In old age the diet should also be simple, because of the lack of vigour in the digestive organs, but the amount of building material should be decreased. The food of old people should contain proportionately more carbonaceous material. Brain workers require less food than those engaged in active muscular work, and it should be less stimulating and less bulky. Their diet should be in a form that is easily digested. With the foregoing general ideas in mind, the pupils may be asked to prepare menus for simple home meals. These should be assigned as home work, so that plenty of time can be given to their consideration, and then they may be brought to the class for criticism. The best of these should be chosen for actual practice in school work. NOTE.--It is intended that this part of the work shall be presented in a very rudimentary way. The teacher should feel satisfied if she succeeds in implanting ideas of the importance of these food considerations, so that the pupils will be ready for more specific instruction to be gained in higher schools or from their own reading. Cheap bulletins on _Human Nutrition_, published by Cornell University, will be excellent reading on this subject. PREPARING AND SERVING MEALS Before the pupils are given a meal to prepare and serve, table setting should be reviewed, and the rules of table service taught as follows: RULES FOR SERVING 1. The hostess serves the soup, salad, dessert, tea, and coffee; the host serves the meat and fish. 2. Vegetables and side dishes may be served by some one at the table or passed by the waitress. 3. Dishes are served at the left of each person, commencing with the chief guest. 4. Guests are served first; ladies before gentlemen. 5. In each course, remove the dishes containing the food before removing the soiled plates. 6. When one course is finished, take the tray in the left hand, stand on the left side of the person, and remove the individual soiled dishes with the right hand, never piling them. 7. Before dessert is served, if necessary, remove the crumbs from the cloth with a brush, crumb knife, or napkin. 8. Tea or coffee may be poured at table or served from a side table by the waitress. NOTE.--Extra cutlery and napkins should be conveniently placed on a side table, in case of accident. Where the class consists of twelve or more pupils, it must be divided for the preparation and serving of a meal. Each section should prepare and serve a meal for the others, until all have had experience. As breakfast and luncheon are the simpler meals, they should be taken first in the order of lessons. The duties of the cooking and serving should be definitely settled, and each girl given entire responsibility for a certain part of the work.