Marion Harland 
National Cook Book [PDF ebook] 

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Especially is this true of the dainty devices that precede and enliven the regular progress of the social luncheon and course dinner. The ingenuity of the professional cook and the lighter fancy of the accomplished housemother are taxed to swell the number of these and to contrive such as will play well their part. We see peculiar fitness in supplying a goodly assortment of such aids and comforts as a prelude to the more serious opus which is to follow. Small oysters are most fashionable for this purpose, but many epicures cannot forego the pleasure of seeing and eating the large.