upon the table. The custom of having four or five vegetables at dinner appears rather absurd. Where there are only two courses, several kinds may be desired, but as a rule two vegetables, or at the most three, are quite enough. Only a few of these should ever be served in saucers. Even at the tables of people who ought to know better it is nothing unusual to see two or three or more small sauce -plates given to each person. One will contain pease, another to- matoes, another stewed com, another pickles or jelly. While there may be some sense in having separate little dishes for holding such semi-fluid compounds as stewed tomatoes, stewed corn, or cranberry sauce, there is no cause for using them for pease, string-beans, spinach, cauliflower, and the like. The ap- pearance of such an array suggests a hotel table, and detracts from the home-look which should always be studied by the house- keeper. Of course there is no possibility of dressy toilettes at midday, but cleanliness and neat- ness at least may be attained, and it should 178 DINNER AT NOON be one of tj;ie unwritten laws of the home that no one may come to the table looking untidy, or in neglige of curl-papers and col- larless wrappers for the women and shirt sleeves for the men. . Possibly it may seem strange to many people to learn that there are classes among whom it is considered no breach of etiquette for a man to come to the table not only coat- less, but even without his collar, cravat, or vest; this, too, not among farmers alone, but in cities and in ranks of life much above those of the ordinary mechanic or common day laborer. Often in the same families the wives and daughters will appear well-bred, and will dress neatly and tastefully them- selves, even while they seem to perceive noth- ing shocking in the dishabille of the men of the house. Perhaps, since those most inter- ested do not complain, no one else has a right to criticise ; and yet it does seem as though the regard for appearances and for the small sweet courtesies of life had some claims. In most cases where one notes such care- lessness, it will be found that the trouble 179 WHAT TO EAT — HOW TO SEEVE IT began very far back, when the boys who are i now men were allowed a similar license in their parents' homes. For the sake of the families of the future, if for no other reason, the mothers of the rising generation should exact appropriate apparel at meals as well as correct behavior and careful table man- ners from their growing boys and girls, even if the children's fathers refuse to conform to what they deem over-niceness in dress and demeanor. 180 X THE SUNDAY DINNER THE " big dinner " of the week is, in most homes, eaten on Sunday. Then the men of the family are at home for the day, the children have no claims of school or play to hurry them through their meals, and there is a general impression of delightful leisure which seems favorable to the eating and di- gestion of an excellent and hearty dinner. This repast is usually served at midday, in order that the servants may have the after- noon and evening to themselves; and it is not uncommon for the mistress of the house to prepare the Sunday-evening tea herself. The old-fashioned idea of always having a cold dinner on the Sabbath is almost obsolete. Some people who have been brought up in the habit clung for a long while to the com- promise of serving a piece of cold meat at the Sunday dinner, although the vegetables 181 WHAT TO EAT — HOW TO SERVE IT were hot ; but even that is changed now, and there are few homes w^here as large an array of smoking viands is not spread upon " The day that comes between The Saturday and Monday " as is ever offered on any non-religious holi- day.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

upon the table. The custom of having four or five vegetables at dinner appears rather absurd. Where there are only two courses, several kinds may be desired, but as a rule two vegetables, or at the most three, are quite enough. Only a few of these should ever be served in saucers. Even at the tables of people who ought to know better it is nothing unusual to see two or three or more small sauce -plates given to each person. One will contain pease, another tomatoes, another stewed com, another pickles or jelly. While there may be some sense in having separate little dishes for holding such semi-fluid compounds as stewed tomatoes, stewed corn, or cranberry sauce, there is no cause for using them for pease, string-beans, spinach, cauliflower, and the like. The appearance of such an array suggests a hotel table, and detracts from the home-look which should always be studied by the housekeeper. Of course there is no possibility of dressy toilettes at midday, but cleanliness and neatness at least may be attained, and it should be one of the unwritten laws of the home that no one may come to the table looking untidy, or in neglige of curl-papers and collarless wrappers for the women and shirt sleeves for the men. . Possibly it may seem strange to many people to learn that there are classes among whom it is considered no breach of etiquette for a man to come to the table not only coatless, but even without his collar, cravat, or vest; this, too, not among farmers alone, but in cities and in ranks of life much above those of the ordinary mechanic or common day laborer. Often in the same families the wives and daughters will appear well-bred, and will dress neatly and tastefully themselves, even while they seem to perceive nothing shocking in the dishabille of the men of the house. Perhaps, since those most interested do not complain, no one else has a right to criticise ; and yet it does seem as though the regard for appearances and for the small sweet courtesies of life had some claims. In most cases where one notes such carelessness, it will be found that the trouble began very far back, when the boys who are i now men were allowed a similar license in their parents' homes. For the sake of the families of the future, if for no other reason, the mothers of the rising generation should exact appropriate apparel at meals as well as correct behavior and careful table manners from their growing boys and girls, even if the children's fathers refuse to conform to what they deem over-niceness in dress and demeanor. THE " big dinner " of the week is, in most homes, eaten on Sunday. Then the men of the family are at home for the day, the children have no claims of school or play to hurry them through their meals, and there is a general impression of delightful leisure which seems favorable to the eating and digestion of an excellent and hearty dinner. This repast is usually served at midday, in order that the servants may have the afternoon and evening to themselves; and it is not uncommon for the mistress of the house to prepare the Sunday-evening tea herself. The old-fashioned idea of always having a cold dinner on the Sabbath is almost obsolete. Some people who have been brought up in the habit clung for a long while to the compromise of serving a piece of cold meat at the Sunday dinner, although the vegetables were hot ; but even that is changed now, and there are few homes w^here as large an array of smoking viands is not spread upon " The day that comes between The Saturday and Monday " as is ever offered on any non-religious holiday.

What to eat, how to serve it