manual is not offered as a guide for special occasions, company
dinners, etc., nor for those whose experience renders it unnecessary, or
whose means allow them to employ one skilled in the art. But it is
earnestly hoped that the suggestions here offered will aid those who
desire, at their own table in everyday home life, to acquire that ease
and perfection of manner which, however suddenly it may be confronted
with obstacles, will be equal to every occasion.

Printed rules for carving are usually accompanied with cuts showing the
position of the joint or fowl on the platter, and having lines
indicating the method of cutting. But this will not be attempted in this
manual, as such illustrations seldom prove helpful; for the actual thing
before us bears faint resemblance to the pictures, which give us only
the surface, with no hint of what may be inside.

It is comparatively a slight matter to carve a solid mass of lean meat.
It is the bones, tough gristle, and tendons, that interfere with the
easy progress of the knife. To expect any one to carve well without any
conception of the internal structure of what may be placed before him is
as absurd as to expect one to amputate a limb successfully who has no
knowledge of human anatomy.

Some notion of the relative position of bones, joints, fat, tough and
tender muscles, is the first requisite to good carving. All agree that
skill in carving may be acquired by practice; and so it may. Any one can
divide a joint if he cut and hack at it long enough, and so learn after
a time just where to make the right cut. But a more satisfactory way is
to make a careful study before the material is cooked, and thus learn
the exact position of every joint, bone, and muscle. Become familiar
with a shoulder or a leg of mutton; locate the joints by moving the
bones in the joints, or by cutting it into sections, some time when it
is to be used for a stew. Or remove the bone in the leg by scraping the
meat away at either end. Learn to distinguish the different cuts of
meat. The best way to learn about carving poultry and game is to cut
them up for a stew or fricassee, provided care be taken not to chop
them, but to disjoint them skilfully.

Then, when you attempt to carve, do the best you can every time. Never
allow yourself to be careless about it, even should the only spectators
be your wife and children. But do not make your first effort in the art
at a company dinner. Every lady should lea