Table Manners

TABLE MANNERS

In silence I must take my seat

And give God thanks before I eat

And for my food in patience wait

Till I am asked to hand my plate

I must not frown and must not pout

Nor move my chair "or plate" about

I must not shout nor must I talk

Or play about with knife and fork

I must not folk about my food

Nor fret if I don't think it good

The tablecloth I must not spoil

Nor with my food my fingers soil

I must not play nor must I sing

Nor must I move my napkin ring

And when I'm done give to God praise

For all the blessings of my days

HORTON YARDLEY

This was written by John Alcock for his 9 children around 1880. His daughter Ursula passed her copy to her son John Rigby who wrote this copy out in 1983. John's granddaughter Kate Gibson passed it on to me. Thanks!

I must say that mealtimes didn't seem like much fun in those days but I suppose with so many children it would have been chaos if they were all doing what they liked.