The household (of the Detroit free press)

Imagine the table laid and the company assembling in the parlor a little while before the dinner hour. If there are introductions to be made the gentleman is introduced to the lady, her name being always mentioned first. Mrs. Baird, Mr. Jamieson, not Mr. Jamieson, Mrs. Baird. If both are ladies, mention the elder first, or the stranger, if one be a stranger. The gentleman of the house usually intimates to each of the gentlemen the name of the lady whom he is to take to dinner, though sometimes this arrangement is made by the hostess. Dinner is announced, not by the ringing of *a bell, but by the waiter's appearance, saying, "Dinner is served." Since the days of name cards at the places, the host usually leads the way to the dining room with the lady who is to sit on his right hand, while the hostess brings up the rear with one of the gentlemen who is to sit next her, but the comfort of guests seems to me best conduced by the prompt guidance to the dining room of the hostess. TABLE DECORATIONS. COURSES. Where there is but one waiter it is a great help to have the first course already placed before each guest. At elegant dinners it is common to find a few raw oysters and a half or quarter lemon before each guest, with salt, pepper and vinegar within easy reach. Where oysters are not available and soup undesirable, the dinner may begin with a fluted shell or a large white clam shell of fish dressed with cream (turbot so called), or oysters covered with crumbs and browned in the oven. If there be soup the tureen is placed before the lady of the house. The waiter should remain in the room, so that without a sound the hostess can signal her to remove the plates. Suppose the second course to be a roast of beef, a haunch of venison, a turkey or chickens, the meat dish is placed before the host. He carves, let us hope, well, and where there is a choice, carefully inquires the preferences of each guest. Each one must make a choice, even if he say light, dark, well done, rare, at random. One or two vegetables are enough with the roast, especially when the third course is a salad. ~"S SALAD DRESSING. When the salad dressing is to be a simple French one, salt, pepper, onion, oil, vinegar, and a touch of sugar, the lady of the house frequently dresses the salad upon the table. The lettuce leaves are dried and brought in in the salad bowl. The hostess takes the salad spoon, puts in a salt spoon of white pepper and one of salt, with olive oil enough to fill the spoon. She then pours on two tablespoonfuls of oil and finally one tablespoonful of vinegar, mixing the whole well. A little scraped onion can be mixed with the lettuce leaves in the kitchen. After the salad the table is brushed and the pudding is served. Finger bowls are placed on the plates upon which the fruit, nuts and raisins are eaten. Each guest removes his bowl to one side when the plate is needed. A sprig of geranium, a slice of lemon, or a lime leaf are agreeable additions to the small quantity of water poured into the bowls. Little fuss should be made about the use of the finger bowl. A slight dipping of the finger and touch of the lips with the moistened fingers before using the napkin are all that is necessary.