Breakfast tidbits….
“Directions for Setting out the Breakfast Table. “Now, my young friends, I shall give you some instructions how to set out your breakfast, dinner, and tea tables; but I first will give you instructions for your breakfast table. In the first place, say all your things are clean and in readiness in your pantry, as they should be, and that your family for breakfast consists of six or eight people. In the first place, dust off your table clean, and spread your cloth neatly, observing that the centre crease of your cloth is right in the centre of the table, and that it don’t hang longer at one end than at the other; then proceed to set out your breakfast tray; laying a cup and saucer for each person, with a teaspoon in each saucer, at the right hand side of the cup; then set in the centre of the tray, your sugar pot on the right hand, your cream pot on the left, and your slop bowl in the centre, with your tea pot behind them, so as to be right under the tea urn, and that the tap of the urn may reach it, when on the table. As soon as you have this done, set your tray at the end of the table where the lady sits that pours out the tea, then put around your plates, one for each person, putting them at a proper distance from each other; then your knife and fork to each small plate, the knife on the right hand, the fork on the left, with the end of the handles even with the edge of the table; you must always have salt on the table, as most families have eggs, or some kinds of meat on the table for breakfast. “In summer, you must put your butter and cream to cool some time before you have set your table. If you have not a proper cooler, take a large bowl, and half fill it with water, then put a small plate in the bottom of the bowl, then put in your butter and cream pot, then a small piece of ice, if you use any. This is a very good method to cool your butter and cream for breakfast. If your breakfast table is rather small you must spread a napkin on a small stand, place it on the left hand side of the lady that makes tea; place on this the tea caddy, and if there is not room on the breakfast tray, for all your cups and saucers to be placed uniform, you may put the remainder on the stand. Remember to put on a knife for your bread and one for the butter, and if any cold meat is put on the table lay a dinner knife and fork to it for carving; and if there are eggs, do not forget the spoons; and if you don’t use egg cups and stands, you must put on wine glasses. If any of your family like mustard with their meat, you must put the cruet stand or casters on the stand. (“Roberts Guide for Butlers and Household Staff.)
A chapter from Davenport Dunn entitled “A Breakfast Table”.
PREPARING THE BREAKFAST-TABLE.You must now begin to prepare the breakfast-things. First collect the things together and put them upon the tea-board. When you have carried them up into the breakfast-parlour, spread the breakfast-cloth over the coverlet; then place your tea-board rather more on that side of the table which is opposite to the fire, or at that end at which the party who makes the breakfast usually sits. The cups and saucers are not to be placed round the tea-board, but so as to be conveniently filled by the person who makes the tea. The tea-pot, slop-basin, and cream- jug, are placed just behind the saucers,— the tea-pot in the middle, and the cream-jug and slop-basin to the right and left of it in a straight line. The tea- caddy is placed either on the right or left of the person who makes the tea; the sugar-tongs are also placed near the same quarter. If coffee is to be taken, you should arrange the coffee-cups in a line either before or behind the tea cups ; and remember to have a spoon for each cup upon the table, and put them into the saucers. The bread, butter, toast-rack, urn-rug, and salt, are to be set as tastefully as possible. Put a small plate, knife, and fork, for each person, and the butter-knife in its proper place. If you are to prepare eggs, remember to place egg-cups and spoons. Where the family eat meat, &c., for their breakfast, it is generally placed on a side-table or tray set near the breakfast table, with the carving knife and fork, and the cruet stand neatly set, and the cloth equally placed on all sides; then set a sufficient number of chairs round the table. This is the general mode of laying out a breakfast-table ; but as families, according to their extent and incomes, adopt their plans accordingly, you must inquire what are their wishes, and take care to conform to them.
You must now begin to prepare yourself for attending at breakfast, by washing your hands and face and making yourself look neat and cleanly; and, if you have time, get your own breakfast. If you are to make buttered toast, toast the bread as quick as possible, in order that it may be light; but neither make toast, nor prepare muffin? or crumpets, before they are wanted, otherwise they will become soddened and heavy : on the contrary, dry toast should be toasted some time before it is wanted, and it should be cut thin and well crisped. As soon as the parlour bell rings, take up the urn with the water in it, or the tea-kettle, and the toast, as quick as you can. If you have not already placed the bread and butter, take them up with the eggs ; and recollect you carry them upon a tray. If you are to attend at breakfast, and are to hand any thing to any person, always put it upon a waiter; never take it in your hand. When the breakfast-things are to lie taken away,— which your mistress generally gives you to understand by the words ” take away,”—first remove the urn, gather up the loose things into a tray, and take them away; then remove the tea-tray, with the tea-things upon it, at the same time taking the cloth, neatly gathered up, under your arm. Lastly, set the parlor to rights ; sweep up the crumbs and the hearth. If necessary, make up the fire : if it merely wants stirring, put the poker between the second and third bars from the bottom, if the grate has four bars ; but if only three bars, between the first and second. By observing this rule, you may avoid occasioning the small dust at the bottom of the grate from flying about the room, or incurring the chance of deadening the fire. (The Servants’ magazine, or Female domestics’ instructor, 1849)
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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