Supper, (Le Souper.) " To sleep easily one must sup lightly."

Supper buffets are dressed on tables twelve to twenty feet long by four to five feet wide ; larger or smaller according to the number of guests and the richness of the bill of fare. Be careful that every article on the table shows to the best advantage, arranging each dish in a tasteful manner, yet observing certain indispensable rules so to facilitate the service that the buffet can be replenished and the dishes removed without the slightest confusion. The warm dishes should be served continuously without any delay and only a few at the time. Place a large piece of silverware in the center of the table to contain fruits, following the middle line on the length, then two large baskets of flowers and two pieces either of nougat or sugar, both ornamented with candied fruits, then two large cold-meat pieces and two stands filled with bonbon boxes, mottoes, victorias and bonbons, afterward two candelabras, and two entremets cakes to finish. In the front place a decorated salmon, behind on the other side of the center line stand the tenderloin of beef, and on each side of the fish and tenderloin, two medium-sized meat pieces, then the drums or high stands filled with small cakes.

After this the small cold entrees, such as sandwiches and small rolls filled with rillettes; at each end of the table arrange the chicken and lobster salads. On one end of the table have plenty of material handy (according to the importance of the bill of fare), for hot service; have plates, soup tureens and chafing-dishes; behind, near the tenderloin of beef, put the ices, jellies and charlottes.

These suppers are usually served after the first part of the dancing order is finished between eleven o'clock and one in the morning. Frequently small tables are used when there is sufficient room; these are generally reserved for the ladies.

Hot Dishes

First part. - The soup is either consomme in cups, or barley cream, or rice and almond milk. These must be perfectly clear in order to serve them in cups the same as the consomme.

Oysters prepared in different styles: Fricasseed, Hollandaise, Bechamel, poulette, Viennese, crawfish sauce, etc.; oysters fried or stuffed, small bouchees filled with salpicon, chicken or game croquettes, sweetbreads, lobster, etc., Timbales and mousselines; terrapin, Maryland or Newburg for white, Baltimore and Maryland Club for brown; red-head ducks and canvas-back, also quails and squabs and sometimes deviled crabs, stuffed lobsters, scallops a la Brestoise or frog croquettes.

Cold Dishes

Second part. - Decorate the table with hors-d'oeuvre composed of radishes, olives, celery, anchovy toasts etc.

Large pieces such as a richly decorated salmon, a tenderloin of beef garnished with vegetables, boned turkey and capon, ham stuffed with pistachio nuts and truffles, a suckling pig, a boar's head, large dishes of turkey and capon, truffled or otherwise. Volieres of peacock, young swans, pheasants and guinea fowls ornamented with their natural feathers, large terrines of Stras-burg foies-gras, woodcock, snipe, reedbirds, quails, leverets, veal kernels and game " pains," en damier; bastions of roast game on croutons and garnished with, fresh water-cress, pyramids of lobsters and crawfish and truffles.

There are a great variety of elegant entrees, and among others the following ones may be selected:

Aspics of all kinds, red beef tongue, foies-gras, fillets of chickens, oysters, etc.; white and brown chaufroids of partridge and chicken, also ravigote ducks, galantines of chicken, cream of pigeons, squabs and quails covered with chaufroid and decorated with black truffles and very green pistachio nuts; smoked and unsmoked tongue well glazed and dressed pyramid form; lamb chops au vert pre, ballotines of quails and squabs, ducklings pear shaped and thrushes a la Perigord; terrines of Nerac and ducks' livers a la Toulouse and young rabbit a la mode de Rouen; pains of chicken or game. Entrees of larks and reedbirds, chicken mayonnaise; lobster, shrimp, crab and salmon salads, also salad a la Russe, and at equal distances have plates of small breads garnished with rillettes and fine sandwiches.

Select from all this gastronomical wealth those dishes liable to satisfy the appetite and at the same time make a beautiful display on the table.