pa was nowhere to be seen , but the rest of the family pressed forward , intent upon taking nourishment after the arduous work of getting carl wed. marie hurried to get behind the food-laden table to serve , and after a few false starts , as her younger brothers pushed and shoved to grab generous portions , they formed more or less into an orderly line , aided by a few well-placed smacks on the backs of their hands with the bowl of marie 's honey spoon .