"Clear soup. Veal stew; mashed potatoes; canned string-beans. Prune pudding. Coffee." "Better," said her sister doubtfully. "But don't you think veal would be pretty expensive in March? And why string-beans, when parsnips and salsify are plenty? And as to prune pudding, consider the egg whites!" "Mary, you are too exasperating for words," ejaculated her much tried sister. "I am sure that was a beautiful menu. However, I'll try again. Still winter?" "Yes, still winter." "Well, here is a perfect one; absolutely faultless," Dolly said presently. "Clear soup. Mutton and barley stew; potatoes; parsnip cakes. Deep apple tart. Coffee." Her sister laughed outright. "This game evidently has more to it than you thought when you began to learn it, hasn't it? Now this menu has its good points, but I think you were rash in pronouncing it faultless. The clear soup is all right, provided you made it out of what you had in the house, and the mutton and barley stew is good and nourishing. But why have potatoes and barley at the same meal? You do not need them both. Instead, drop out the potatoes and have a dish of spiced fruit with the meat instead of a second vegetable. Or, omit the soup, have the stew first, and then a salad. As to dessert, unless it was a phenomenal apple year, I am afraid you would find deep apple tart would cost too much in March. However, that menu is an improvement on your other. Now make a second dinner off the remains of the first, if you can." "That is worse still. I think we will eat the whole up one night, this time, and have no remains." "If you do, you must have half-priced things the second night, then." "Well, how is this? "Mutton croquettes; mashed potatoes; minced turnips. Celery salad; crackers and cheese. Bread pudding with dates. Coffee." "That does very well. I see you had no carrots and had to buy turnips, but they are cheap. Celery, however, I am afraid was rather expensive, wasn't it? Could you not have had shredded cabbage instead? And you really did not need crackers and cheese with it; you might have had them with coffee for dessert. But, you are learning. Now try another winter dinner, because they are most difficult of all." Dolly wrote, after some thinking: "Purée of dried lima bean soup. Rounds of pork tenderloin; minced carrots; potato balls. Cherry pie. Coffee." "Fair; pretty good," commented her sister. "I see you plan to put the carrots and potato balls around the one pork tenderloin you had Frenched, so it would be enough, and you had a heavy soup with the light meat. So far I have no fault to find. But I cannot approve of pie after pork. Can you not have the canned cherries another way?" Dolly scratched out the word "pie," and wrote in "pudding." "That is all right. Now just one more to use up the scraps left from this." "Cream of carrot soup. Veal chops, breaded; scalloped canned tomato; sweet potatoes. Chocolate custard. Coffee," wrote Dolly.