tinguished by rank, by age, or by being the greatest stranger in the party, to lead to the dining-room, where he places her by himself. If her husband be of the party, he takes the lady of the house to her place at table, and seats himself by her; the rest of the party follow in couples; and the hostess arranges them according to their rank, or according to what she imagines may be their expectations; always, however, placing the greatest strangers amongst the gentlemen near herself. This arrangement should be effected in an easy, gentle manner, and with as little form as possible.

The trouble of carving generally devolves on the gentleman next to the lady. The gentlemen around the table are supposed to pay every attention to the ladies next to them; and it is the duty of the servants to hand round the fish and soup, which are presumed to be generally eaten. It is not, now, the fashion for the presiding lady to pay those very particular attentions to her guests, which formerly was a formidable task. In this point, however, some discrimination must be shown; too much attention has the appearance of effort, and annoys; too little may offend. The lady of the house should never be so much engaged with these attentions as to render her unable to listen to conversation, or to keep it alive: her aim should be to give it an easy transition from one topic to another; and to guard it from dwelling long on one which is not likely to excite general interest. In fact, a gentlewoman is known in her own house. She may pass unnoticed elsewhere, because there

may be nothing striking in her appearance; but at home, and at her own table, she is instantly discovered. It is with her manners as with her dress; she does not follow fashion blindly and immoderately, but rather moulds them into the superior form of good breeding.

It is customary in some houses, which are regarded as fashionable, for the master and mistress to sit together at the head of the table, leaving the lower end in charge of a son, or some male relation or friend; but this custom has never been sanctioned by general usage, and is so objectionable, as far as regards the attention and comfort which every guest has a right to expect from his host, that it is not likely ever to prevail. It is true that bad health, advanced age, or accidental circumstances, may place a gentleman as a guest at his own table; but when these do not exist, his appropriate situation is, certainly, at the lower end of the table. The same objections do not apply to a lady resigning her situation to the gentleman who would otherwise be placed at her right hand; because, if he is to carve, he can do so with more ease when situated at the head of the table, and the lady is left more free to distribute her attention and conversation to those who surround her. To a young woman in particular this is allowable; the graceful deportment of a lady at her own table, which is generally so pleasing to her husband, would be much diminished, if she were either obliged to carve, or her attention were directed too much to the supplying the plates of her visitors. Ladies, however, who have been married some years, generally pre

fer to carve for themselves; and, as habit has made them expert, they manage it witnout being too much engrossed by it.

MRS. L. Although carving may not be absolutely essential in a lady, do you not think it a desirable art for every one to acquire?

MRS. B. Certainly. Every lady should be able, when occasion calls for it, to carve without awkwardness, and should know what are considered the delicate parts of every dish that comes before her, that she may be able to point them out to others. When she herself carves, she has to set an example to her servants of neatness and care; for, besides the disagreeable appearance of a badly-carved dish, the waste that attends it is not inconsiderable, and it should be remembered, that when carelessness in this particular, or, indeed, in any other, characterises the head of a family, the example spreads throughout every other branch of it.

MRS. L. Will you oblige me with some directions on this point?

MRS. B. The following rules will, perhaps, assist you; and, to render them more intelligible, they are illustrated by rough drawings, dotted where the joints or contents of the dishes ought to be cut.

In the first place: the carving-knife should be light and sharp; and it should be firmly grasped; although in using it, strength is not as essential as skill, particularly if the butcher has properly divided the bones of such joints as the neck, loin, and breast of veal or of mutton.

The dish should not be far from the carver; for when it is too distant, by occasioning the arms to be

too much extended, it gives an awkward appearance to the person, and renders the task more difficult.

In carving fish, care should be taken not to break the flakes, and this is best avoided by the use of a fish trowel, which, not being sharp, divides it better than a steel knife. Examine this little drawing, and you will see how a cod's head and shoulders should be carved.

The first piece may be taken off in the direction of a b, by putting in the trowel at the back or thick part of the fish, and the rest in successive order. A small part of the sound should be given with each slice, and will be found close to the back-bone, by raising the thin flap d. It is known by being darker coloured and more transparent than the other parts of the fish. Almost every part of a cod's head is considered good; the palate, the tongue, the jelly, and firm parts, e e, upon and immediately around the jaw and bones of the head, are considered as delicate eating by many persons.

A boiled fowl has the legs bent inward (see fig. 2.), and fastened to the sides by a skewer, which is removed before the fowl is sent to table. A roasted fowl should not have any part of the legs cut off, as in the boiled fowl; but after they have been properly scraped and washed, they are drawn together at the very extremity of the breast. A boiled and a roasted fowl are each carved in the same manner. The wings are taken off in the direction of a to b (fig. 2.). Your knife must divide the joint, but afterwards you have only to take firm hold of the pinion with your fork, draw the wing towards the legs, and you will find that the muscles separate better than if you cut them with your knife. Slip your knife between the leg and the body, and cut to the bone, then with the fork turn the leg back, and, if the fowl be not a very old one, the joints will give way.

After the four quarters are thus removed, enter the knife at the breast, in the direction cd (fig. 3.), and you will separate the merry