ing the Dinner.--Let us suppose a dinner for eight people is to be
served. The ceremonious dinner, the world over, is served a la Russe, that
is, according to the Russian fashion. By this fashion nothing but the
covers--a term which includes the china, silver and glass at each
plate--flowers, dishes of bonbons, salted nuts and olives, occasionally
small cakes, are on the table when the guests are seated,

[MANNERS AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS 699]

The hostess has inspected the table, after it is laid, seeing that
everything is correct, Silver must have had a fresh polish, the cut glass
must shine and sparkle, There must be plenty of light, yet no glare; to
prevent this, ground glass globes on the electric lights are preferred.
The hostess herself will arrange the place cards, separating married
people, and in so far as possible so seating her guests that each may be
pleased with his or her neighbor. The centerpiece is of flowers; for this
never choose a strongly scented flower like hyacinths or narcissi. The
heat, the odor of the food, combined with the scent of the flowers, may
induce lethargy, so that the dinner may be "garnished with stupidity."

There must be a service plate at each place. These are to be as handsome
as you can afford. At the side of this is laid the dinner napkin, within
which a roll is folded. The guest removes the napkin, unfolding it for
use. The waitress removes the service plate and puts down another on which
is a grapefruit, vermouth, or other kind of cocktail. This plate and glass
removed, there comes another plate, and little dishes of caviarre are
passed. These plates also disappear, others are substituted, and soup is
served. After the soup is eaten the soup plates are removed, leaving the
other plates, and celery and radishes and salted nuts and olives are
passed, not necessarily all, but at least two, say celery and olives; nuts
and radishes. If the little individual almond dishes are used, of course
the salted nuts will not be passed.

These plates are again changed when the fish is served, the rule being
that at no time during the dinner must a guest be without a plate before
him until the table is cleared for dessert. Moreover, the waitress, in
placing plates that have a monogram or heraldic device for decoration,
must so place the plate before each guest that the design faces him. In
taking up the plates, one is taken up with the right hand while with the
left the waitress replaces it with