Soak two cupfuls of fine, dry crumbs in a quart of milk, beat the yolks of four eggs light and stir into the soaked crumbs, then two tablespoonfuls of melted butter and half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in warm water, finally, fold in the whites as deftly as if you were mixing a rich cake. Bake in a well-greased pudding-dish, covered, for half an hour, then brown delicately and send to table before it falls. It will be found as delicate as a souffle. Eat with wine sauce.

You may vary this excellent family pudding in a dozen ways, by the addition of raisins, currants, citron, almonds - blanched and chopped - berries, dredged with flour - cocoanut, and other devices that will occur to the ingenious housewife. Since stale bread must be used, it is well for her to study methods of doing this to advantage. Crusts are inadmissible and the crumbs must be fine and dry. Dry slices of stale bread in an open oven and crush them with a rolling-pin.