n twelve hours. They may be taken at any time by the most
delicate females, whose constitutions are so often distressed by
constipation, and destroyed by the drastic purgatives they take to
relieve it."

The cloth[39-*] should be laid in the parlour, and all the paraphernalia
of the dinner-table completely arranged, at least half an hour before
dinner-time.

The cook's labour will be lost, if the parlour-table be not ready for
action, and the eaters ready for the eatables, which the least delay
will irreparably injure: therefore, the GOURMAND will be punctual for
the sake of gratifying his ruling passion; the INVALID, to avoid the
danger of encountering an _indigestion_ from eating ill-dressed food;
and the RATIONAL EPICURE, who happily attends the banquet with "_mens
sana in corpore sano_," will keep the time not only for these strong
reasons, but that he may not lose the advantage of being introduced to
the other guests. He considers not only what is on the table, but who
are around it: his principal inducement to leave his own fireside, is
the charm of agreeable and instructive society, and the opportunity of
making connexions, which may augment the interest and enjoyment of
existence.

It is the most pleasing part of the duty of the master of the feast
(especially when the guests are not very numerous), to take advantage of
these moments to introduce them to one another, naming them individually
in an audible voice, and adroitly laying hold of those ties of
acquaintanceship or profession which may exist between them.

This will much augment the pleasures of the festive board, to which it
is indeed as indispensable a prelude, as an overture is to an opera: and
the host will thus acquire an additional claim to the gratitude of his
guests. We urge this point more strongly, because, from want of
attention to it, we have seen more than once persons whom many kindred
ties would have drawn closely together, pass an entire day without
opening their lips to each other, because they were mutually ignorant of
each other's names, professions, and pursuits.

To put an end at once to all ceremony as to the order in which the
guests are to sit, it will save much time and trouble, if the mistress
of the mansion adopts the simple and elegant method of placing the name
of each guest in the plate which is intended for him. This proceeding
will be of course the result of consideration, and the host will place
those together whom