Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

champagne-cup in summer. The dishes suitable for gentlemen's suppers are hot and cold entrees, the latter being small and highly seasoned, plenty of relishes, salads with mayonnaise, shellfish and game of all kinds, Welsh rarebits and other forms of cheese, crackers, scalloped and devilled dishes, and a few sweets if the party is large. Unless the occasion is some special one, all formality of service is dispensed with, the dishes all being placed upon the table at the beginning of the supper, the hot ones over chafing-dishes, and the attendants leaving the room after the first service. Malted beverages may be substituted for wine, or tea, coffee, and chocolate used at the pleasure of the guests. SUPPER PARTIES. At the set supper, whether it follows an evening at the theatre or an entertainment at home, or whether it is made the subject of special invitation, the service is either that of the luncheon for informal affairs, or that of the dinner a la Russe, in courses with appropriate wines, except that no soup is used, either bouillon or stewed oysters replacing it. Oysters in any form and in variety are appropriate at all suppers, except that raw oysters are not usually served at ball-suppers. A plain supper may consist of a dish of oysters, a cold roast chicken, and a salad ; one wine, or punch, or tea or coffee at pleasure. A hot supper, a little more elaborate, might be of bouillon, sweetbreads with peas, asparagus, or mushrooms, hot broiled or roasted game, a salad, an ice, champagne and coffee, and some bonbons. Still another, more extensive, might be bouillon, small hot entrees of oysters, sweetbreads, quails, and terrapin ; game with salad, and a little rich old cheese ; then jellies, ices, fruit, coffee, and a liqueur or brandy. The best light supper drinks are the different " cups ; " the favorite supper wines are sherry, Madeira, Burgundy, and champagne ; the winter beverages are mulled wine, eggnog, and punch. At all suppers the host takes the most distinguished or the oldest lady present to the supper-room ; the guests follow without any special precedence ; and the hostess comes last, having with her the guest to whom she wishes to pay the most attention. The servants do not leave the supper-room unless all the dishes are placed upon the table at once : in that case, they may be dismissed after the first service of the guests. EVENING PARTIES. At evening parties where the entertainment is dancing, or music and conversation, the refreshment may be elaborate or simple as the hostess chooses ; cake, chocolate, and ices are suitable, or sherry and biscuit, or a bowl of punch and little cakes ; or a table may be arranged with white linen, flowers, fruit, salads, and cold entrees, ice-cream and cake, ices, punch, eggnog, tea, coffee, wine, claret-cup, or champagne, as one's inclination or means dictate. From the simplest to the most elaborate the range is permissible, always with, the intent to escape vulgar profusion. The collation may be served at any hour after ten o'clock if there is a set table ; or it may be upon a side-table if simple, to be partaken of at the desire of the guests. CINDERELLA PARTIES.