ellar, and rather
dry than sweet. Mixed with thin sliced oranges and bananas, use sound
claret--but do not put it on until just before serving--let the mixed
fruits stand only in sugar. Strawberries alone, go very well with claret
and sugar--adding cream if you like. Cream, lightly sweetened, flavored
with sherry or rum, or a liqueur, and whipped, gives the last touch of
perfection to a dessert of mixed fruit, or to wine jelly, or a cup of
after-dinner coffee, or afternoon chocolate.

A peach's first choice is brandy--it must be real, therefore costly.
Good whiskey answers, so does rum fairly. A good liqueur is better.
Sherry blends well if the fruit is very ripe and juicy. Peel and slice
six hours before serving, pack down in sugar, add the liqueur, and let
stand on ice until needed. Peaches cut small, mixed with California
grapes, skinned and seeded, also with grape fruit pulp broken small, and
drowned in sherry syrup, are surprisingly good. Make the sherry syrup by
three parts filling a glass jar with the best lump sugar, pouring on it
rather more wine than will cover it, adding the strained juice of a
lemon, or orange, a few shreds of yellow peel, and a blade of mace, then
setting in sunshine until the sugar dissolves. It should be almost like
honey--no other sweetening is needed. A spoonful in after-dinner coffee
makes it another beverage--just as a syrup made in the same way from
rum, sugar and lemon juice, glorifies afternoon tea.

White grapes halved and seeded mixed with bananas cut small, and orange
pulp, well sweetened and topped with whipped cream, either natural or
"laced" with sherry, make another easy dessert. Serve in tall footed
glasses, set on your finest doilies in your prettiest plates. Lay a
flower or a gay candy upon the plate--it adds enormously to the festive
effect and very little to the trouble.

A spoonful of rich wine jelly, laid upon any sort of fresh fruit, to my
thinking, makes it much better. Cream can be added also--but I do not
care for it--indeed do not taste it, nor things creamed. Ripe, juicy
cherries, pitted and mixed equally with banana cubes, then sweetened,
make a dessert my soul loves to recall. Not caring to eat them I never
make ice cream, frozen puddings, _mousses_, sherbets, nor many of the
gelatine desserts. Hence I have experimented rather widely in the
kingdom of fruits. This book is throughout very largely a record of
experience--I hope it may have the more value throu