ordinary atmosphere in which the guests settle more happily than under the usual electric lights.
And do not forget, madam,
that simplicity and cleanliness are among the most important conditions. Do not go to excess in multiplying the dishes, as was the custom among the Lebanese of old — and among some of
us even today — for this custom, though it expresses a generosity that deserves thanks, wearies the mistress of the house, wearies the husband's pocket, and wearies the guests' stomachs all at once. This
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