graduated.

Table manners must, of course, proceed slowly in exactly the same way that
any other lessons proceed in school. Having learned when a baby to use the
nursery implements of spoon and pusher, the child, when it is a little
older, discards them for the fork, spoon and knife.

=THE PROPER USE OF THE FORK=

As soon, therefore, as his hand is dexterous enough, the child must be
taught to hold his fork, no longer gripped baby-fashion in his fist, but
much as a pencil is held in writing; only the fingers are placed nearer
the "top" than the "point," the thumb and two first fingers are closed
around the handle two-thirds of the way up the shank, and the food is
taken up shovel-wise on the turned-up prongs. At first his little fingers
will hold his fork stiffly, but as he grows older his fingers will become
more flexible just as they will in holding his pencil. If he finds it hard
work to shovel his food, he can, for a while, continue to use his nursery
pusher. By and by the pusher is changed for a small piece of bread, which
is held in his left hand and between thumb and first two fingers, and
against which the fork shovels up such elusive articles as corn, peas,
poached egg, etc.

=THE SPOON=

In using the spoon, he holds it in his right hand like the fork. In eating
cereal or dessert, he may be allowed to dip the bowl of the spoon toward
him and eat from the end, but in eating soup he must dip his spoon away
from him--turning the outer rim of the bowl down as he does so--fill the
bowl not more than three-quarters full and sip it, without noise, out of
the side (not the end) of the bowl. The reason why the bowl must not be
filled full is because it is impossible to lift a brimming spoonful of
liquid to his mouth without spilling some, or in the case of porridge
without filling his mouth too full. While still very young he may be
taught never to leave the spoon in a cup while drinking out of it, but
after stirring the cocoa, or whatever it is, to lay the spoon in the
saucer.

A very ugly table habit, which seems to be an impulse among all children,
is to pile a great quantity of food on a fork and then lick or bite it off
piecemeal. This must on no account be permitted. It is perfectly correct,
however, to sip a little at a time, of hot liquid from a spoon. In taking
any liquid either from a spoon or drinking vessel, no noise must ever be
made.

[Illustration: "IN EATING SOUP THE CHILD MUST DIP HIS SPOON