famishing, but neither is it necessary to wait till every body is served before you commence.

It is perfectly proper to "take the last piece" if you want it, always presuming that there is more of the same in reserve.

Table Improprieties.-Never reach over another person's plate.

Never stand up to reach distant articles, instead of asking to have them passed.

Never use your own knife and spoon for butter, salt, or sugar, when it is the custom of the family to provide separate utensils for the purpose.

Never set cups with the tea dripping from them on the table-cloth, instead of the mats or small plates furnished.

Never eat fast, smacking the lips, nor make unpleasant sounds with the mouth.

Never put large or long pieces in the mouth.

Never open your mouth when chewing.

Never leave the table with food in the mouth.

Never attempt to talk with the mouth full.

Never look nor eat as if very hungry, or as if anxious to get at certain dishes.

Never sit at too great a distance from the table.

Never lay the knife and fork on the table-cloth, instead of on the edge of

the plate.

Never make unnecessary noise with the knife and fork, or dishes.

Never pick the teeth at table.

Never whisper at table.

Never yawn nor stretch nor indicate restlessness at the table.

Never adjust the hair, clean, nor cut the nails.

Never soil the table-cloth if it is possible to avoid it.

Never carry away fruits and confectionery from the table.

Never encourage a dog or cat to play with you at the table.

Never explain at the table why certain foods do not agree with you. Never come to the table in your shirt-sleeves, with dirty hands or disbeveled hair.

Never express a choice for any particular parts of a dish, unless requested to do so.

Never call loudly for the waiter, nor attract attention to yourself by boisterous conduct.

Never hold bones in your fingers while you eat from them. Cut the meat with a knife.

Never pare an apple, peach, or pear for another at the table, without hold. ing it with a fork.

Never put your salt, or any thing except bread, on the table-cloth.

Never wipe your fingers on the table-cloth, nor clean them in your mouth. Use the napkin.

Never allow butter, soup, or other food to remain on your whiskers. Use the napkin frequently.

Never wear gloves at the table, unless the hands from some special reason are unfit to be seen.

Never, when serving others, overload the plate, nor force upon them delicacies which they decline.

Never pour sauce over meat and vegetables when helping others. Place it at one side on the plate.

Never make a display of finding fault with your food. Very quietly have it changed if you want it different.

Never make a display when removing hair, insects, or other disagreeable things from your food. Place them quietly under the edge of your plate. Never make an effort to clean your plate or the bones you have been eating from, too clean; it looks as if you left off hungry.

Never, at one's own table or at a dinner-party elsewhere, leave before the rest have finished without asking to be excused. At a hotel or boarding house this rule need not be observed.

Never feel obliged to cut off the kernels with a knife when eating green corn; eaten from the cob, the corn is much the sweetest.

Never eat so much of any one article as to attract attention, as some people do who eat large quantities of butter, sweet cake, cheese, or other articles.

Never spit out bones, cherry pits, grape skins, etc., upon your plate. Quietly press them from your mouth upon the fork, and lay them upon the side of your plate.

Never allow the conversation at the table to drift into any thing but chitchat; the consideration of deep and abstruse principles will impair digestion. Never permit yourself to engage in a heated argument at the table. Neither should you use gestures, nor illustrations made with a knife or fork on the table-cloth.

Never pass forward to another the dish that has been handed to you, unless requested to do so; it may have been purposely designed for you, and passing it to another may give him or her what is not wanted.

Never put your feet so far under the table as to touch those of the person on the opposite side; neither should you curl them under nor at the side of your chair.

Never praise extravagantly every dish set before you; neither should you appear indifferent. Any article may have praise.

Be on time. No one has a right needlessly to disturb a congregation or a preacher by being tardy.

Never look around to see who is coming in when the door opens. It diverts your own and others' attention from the exercises, and is discourteous to the leader.

Never talk or whisper in church, especially after the exercises are opened.

Never pull out your watch to see what time it is when the text is announced, or during the sermon. Better to feed on a sermon than to time it. Conform, if possible in conscience, to the usages of the church in which you worship. Kneel, stand, bow, accordingly.

Never manifest your disapprobation of what is being said by unpleasant sounds, or signs, or by hastily leaving.

Do not fidget, as though the service were a weariness.

Be quiet and decorous to the very end.

Do not put on your overcoat or adjust your wrappings till after the Doxology has been sung.

No gentleman ever defiles a place of worship with tobacco.

Never be one of a staring crowd about the door or in the vestibule, before or after service.

Do nothing out of keeping with the time, place, and purpose of a religious assembly.

Let your politeness be positive. Invite the near stranger to a seat. Offer him a hymn-book, or share with him your own. Be cordial to all. But do not be offended if you are not specially noticed.

INTRODUCTIONS, HOW TO GIVE THEM.

It is neither necessary nor desirable to introduce every body to every body. An introduction is a social indorsement, and you become, to a certain extent, responsible for the person you introduce.

As a general rule, no gentleman should be presented to a lady without her permission being previously obtained. Between gentlemen this formality is not always necessary, but you should have good reason to believe that the acquaintance will be agreeable to both before introducing them.

When two men call upon a stranger on business, each should present the other

The inferior should be introduced to the superior, the gentleman to the lady, as, "Miss A., permit me to introduce Mr. B." A lady may, however, be introduced to a gentleman much her superior. Equals are mutually intro

duced; as, Mr. W."

"Mr. W., allow me to make you acquainted with Mr. P.; Mr. P.,

In presenting persons, be very careful to speak their names plainly; and on being introduced to another, if you do not catch the name, say, without hesitation, "I beg your pardon, I did not hear the name.'

If you are the inferior, you will have too much self-respect to be the first to extend the hand. In merely formal introductions, a bow is enough.

In introducing members of your own family, you should always mention the name. Say, "My father, Mr. A.," "My daughter, Miss A.," or, "Miss Mary A." Your wife is simply, "Mrs. A. ;" and if there happens to be another Mrs. A. in the family, she may be, "Mrs. A., my sister-in-law," etc.

If you are a gentleman, do not permit the lack of an introduction to prevent you from promptly offering your services to an unattended lady, who may need them. Take off your hat, and politely beg the honor of protecting, escorting, or assisting her, and when the service has been accomplished, bow and retire.

SALUTATIONS, HOW TO MAKE THEM.

Salutation is the touchstone of good breeding. You will meet an intimate friend with a hearty hand-shake, and an inquiry indicative of real interest in reference to his health and that of his family. To another person you bow respectfully without speaking. But you should never come into the presence of any person without some form of salutation.

It is a great rudeness not to return a salutation. The two best bred men in England, Charles the Second and George the Fourth, never failed to take off their hats to the meanest of their subjects. A greater than either, George Washington, was wont to lift his hat even to the poor negro slave who took off his.

RECEPTIONS. BEST METHODS.

The duty of receiving visitors usually devolves upon the mistress of the house, and should be performed in an easy, quiet, and self-possessed manner, and without any unnecessary ceremony.

When any one enters, whether announced or not, rise immediately and advance toward him. If a young man, offer him an arm-chair; if an elderly man, insist upon his accepting it; if a lady, beg her to be seated upon the sofa.

If the master of the house receives the visitors, he will take a chair and place himself at a little distance from them; if the mistress, and she is intimate with the lady, she will sit near her.

If several persons come at once, we give the most honorable place to the one who is most entitled to respect. In winter the most honorable places

are those at the corners of the fireplace.

If the visitor is a stranger, the master or mistress rises, and any persons who may be already in the room should do the same.

If some who are present withdraw, the master or mistress should conduct them as far as the door. But whoever departs, if we have other company, we may dispense with conducting farther than the door of the room.

VISITS AND CALLS.

There are visits of ceremony, congratulation, condolence, and friendship. Visits of ceremony should be short.

Visits of congratulation are paid to a friend on the occurrence of any particularly auspicious event in his family, or on his appointment to any office or dignity.

Visits of condolence should be made within the week after the event which calls for them.

Visits of friendship are to be regulated by the peculiar laws of friendship and the universal principles of good manners.

Visiting cards should be engraved or handsomely written. A written card is preferable to a printed card. A gentleman's card should be of medium size, unglazed, and plain. A lady's card may be larger and nicer, and may be conveniently carried in a card-case.

A gentleman attending ladies making morning calls or visits of ceremony should ring the bell, follow the ladies in, and be the last to greet-unless he has to introduce.

In terminating the call he should be the last to rise, the last to part, and should follow the ladies out.

A morning call being brief, a gentleman may hold his hat, and a lady may keep on her things.

Of course, soiled overshoes and wet wraps should be left outside the reception room.

A gentleman attending ladies should seldom if ever be seated while they are standing.

A gentleman attending should be prompt to serve them as to their parcels, parasols, shawls, etc.

Do not stare around the room.

Do not take a dog or small child.

Do not linger at the dinner-hour.

Do not fidget with your cane, hat or parasol.