THE DIXNKK TA ! o-| 



in the present day than they did fifty years ago, and gentlemen should 

 remember this, and offer it frequently. Ladies cannot very well ask for 

 wine, but they can always decline it. At all events they do not like to be 

 neglected, or to see gentlemen liberally helping themselves, without ob- 

 serving whethertheir fair neighbour's glasses are full or empty. 



The habit of taking wine with each other has almost wholly gone out 

 of fashion. A gentleman may ask the lady whom he conducted down to 

 dinner, or he may ask the lady of the house to take wine with him. But 

 even these last remnants of the old custom are fast falling into disuse. 



Unless you are a total abstainer, it is extremely uncivil to decline tak- 

 ing wine if you are invited to do so. In accepting, you have only to pour 

 a little fresh wine into your glass, look at the person who invited you, 

 bow slightly, and take a sip from the glass. 



It is particularly ill-bred to empty your glass on these occasions. 

 Certain wines are taken with certain dishes, by old-established cus- 

 tom as sherry or sauterne, with soup and fish ; hock and claret, with 

 roast meat ; punch with turtle ; champagne with sweet-bread and cut- 

 ; port with venison ; port or burgundy, with game ; sparkling wines 

 between the roast and the confectionery ; madeira with sweets ; port with 

 cheese ; and for dessert, port, tokay,* madeira, sherry and claret. Red 

 wines should never be iced, even in summer. Claret and burgundy should 

 always be slightly warmed ; claret-cup and champagne cup should, of 

 course, be iced. 



In>tead of cooling their wines in the ice pail, some hosts introduce clear 

 ice upon the table, broken up in small lumps, to be put inside the gla- 

 This cannot be too strongly reprehended. Melting ice can but weaken the 

 ijiiality and flavour of the wine. Those who desire to drink wiw 

 Vr, can ask for iced water if they choose, but it savours too nine 

 nomy on the part of the host to insinuate the ice inside the gl, 

 his gnesta \vln-n tin- wine could be more effectually iced outside the Lottie. 



ilver knife and fork should be placed to each --u.-st at desv 

 If you are a-k.-.l to prepare fruit for a lady, be careful to do so by means 

 of the .silver knife and fork only, and never to touch it with your liiiu 

 It is flriae never to partake of any dish without knowing of what in- 



Youcanalwaysn.sk the servant who hands it 

 , on, and yon thereby avoid all dan-vr of having t . . e- >mmif t he imp. 



M-- it, aii'l showing that. yni do not approve ,,f it. 

 Nev- anythin month. 



Be careful never to taste soups or pudding till you are sure they are 

 sutlieieiitly eo.,1 ; as, 1 >\ lisiv^an 1 1 \\-^ this raution.you may be Compelled 



