The confectioners and caterers following a similar rule to the other employers of skilled labor, charge for the ornamentation of a cake about double the amount that they pay in wages for the time consumed; if a man to whom they pay three dollars a day consumes a whole day in the elaborate decoration of a wedding cake the charge of the ornamenting alone will be about six dollars, and of the cake complete perhaps ten dollars. The same man may perhaps ornament a large number of cakes at Christmas or New Year's on each of which he will spend but half an hour, and the price will be accordingly. The imported ornaments upon a fine cake may very likely swell the cost to twenty-five or fifty dollars.

Wedding Breakfast.

Menu.

Fresh Peaches Sliced.

Boned Chicken with Truffles.

Tomatoes in mayonaise.

Ribbon Sandwiches.

Lamb Cutlets, a la Maintenon.

Potatoes Baden-Baden.

Partridge Souffles in Cases.

Dry and Buttered Toast.

White Coffee.

Ornamented Wedding Cake. Delicate Cake. Apricot Ice Cream.

The breakfast was set on the long table in large dishes, family style, though we did not send in all at once and of course the table was set out to the best advantage with the few ornamented dishes, glass and china and a few flowers. The marriage took place at half past ten and the carriages drove up to the door a few minutes later. The two principals in the business took very little lunch and that of the first division of the menu, the service froid; the bride cut the large cake in divisions which I had marked previously, to make it easy, and gave away the pieces, and it did not crumble much considering how newly made it was, but I had kept it almost frozen all night that it might cut well. The hostess did up the small cake, the four-pound one, and put it in one of their traveling satchels, then they got into the carriage and two or three others followed and were driven to

"the Glen," where they could catch a train at one o'clock. After they were gone the rest of the company went back to the table; we served the lunch in good earnest, and they made a meal of it, and did a little talking, too, I suppose.

Cost of material: Early peaches, 1 basket $ 1 00

Boned truffled chicken 3 00

Ribbon sandwiches, 30 75

Lamb cutlets, garnished 1 90

Souffles in cases 1 10

Ornamented wedding cakes with. 5 lbs icing, 23 lbs in all 3 00

Apricot ice cream, 21/2 qts 75

Toast, butter, trimmings 50

Total $1342

25 persons, 54 cents a plate.

The repast was ordered for twenty, but 25 persons, and probably several more, made it their midday meal and it is fairly charged as above, the three-dollar cake included in expense account with the manager.