The art of laying out a table, whether for breakfast, luncheon, dinner, tea or supper, consists in arranging the various dishes, plate, glass, etc, methodically, and adhering to the rules we are about to make known.

Much trouble, irregularity, and confusion will be avoided in a house when there is company, if servants are instructed to prepare the table, sideboard, or dinner-wagon, in a similar manner and order daily.

All tables are usually laid out according to the following rules, yet there are local peculiarities which will necessarily present themselves, and should be adopted or rejected, as may appear proper to the good housewife:-

Breakfasts

The table should be covered with a clean white cloth; the cups and saucers arranged at one end, on a tray if desirable; or the coffee-cups and saucers may be arranged at the right-hand side of one end of the table, and the tea-cups and saucers at the left: the tea-pot and coffee-pot occupying the space between in front, and the urn that at the back. Some persons substitute cocoa or chocolate for coffee, in which case they are to be placed the same. The slop-basin and milk-pitcher should bo placed to the left; and the cream, and hot milk-pitchers, with the sugar basin, to the right.

The remainder of the table should be occupied in the centre by the various dishes to be partaken of; while at the sides must be ranged a large plate for meat, eggs, etc, and a small one for toast, rolls, etc, with a small knife and fork for each person; the carving knife and fork being placed point to handle; the butter and bread knives to the right of their respective dishes, which occupy the centre part, and spoons in front of the hot dishes with gravy. Salt-cellars should occupy the four corners, and, if required, the cruets should be placed in the centre of the table.

Dry toast should never be prepared longer than five minutes before serving, as it becomes tough, and the buttered, soppy and greasy, if too long prepared. Hot rolls should be brought to table covered with a napkin.

Every dish should be garnished appropriately, either with sippets, ornamental butter, water-cresses, parsley, or some one of the garnishes we shall point out in a future page.

The dishes usually set upon the table are selected from hot, cold, and cured meats; hot, cold, cured, and potted fish; game; poultry, cold or devilled; fruit, ripe, preserved, or candied; dressed and undressed vegetables; meat-pies and patties, cold; eggs; honey-comb; and savory morsels - as grilled kidneys, ham-toast, devils, etc.

Dejeuners a la fourcliette are laid the same as suppers, except that tea and coffee are introduced; but in sporting circles not until the solids are removed.

When laid for a marriage or christening breakfast, a bride's or christening cake should occupy the centre instead of the epergne or plateau.

Luncheons, Or Noonings

The luncheon is laid in two ways; one way is to bring in a butler's tray with let-down sides, on which it is previously arranged upon a tray cloth, and letting down the sides and spreading the cloth upon the dining table, to distribute the things as required. The other is to lay the cloth as for dinner, with the pickle-stand and cruets opposite each other; and, if in season, a small vase of flowers in the centre; if not, a water-pitcher and tumblers, which may be placed on a side-table at other times. The sides of the table are occupied by the requisites for each guest, viz., two plates, a large and small fork and knives, and dessert-spoon. A folded napkin, and the bread under, is placed upon the plate of each guest.

Carafes, with the tumblers belonging to and placed over them, are laid at the four corners, with the salt-cellars in front of them, between two table-spoons laid bowl to handle.

If French or light wines are served, they may be placed in the original bottles in ornamental wine vases, between the top and bottom dishes and the vase of flowers, with the corks drawn and partially replaced.

The dishes generally served for luncheons are the remains of cold meat neatly trimmed and garnished: cold game hashed or plain; hashes of all descriptions; curries; minced meats; cold pies, savory, fruit, or plain; plainly cooked cutlets, steaks, and chops; omelettes; bacon; eggs; devils and grilled bones; potatoes; sweetmeats; butter; cheese; salad and pickles. In fact almost anything does for lunch, whether of fish, flesh, fowl, pastry, vegetables, or fruit.

Ale and porter are generally served, but occasionally sherry, marsalla, port, or home-made wines, are introduced, with biscuit and ripe fruit.

A good housewife should always have something in the house ready to convert into a neat little luncheon, in case a few friends drop in, and it is astonishing how a really nice looking affair may be made out of the remains of the dinner served the day before: some glass, a sprinkle of plate, a few flowers, some good ale, or a little wine, and above all, a hearty welcome.

Napkins

Dinner napkins should be about twenty-eight inches broad, and thirty inches long. They may be folded in a variety of ways, which impart a style to a table, without adding much to the expense, and may be readily accomplished with a little practice and attention to the following directions and diagrams.

1.- The Mitre.- (Fig. 1.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then turn down the right-hand corner, and turn up the left-hand one. as in Fig. 2, A and B. Turn back the point A towards the right, so that it shall lie behind C; and B to the left, so as to be behind D. Double the napkin back at the line E, then turn up F from before and G from behind, when they will appear as in Fig 3. Bend the corner H towards the right, and tuck it behind I, and turn back the corner K towards the left, at the dotted line, and tuck it into a corresponding part at the back. The bread is placed under the mitre, or in the centre at the top.

2. - The Exquisite. - (Fig. 4.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then fold down two-fifths of the length from each side, as in Fig. 5, at A; roll up the part B towards the back, repeat on the other side, then turn up the corner towards the corner A. and it will appear as D. The centre part E is now to be turned up at the bottom, and down at the top, and the two rolls brought under the centre piece, as in Fig. 4. The bread is placed under the centre band, K, Fig. 4.

3. - The Collegian. - (Fig. 6.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then turn down the two sides towards you. so that they shall appear as in Fig. 7; then roll up the part A underneath until it looks like B, Fig. 8. Now take the corner B and turn it up towards C, so that the edge of the rolled part shall be even with the central line; repeat the same on the other side, and turn the whole over, when it will appear as in Fig. 6. The bread is placed underneath the part K.

4. - The Cinderella. - (Fig. 9.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then turn down the two sides as in Fig. 7; turn the napkin over, and roll up the lower part as in Fig. 10, A, B. Now turn the corner B upwards towards C, so that it shall appear as in D; repeat on the other side, and then bring the two parts E together so that they shall bend at the dotted line; and the appearance will now be as Fig. 9. The bread is placed under the apron part, K, Fig. 9.

5.- The Flirt.- (Fig. 11.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then fold across the breadth, commencing at one extremity, and continuing to fold from and to yourself in folds about two inches broad, until the whole is done; then place in a tumbler, and it will appear as in the illustration.

6. - The Neapolitan. - (Fig. 12.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then fold one of the upper parts upon itself from you; turn over the cloth with the part having four folds from you and fold down the two sides so as to appear as in Fig. 7; then roll up the part A underneath, until it appears as in the dotted lines in Fig. 13, at B. Now turn up the corner B towards C, so that the edge of the rolled part shall be even with the central line: repeat the same upon the opposite side, and turn the whole over, when it will appear as in Fig.12: the bread being placed underneath the part K, as represented in the illustration.

7.- The "Favorite" Or Our Own

(Fig. 14.)

Fold the napkin into three parts longways, then turn down the two edges as in Fig. 7, and roll up the part A on both sides, until as represented on the right-hand side in Fig. 14; then turn it backwards (as A B) on both sides; now fold down the point C towards you, turn over the napkin, and fold the two other parts from you so that they shall appear as in Fig. 15. Turn the napkin over, thus folded, and raising the .centre part with the two thumbs, draw the two ends (A and B) together, and pull out the parts (0 and D) until they appear as in Fig. 14. The bread is to be placed as represented in K, Fig. 14.