Excerpt from Book of Etiquette
Lillian Eichler
Whenever fruits are served the finger-bowl should follow. It is always used at the completion of the dinner. The bowl is half
filled with tepid water and set upon a plate. A fragrant leaf may be added to the water. The fingers are dipped lightly into the
bowl, one hand at a time, and then dried on the napkin. It is a mark of ill breeding to splash the water about to put both hands
into the bowl at once, or to wet the entire palm of the hand. Only the finger tips should touch the water.
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What can the reader conclude is an intended reason for circulating the "finger bowls following the consumption of any fruit?
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A)
to cleanse the palette
B)
to cleanse sticky fingers
to add fragrance to the table
D)
to avoid confusion and embarrassment

"Finger bowls" are small bowls of water used to clean people's fingers during a meal. These bowls were typically used with meals that require eating with fingers, often before the dessert. In this particular case from Book of Etiquette by Lillian Watson, the food eaten is the fruit, which normally makes our fingers sticky. Finger bowls are, thus, used after the consumption of fruit in order to clean fingers.