s not necessary to wait until all are served before beginning to
eat at a dinner, but wait until the hostess has commenced to eat.

Butter is not served at a formal dinner, and bread is laid in the
napkin beside the plate.

There should be no urging of guests to eat. It is assumed that a guest
is not afraid to eat as much as he wants.

When the fruit napkin is brought in, the user takes it from the glass
plate on which it is laid, and either places it at his right hand, or
on his knees. The doily beneath the finger bowl is not meant for use,
but should be laid on the table beside the finger bowl.

After the dinner has been eaten, and dessert is reached, everything is
cleared off but the tablecloth, which is now never removed. A dessert
spoon is put before each guest, and a gold or silver spoon, a silver
dessert spoon and fork, and often a queer little combination of fork
and spoon called an ice spoon. For the after-dinner coffee a very
small spoon is used.

Coffee may be served in demi-tasse at the table, or later in the
drawing-room. Cream is never served with a demi-tasse.

The napkin should be left lying loosely beside the plate after a meal.

In case either a guest or a servant meets with any accident one should
pass it over with as much speed as possible and turn the attention of
all immediately toward some interesting matter. A mistake should be
completely ignored by both hosts and guests.

Whenever a course is offered which you do not enjoy, never decline it,
but accept it, and endeavor to take a small portion at least of it.
You avoid then the tacit criticism of the taste of those who like it,
and put your hostess at ease.

No personal preferences in foods are to be consulted or mentioned
when one is a guest at dinner. If one cannot accept of the fare
offered, one should have declined the invitation.

Should a guest be late, the hostess need not wait more than fifteen
minutes for him, after which time, if he appear, the host rises from
the table to greet him and cover the interruption of his entrance, but
the hostess does not leave her place. If he does not come until after
the second course, he is served only as the others are served, and no
attempt is made to serve the previous courses to him.

When dinner is ready, the maid or butler appears in the drawing-room
door, catches the eye of the hostess, and announces quietly that
dinner is served.

Upon the signal, the host gives his arm to the guest