"Split pea purée. Creamed corned beef, baked; string beans; mashed potato cakes. Steamed fig pudding. Coffee." "That menu is really a success. You made the purée of the water the corned beef was boiled in, I see, and used up your half-can of string-beans for a vegetable; and of course the potato cakes were the mashed potatoes reheated. But why that particular pudding?" "Fred ate up all the blueberry tart the night before; not a scrap of it was left, because it was so good," said Dolly demurely. "Well, I don't blame him. Now I think you understand the game, and you can go on and practise it as you get time. Making out a whole set of menus for a year, four or five for each month, would be excellent practice for you, Dolly. But that is all for to-day." "But, Mary, why do you skip all the breakfasts and luncheons? I am quite as capable of making glaring mistakes there as in dinners. If you don't tell me what to have, I shall certainly lunch on cold meat, and have two eggs apiece every morning in the week--also grapefruit!" "What a frightful threat! Well, then, here are a few breakfasts, just to start you off comfortably:" Spring 1. Poached eggs on toast; muffins; coffee. 2. Boiled rice and raisins, with cream; milk toast; coffee. 3. Codfish croquettes; pop-overs; coffee, toast, orange marmalade. Summer 1. Cold oatmeal with berries; coffee and toast. 2. Scrambled eggs; corn bread; coffee. 3. Slices of fried eggplant; muffins; coffee. Autumn 1. Sliced peaches; little pan fish; toast; coffee. 2. Fried tomatoes with cream sauce; rice muffins; coffee. 3. Parsley omelette; sally-lunn; coffee. Winter 1. Cereal with chopped figs; creamed codfish; toast; coffee. 2. Bacon; fried apples; corn-meal puffs. 3. Creamed hard-boiled eggs on toast; coffee; fried hominy and syrup. "Those are all practical and cheap, Dolly, I think, but you must modify them to suit your own needs, of course. If you find any of them expensive, substitute something else. You can have broiled dried beef in place of the bacon in one of the winter menus, for one thing, and in place of the eggs in any menu you can have some left-over you cannot use elsewhere. Now for the luncheons:" Spring 1. Canned corn fritters; tea; jam tartlets. 2. Spinach on toast; tea; cheese crackers. 3. Codfish cutlets; tea; drop cakes. Summer 1. Lettuce with mayonnaise; sandwiches; iced tea; berries. 2. Stuffed and baked eggplant; tea; lettuce and French dressing. 3. Baked tomatoes; iced coffee and fruit. Autumn 1. Vegetable croquettes; cocoa; grapes. 2. Plain omelette; tea; stewed pears. 3. Baked sweet potatoes; tea; baked apples. Winter 1. Cheese soufflé; tea; wafers. 2. Cup of soup; macaroni and tomatoes. 3. Potatoes filled with creamed fish; doughnuts.