o cut fish with. It is a
convenient custom, too, for some reasons. Waiting on table is quite an
art, now-a-days, when there are so many changes of plates, and a good
waiter always tries to simplify what he has to do, by providing as much
as possible beforehand. You can see that if each person has beside his
plate a silver knife for fish and a steel knife for meat and two forks
these two courses will go on more easily and quietly than if the waiter
has to stop and bring a fresh knife and fork for each person before he
helps to the dish, whatever it is."

"But why is there nothing on the table but flowers and pretty little
things? And why do they put lemon-peel in the bowls of water?"

"Well, the lemon is supposed to take the smell of dinner away from the
fingers. And it isn't always lemon. Frederic is apt to drop in a
geranium leaf or a sprig of lemon-verbena, and those are nicer. As for
the other thing, it is more convenient for many reasons not to have the
carving done on the table; but aside from that, I imagine that in the
first instance the custom was a matter of economy."

"Economy!" repeated Candace, opening wide her eyes.

"Yes, economy, though it seems droll to say so. In the old days, when
the meat came on in a big platter, and the vegetables each in its large
covered dish, people had to put more on table than was really wanted,
for the sake of not looking mean and giving their neighbors occasion for
talk. Now, when everything is carved on a side-table and a nice little
portion carried to each person, you are able to do with exactly what is
needed. There need not be a great piece of everything left over for
look's sake. One chicken is enough for four or five people if it is
skilfully carved, but the chicken would look rather scanty on a platter
by itself; don't you think so?"

"Yes," said Cannie, with a little laugh. She had forgotten her troubles
in the interest of the discussion.

"A dish containing one mutton-chop and a spoonful of peas for each
person would be called a stingy dish in the country, where every one
sees his food on the table before him," continued Mrs. Gray; "but it is
quite enough for the single course it is meant to be at a city dinner.
There is no use in having three or four chops left over to toughen and
grow cold."

"I see," said Cannie, thoughtfully; "what else did I do that was wrong,
Cousin Kate?"

"You called Frederic 'sir,'" replied her cousin, with a smile. "That was
not w