and your fork in the other. A fork to eat soup! Good

heaven!

3d. You sent up your plate twice, a thing never done out of the family circle.

4th. When asked what part of the chicken you would have, you childishly said any part. Do you not know that you are giving trouble and embarrassment to your hostess, by refusing to give her a simple answer, and by obliging her to reflect upon a trifle, interesting to nobody but yourself?

5th. Before beginning to eat, you wiped your knife with your napkin! What worse could you do in the most miserable tavern, where you distrusted the neatness of the house?

6th. You were very rudely officious with Baron Rand myself. Every time wine was offered you, you took it into your head to fill our glasses before your own, without consulting us. Who told you that we wanted wine, or that sort of wine rather than another? How did you know but that, by special favor, the master of the house had intended for one of us a particular bottle of wine, which he knew we preferred?

7th. Instead of breaking your bread, which is always done at dinner, you cut it with a knife.

8th. You spread your bread with butter, a thing never to be done by well-bred people at dinner.

9th. At the dessert you slipped bonbons off the plate, and put them in your pocket. A horrible impropriety.

10th. You say you have a cold in your head; but is that a reason why, after using your handkerchief, you should, as it were, make a show of it? This is worse than impolite: it is indelicate.

11th. You eat slower than other people; therefore you should have eaten less, and not have kept everybody waiting after each course.

12th. Your coffee being hot, you poured it out by portions in your saucer, and drank it in that way. People always drink out of the cup, and under no pretext out of the saucer.

13th. To fill up the measure of your iniquities, before rising from the table you folded up your napkin, as if you thought it might be used again before it was washed, or as if you meant to come again to-morrow.

"You see, my dear Cosson," added Delille, "you are very much out of your reckoning, and that you have done nothing like other people."

RULES FOR A DINNER-PARTY

1. Gentlemen should be particular to arrive precisely at the hour named in the invitation. If they desire, they may come from eight to ten minutes sooner, never later.

2. A lady who keeps a company waiting more than a quarter of an hour does it often to produce an effect; but it is generally taken in very bad part, as she would be well convinced, could she listen at the door before entering.

3. When dinner is announced, never hasten into the dining-room. Wait till the master or mistress of the house, whose part it is to enter first, give you the signal.

4. If the dinner be given to a lady, the gentleman of the house takes her in first, the hostess following, either with her husband or the person next in importance amongst the guests.

5. But if the dinner be given to a gentleman, and the lady of the house be present, the latter takes the lead, entering the dining-room first, with the most prominent guest of the occasion.

6. In taking a lady to the dinner-table, a gentleman should always offer his left arm, and lead the way, allowing the lady to follow without quitting his arm. In every other case, for a gentleman to pass before a lady is an impoliteness.

7. If the conversation be general, speak loud enough to be heard by every one; if there are several separate conversations, speak low enough not to disturb your neighbors.

8. If you desire a glass of water, a knife, or bread from the servant, do not call "waiter," as you would at a restaurant, but call him by his name, or, better still, merely make a sign that you want him, without calling.

9. Nothing indicates a well-bred man more than a proper mode of eating his dinner. A man may pass muster by dressing well, and may sustain himself tolerably in conversation; but, if he be not perfectly au fait, dinner will betray him.

10. Ladies should never dine with their gloves on.

11. Invitations to dine should be answered to the lady. Invitations to a ball should be in the lady's name, and the answer, of course, sent to her.

12. It is customary, when you have been out dining, to leave a card upon the lady the next day, or as soon after as may be convenient.

13. At some of the best houses, coffee is brought into the dining-room before the gentlemen leave the table,— a very good custom, as it gently prevents excess, the guests retiring to the ladies immediately afterwards: it also allows those who have other engagements to take coffee before they quit the table.

Ο

IV. BALLS.

UR articles on "good society" cannot be complete without some mention of one of the amusements imperatively demanded by it, and which those moving in its ranks often find themselves reluctantly entering into from the force of custom and the desire to give their children every social advantage.

We have already alluded to the innocent recreation of home dancing; but this is something quite distinct and apart from any thing of that kind. Social observances require that friends, or those whom we agree to recognize

as such, by interchange of courtesies, should occasionally meet together for festive purposes. One such re-union leads to another, and, with the object of relieving monotony and promoting enjoyment, music and dancing are introduced; thus a ball nascitur, but whether it shall "fit" must depend upon various considerations which require some thought.

Let us look in at a bright, sunny parlor in

Street, on a snowy February morning, and listen to the pleadings of the beautiful Emily L, who is just enjoying her first winter.

"Ah, dear papa! please say 'yes.' Mamma says I may have just as large a ball as I like, if you will only agree; and you know I have been to so many! I really think that the least we can do is to give one; and, if we don't hurry, every night will be taken up before Lent."

Mr. L― looked at the eager, animated face of his only daughter, and, as usual, allowed her to have her own. way.

"As you will, my child. It upsets a house terribly; but I suppose I should remember that I was once young myself: and it is natural you should want it.”

"Oh! thank you, dear papa. You are the dearest, sweetest man in the whole world," said Emily, as young ladies usually aver when they get their own way.

Permission granted, the next step was to arrange affairs promptly and judiciously; and here mamma's judgment was called into requisition, to be set aside, however,