LAYING THE TABLE FOR A HOME BREAKFAST AND SERVING IN DETAIL THE HOME BREAKFAST

THE American breakfast has become a much simpler meal than in years past. The light menu generally used consists of fruit, followed by cereal,
then the main dish, which may be eggs (cooked in various ways), bacon, or broiled or creamed fish, always with hot rolls, muffins, or toast, and coffee.
Some persons prefer tea or cocoa. The Continental custom of serving honey or marmalade has been generally adopted.

Directions in detail follow for laying the table, and serving, English style, a simple menu.

LAYING THE TABLE

The practice of using the bare table with doilies is growing in popularity. The principal reasons are the saving in laundry and the fresher appearance of the table. The luncheon set is in almost universal use at breakfast and luncheon, the table-cloth still being used at dinner.

First, rub the table-top with a soft cloth and place the centerpiece. Upon the centerpiece place whatever form of decoration one cares to use. Then mark the covers by placing the plate doilies. On each doily place the service plate. At the right of each service plate place a knife and, at the right of the knife, a spoon for the cereal ; at the left of the plate, a fork; at the left of the fork, the napkin. Place the water glass on a small doily matching the plate doily and centerpiece, at the point of the knife. Lay the bread-and-butter plate on a small doily at the tip of the fork. Place the butter spreader across the upper, right-hand side of the plate. Directly in front, at the head of the plate, place a doily, and on that a finger-bowl one third full of tepid water. Place salt and pepper sets, each set on a small doily, between each two covers.

In front of the mistress place the coffee service. This will necessitate slight changes in the cover laid for her use

One of the most attractive arrangements is the large, silver tray holding coffee urn, hot-water pot, creamer, and sugar-bowl with sugar-tongs, a bowl
for the water which has been used to heat the cups, and as many cups and saucers as the tray will accommodate. Be sure that the teaspoon is on the
right-hand side of the saucer, the handle of spoon parallel to the handle of cup. If there is not room for all the cups required, the maid should bring from the serving-table to her mistress, a fresh cup, when she takes from her a full cup. The silver coffee-pot may be used in place of the urn. Some persons choose the Russian samovar, of course selecting a tray to match, with creamer and sugar-bowl of luster ware or china harmonious in coloring. A simpler service is to place at the hostess's right a coffeepot on a tile, and to arrange the accompanying hot-water pot, the creamer, and the sugar-bowl in a half circle in front of her, with the cups and saucers inside the semicircle. Or the percolator may be put on in the same way, and either silver or china or glass, as one prefers, used for the remainder of the service. If a coffee-pot is used, it should be scalded before it is filled.

A hostess should ask a guest at table his preferences as to cream and sugar ; those of the family she is supposed to know. It is important that cream and sugar be put into the cup before pouring the coffee. The flavor is quite different and not satisfactory to the coffee drinker if the coffee is poured into the cup and the sugar and cream passed.

See that all doors and drawers are shut, shades properly drawn, and screen placed. After filling glasses with water, and placing butter upon the bread-and-butter plate, place upon the service plate a fruit plate containing the prepared half of a grapefruit. The spoon for the grapefruit may be at the
extreme right beside the spoon for cereal or preferably, on the plate with the grapefruit. After attending to the service of water and butter, as the last
thing, light the alcohol lamp under the urn or hot- water kettle, if one is used, and then announce breakfast in the manner the mistress prefers.

SERVING THE BREAKFAST IN DETAIL

MENU

Grapefruit
Cereal
Dropped Eggs on Toast with Rasher of Bacon
Buttered Toast
Orange Marmalade
Coffee

1. Remove fruit plate (right hand) and finger-bowl and doily together (left hand).
2. Place individual cereal dish on service plate (left hand).
3. Pass serving dish containing cereal with serving spoon in dish (left hand, napkin).
4. Pass cream and sugar (tray), sugar-spoon, when presented to the first person, upon the tray beside the bowl. Have handle of pitcher and handle of spoon for sugar in a position convenient for the person served.
5. Remove service plate with individual cereal dish ( left hand) and place warm plate (right hand). Soiled plates should be removed to the pantry, not to the serving-table. Warm plates may be brought from the pantry or taken one by one from the serving-table, if previously placed there.
6. Place serving silver for eggs and bacon (right side, right hand, napkin or tray).
7. Place asbestos mat, fitted with linen cover, in front of host (left side, left hand).
8. Place platter containing eggs and bacon before host (napkin).
9. Bring warm plate (right hand) and place before host after taking up (left hand) filled plate.
10. Place filled plate (left hand) before person to be served, removing first (right hand) warm one already there, which take to host for serving, and proceed as before until all are served.
11. Take cup of coffee from mistress (left hand), change to right hand, and place (right side). Be sure that cup is placed so that the handle may be taken easily.
12. Repeat in same manner until all are served. If tray or space before mistress is not large enough for all cups needed, after placing a filled cup go to serving-table for fresh cup (right hand), and place before mistress when the next filled cup is taken (left hand). The person who pours usually hands the filled cup to the waitress, but the maid herself should place and take up all plates and other dishes containing food, such as cereal, salad, dessert, etc.
13. Pass plate of toast (napkin).
14. Oass marmalade in small dish with spoon in dish ( napkin)