Melons

Keep on ice until you are ready to serve them. Wipe watermelons and lay on a large platter with carving-knife at hand. Wipe "nutmeg" or musk-melons, cut in two, scrape out the seeds, and put a lump of ice in each half. They are eaten with fine sugar, with pepper and salt, with a mixture of grated ginger' and sugar, or without any seasoning other than their own spici-ness.

Apples

Polish and pile in a fruit-dish or basket.

Oranges

Send in whole or with the peel half stripped off and curled up against the fruit, or you may cut them in half crosswise and serve plain, or with sugar sprinkled thickly over them and a tea-spoonful of rum or sherry poured on the sugar. When served thus they are eaten with a spoon.

Peaches And Pears

Wipe and pile, with bits of ice between, upon a broad dish or in a basket, with grapes and green leaves.

Blackberries, Strawberries, And Raspberries

Pick over, capping the strawberries and rejecting unripe or decayed berries, but never washing them. Water ruins the flavor irretrievably. Send around "fruit" sugar with the berries, also cream.

Large strawberries are often served with the stems on and dipped into sugar by the eater, who holds them by the stem in doing this. Wash and drain huckleberries and serve with sugar and cream.

Frosted Currants

Whites of two eggs; four tablespoonfuls of water; powdered sugar at discretion.

Select large, fine bunches of currants, dip each in the egg and water, and then roll in the sugar. Lay on waxed paper to dry. When all have been treated in this way give the currants a second dip in the sugar.

Bananas And Cream

Peel and slice crosswise at table a banana for each saucer, strew with fine sugar and cover with cream. The bananas should be ice-cold. They are very nice eaten in this way.

Bartlett Pears And Cream

Pare and slice the pears, sugar and cream for each guest as he is served. Any mild, tender pear can be eaten with sugar and cream.

Peaches And Cream

Peel just before serving the peaches, and if they are to stand but five minutes, set on ice. Sugar upon the saucer as they are helped out, and cover with cream.

Strawberries And Claret

Set the berries in ice until almost frozen. As you serve them, sprinkle abundantly with sugar, and pour claret over them.

Bananas And Wine

Sprinkle sugar on sliced bananas and pour over them a wine-glassful of port or sherry. These are very nice.