Success in Entertaining--The Art of Dinner-giving--Selection of Guests--A happy Mixture of Young Women and Dowagers--The latter more appreciative of the Good Things--Interviewing the Chef--“Uncle Sam” Ward’s Plan--Mock Turtle Soup a Delusion and a Snare--The Two Styles of cooking Terrapin--Grasshopper-fed Turkeys--Sourbet should not be flavored with Rum--Nesselrode the best of all the Ices, 255 CHAPTER XX. Madeira the King of Wines--It took its Name from the Ship it came in--Daniel Webster and “Butler 16”--How Philadelphians “fine” their Wines--A Southern Wine Party--An Expert’s shrewd Guess--The Newton Gordons--Prejudice against Malmsey--Madeira should be kept in the Garret--Some famous Brands, 267 CHAPTER XXI. Brût Champagne--Another Revolution in treatment of this Wine--It must be Old to be Good--’74 Champagne worth $8 a bottle in Paris--How to frappé Champagne--The best Clarets--Even your Vin Ordinaire should be Decanted--Sherries--Spaniards drink them from the Wood--I prefer this way--The “famous Forsyth Sherry”--A Wine-cellar not a Necessity, 279 CHAPTER XXII. Assigning Guests at Dinner--The Boston fashion dying out--The approved Manner--Going in to Dinner--Time to be spent at table--Table Decoration--Too many Flowers in bad taste--Simplicity the best style--Queen Victoria’s table--Her Dinner served at 8.15, but she eats her best meal at 2 P.M.--Being late at Dinner a breach of good Manners--A Dinner acceptance a sacred Obligation--A Visite de digestion, 291 CHAPTER XXIII. Some practical Questions answered--Difference between Men and Women Cooks--Swedish Women the cleanest and most economical--My Bills with a Chef--My Bills with a Woman Cook--Hints on Marketing--I have done my own Buying for forty years--Mme. Rothschild personally supervises her famous Dinners--Menu of an old-fashioned Southern Dinner--Success of an Impromptu Banquet, 305 CHAPTER XXIV. The “Banner Ball”--How to prepare a Ball-room Floor--A curious Costume and a sharp Answer--The Turkish Ball--Indisposition of ladies to dance at a Public Ball--The Yorktown Centennial Ball--Committees are Ungrateful--My Experience in this Matter--I discover Mr. Blaine and introduce Myself, 323 CHAPTER XXV. A Famous Newport Ball--Exquisite effect produced by blocks of Ice and Electric Lights--The Japanese room--Corners for “Flirtation couples”--A superb Supper--Secretary Frelinghuysen in the Barber-shop--I meet Attorney-General Brewster--A Remarkable Man--I entertain him at Newport--A young Admirer gives him a Banquet in New York--Transformation of the Banquet-hall into a Ball-room, 335 CHAPTER XXVI.