Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1890 — Learning by Observation. [ARTICLE]

Learning by Observation.

Nowadays so many strange utensils find place on the fashionable dinnertable that it requires some skill to apply each to its rightful use. The inexperienced may well be excused feeling puzzled occasionally. A true story is told of a Congressman from an agricultural district who found himself, not long ago, at a dinner given by a Cabinet officer from his State. He discovered a miniature silver hay fork at the side of his plate, the likenesses of which he saw’ the other people use for their oysters. He did the same, and was so far all right, helping himself to salt with a very small gold spade provided for the purpose. It reminded him of the tool he had employed many a time to dig potatoes with, save for the metal. Of potatoes themselves, mashed, he was presently helped to a portion, and he found that his fellow guests utilized an instrument, the like of which he was also supplied with, to push the vegetable upon their forks. Subsequently he learned that the instrument was called a “pusher,” but at the time it seemed to him nothing more nor less than a diminutive hoe, in the exact shape of which it was undeniably constructed. But there was one utensil that made him extremely nervous, inasmuch as he could not imagine for what purpose it was intended, and he w r as carefully guarding himself against a possible faux pas. For course after course he watched his fellow guests to see when they would bring the curious tool into play. It was not, how ever, until the asparagus came on that he saw an eminent diplomat who sat opposite pick up the silver hay-rake from beside his plate and employ it to convey the vegetable to his mouth. “Well,” ejaculated the Congressman under his breath, “so that’s what the thing is for! But W'hy in blazes, if we’re goin’ into farming for the dinner-table, don’t we have a threshing machine to make beefsteak tender, and a mowing machine to clear off the crumbs ?”