f fact,
to serve wine and water.

The glasses for the various wines are usually grouped at the right of
the plate, and as different styles and sizes are used for different
wines, it is well for the novice to be accustomed to these in order to
avoid the awkwardness of putting forward the wrong glass. High and
narrow, also very broad and shallow glasses, are used for Champagne;
large, goblet-shaped glasses for Burgundy and a ruby-red glass for
Claret; ordinary wineglasses for Sherry and Madeira; green Bohemian
glasses for Hock; and large, bell-shaped glasses for Port.

Port, Sherry and Madeira are decanted. Hock and Champagne appear in
their native bottles. Claret and Burgundy are handed around in a
claret jug. In handing a bottle fresh from the ice-chest the waiter
wraps a napkin around it to absorb the moisture.

Coffee and liquors should be handed around when the dessert has been
about a quarter of an hour on the table. After this the ladies usually
retire, a custom that has happily fallen into disrepute, the coffee
being served without the liquors, and ladies and gentlemen partaking
of it together. Roman punch is served in all manner of dainty conceits
as to glass, imitations of flowers, etc.

Never allow servants to overfill the wineglasses. Ladies never empty
their glasses, and usually take but one kind of wine. This is
especially true of young ladies, who, very often, do not taste their
one glass.

Gracefully Declined.

If wine is not desired from principle, merely touching the brim of the
glass with the finger-tip is all the refusal a well-trained servant
needs. A still better plan is to permit one glass to be filled and
allow it to stand untasted at your plate. In responding to a health,
it is ungracious not to, at least, lift the glass and let its contents
touch the lips.

Never make your refusal of wine conspicuous. Your position as guest in
no wise appoints you a censor of your host's conduct in offering wine
at his table, and any marked feeling displayed on the subject would
simply show a want of consideration and good breeding.

A dinner given to a person of known temperance principles is often
marked, in compliment, by an entire absence of wine.

If there is but one wine served with a simple dinner, it should be
Sherry or Claret, and should be in glass decanters on the table. The
guests can help themselves; the hostess can offer it immediately after
soup.

The announcement of dinner is given