and to deviate from which might give you the epithet of peculiar, but have your judgment in your own keeping, and think for yourself. Thus will you avoid inconsistency and errors which may not be easily retrieved; thus, also, will you exercise and strengthen the best powers of your mind, and prepare yourself for the discharge of those important duties by which you will find yourself surrounded as you proceed on the journey of life.

C

PART II.

HOUSEHOLD CONCERNS.

CONVERSATION I.

SERVANTS.-NUMBER.-CHOICE OF.-FOOD OF.-MANAGEMENT OF.-CONDUCT TO.-INDULGENCES TO.-THE IMPORTANCE OF EXAMPLE IN FIXING THEIR MORAL AND RELIGIOUS HABITS.-SUITABLENESS OF DRESS IN SERVANTS.-WAGES.--GIFTS FROM VISITERS.-QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED IN A HOUSEKEEPER.-A COOK.--A HOUSEMAID.-A NURSERY MAID.-A LAUNDRESS.-A FOOTMAN. A PORTER.-METHOD OF HIRING SERVANTS, WHETHER FROM PRIVATE FAMILIES OR FROM REGISTER OFFICES.-GIVING AND RECEIVING CHARACTERS.

MRS. L.-My dear Madam, I am full of difficulties, and must apply to you for advice. At the very time in which I had reason to think myself blessed, and have been anticipating happiness almost without alloy, by becoming the chosen companion for life of an estimable man, my mind is harassed and vexed by many annoying circumstances, and what provokes me too, is, that I have often censured other ladies when I have heard them complain of troubles similar to those which now disturb me:-the fact is, my servants are all going wrong. My youth, I suppose, tempts them to take every advantage of me; and my inexperience makes me dubious what course to pursue with them. I fancied that in securing servants for the various depart

ments of my house, whose characters were good, and in giving them general orders, my part would be performed, and the whole business of the household would proceed in the same steady regular manner as in my father's house.

MRS. B.-Your time and thoughts were, I suppose, too much occupied, either with amusements or in adding to your various acquirements, to allow of your paying much attention to the system which regulated your former home. As all your wants were constantly supplied, and you saw yourself and others surrounded with every thing which comfort and elegance required, you, perhaps, never thought on the subject at all, and thus you are at this moment without that knowledge by which alone your family can be governed, and its comfort ensured. But tell me your difficulties, and let me see if I can give you a helping hand out of them.

MRS. L.-I have certainly been aware, that the business of my household has not been well conducted; but I considered that the servants were new and would improve; yesterday, however, my patience was tried to the utmost degree. It was our first dinner-party, and I was, of course, naturally solicitous that every thing should be well and pleasantly arranged; and I had, as I imagined, given due orders to all the domestics whose services were required. The greater part of the day I was out paying morning visits, and returned only in time to dress for dinner. I was rather discouraged, as I passed the dining-room, to see no preparation, but proceeded to my room without making any remarks. Soon after six our company arrived; and, for half an hour, I waited in patient expectation of hearing dinner announced: during this time both my husband and I exerted ourselves to keep conversation alive, and to make the time pass quickly, but still, in spite of ourselves and the politeness of our guests, a dead pause would now and then intervene, and these awful pauses I thought would

annihilate me.

After many an anxious look at the door, and frequent ringing of the bell, dinner was at length announced; and my spirits revived only, alas, to enable me to support more vexations. All the preparations had, evidently, been hastily made,-there were not enough of chairs for the guests; the dishes were irregularly placed, and even some omitted; the fish and soup were chilled, and had apparently been served some time; the plates were cold, and the appearance of the whole dinner was entirely spoiled by the careless manner in which it had been prepared and arranged. I cast a look of despair at my husband, and was answered by one from him of disappoint ment; however, I resolved not to suffer myself to be subdued by it, and I succeeded in throwing off my anxiety, and in scarcely appearing to notice the many unlucky circumstances of the day. The next morning I repaired to the kitchen to make my reflections on the negligence of the preceding day; when, to my utter astonishment, I was told by the cook that the dinner was excellently cooked, was quite hot, and was altogether such as no one could object to, who knew any thing about the matter. The men-servants were equally surprised at my censuring them, although they had shown themselves very careless, and, for want of method, had hurried about the room, jostling each other, and struggling for the possession of some one thing which had been just asked for. Many other complaints I could make, but it would tire you to hear them, as they are similar to those which have, I suppose, been often made by all young housekeepers.

MRS. B.-I have not the slightest doubt that all these difficulties will vanish in time. In the first place, I hope you have not too many servants, a greater evil, by far, than having too few. A numerous retinue may be gratifying to pride, but waste and disorder generally accompany it, proving injurious to comfort as well as to fortune. Hence the common saying that such a family is eaten up by its ser

vants. It is better for servants to have too much employment than too little; because, for want of resources, and the inclination to employ themselves usefully and innocently, much leisure assists in corrupting them. If idleness only allowed time for the indulgence of weak and frivolous propensities, the evil would be great; but it does more ; it opens a wide passage for the ingress of vicious habits. When neither the powers of the mind nor those of the body are usefully employed, moral irregularities must be the consequence.

MRS. L.-But should not the contrary extreme be also avoided? We should all be spiritless and discontented, if we had not some portion of time allotted for relaxation. A seasonable suspension of our regular employments tends to make us return to them with pleasure, and with renewed vigour.

MRS. B.-That is most true; and every benevolent mind will seek to render service as far remote as possible from slavery, by promoting, in a reasonable degree, the comfort of their dependants; and this being done, the right is increased by which you may exact from them the strictest discharge of their duties. Let us examine to what degree this attention to their comforts should extend.

Their meals should be at regular and early hours; their food plain, substantial, and good. Butcher's meat once a day is the general allowance for servants in the establishments of those of moderate fortunes, with cheese for supper. The cook, however, should be desired to reserve such pieces of cold meat as would not be sent into the diningroom, for the supper of the men-servants, which, now and then, will prevent the cutting up of a large piece of cheese, and be also a more wholesome and nutritious meal. Some good housekeepers are agreed, that it is more economical to allow meat than cheese for supper; perhaps the chief difference in expense arises from the circumstance that more meat can be eaten at a meal than cheese.