It is not necessary to fold one’s napkin when only one meal is to be eaten in the house in which one is staying.
The day for tying cakes, sandwiches, etc., with ribbons has passed.
The waitress should stand with a tray in her hand behind the host’s chair to receive each plate as it is filled, passing it to the left of the guest, and waiting for him to remove it. When the hostess is pouring tea or coffee, the maid’s place is by her left side in waiting for the cups. After that she should be on the alert to see when the glasses need filling, or when there is bread, pickles, or anything to be passed. When removing the plates it should be from the right side of the guest, but everything should be offered at the left that the right hand may be used to receive it.
When a dish is passed and there is no maid in attendance, one should help himself and pass it on. If a dish is standing near one, under such circumstances, he may quite properly ask if he may help himself, and do so.
When a plate is passed for a helping, the knife and fork are laid well to the side of the plate, so placed that they will not fall off, and yet not be in the way of the server.
All the appurtenances of each course should be removed before the succeeding one is served. The bread-and-butter plates, however, should be removed before the salad course, as crackers and cheese are passed with this, the salad plate being used to hold all three things.
The salted almonds should be started about the table by the hostess soon after the guests are seated. Some hostesses possess cut-glass or china individual dishes, on which the almonds are placed when the guest helps himself, but it is quite usual for them to be placed on the bread-and-butter plate.
Bonbons should be passed by the maid when the coffee is served, and eaten from the plate from which the finger-bowl and doily have been removed.
It is not important whether tumblers or goblets are used on the dinner-table; each season brings its own custom.
The bread-and-butter plates at a formal dinner serve the purpose only of bread plates, as it is not customary to serve butter on such occasions. If it is used, however, butter should be made into tiny balls, and one or two placed on each bread-and-butter plate.