d once in half across the lap too,
on top of the gloves and fan, and all three are supposed to stay in place
on a slippery satin skirt on a little lap, that more often than not slants
downward.

It is all very well for etiquette to say "They stay there," but every
woman knows they don't! And this is quite a nice question: If you obey
etiquette and lay the napkin on top of the fan and gloves loosely across
your satin-covered knees, it will depend merely upon the heaviness and
position of the fan's handle whether the avalanche starts right, left or
forward, onto the floor. There is just _one_ way to keep these four
articles (including the lap as one) from disintegrating, which is to put
the napkin cornerwise across your knees and tuck the two side corners
under like a lap robe, with the gloves and the fan tied in place as it
were. This ought not to be put in a book of etiquette, which should say
you must do nothing of the kind, but it is either do that or have the
gentleman next you groping under the table at the end of the meal; and it
is impossible to imagine that etiquette should wish to conserve the
picture of "gentlemen on all fours" as the concluding ceremonial at
dinners.

=THE TURNING OF THE TABLE=

The turning of the table is accomplished by the hostess, who merely turns
from the gentleman (on her left probably) with whom she has been talking
through the soup and the fish course, to the one on her right. As she
turns, the lady to whom the "right" gentleman has been talking, turns to
the gentleman further on, and in a moment everyone at table is talking to
a new neighbor. Sometimes a single couple who have become very much
engrossed, refuse to change partners and the whole table is blocked;
leaving one lady and one gentleman on either side of the block, staring
alone at their plates. At this point the hostess has to come to the rescue
by attracting the blocking lady's attention and saying, "Sally, you cannot
talk to Professor Bugge any longer! Mr. Smith has been trying his best to
attract your attention."

"Sally" being in this way brought awake, is obliged to pay attention to
Mr. Smith, and Professor Bugge, little as he may feel inclined, must turn
his attention to the other side. To persist in carrying on their own
conversation at the expense of others, would be inexcusably rude, not only
to their hostess but to every one present.

At a dinner not long ago, Mr. Kindhart sitting next to Mrs. Wellborn and