My Friends:

Those who are good housekeepers are generally very desirous to have their tables set neatly, and in a proper manner. Few things are more annoying to such persons, than to see the table set askew, the table cloth tumbled and put on awry, the knives, tumblers, plates, and dishes put on without any order; the pitchers soiled outside and in, the butter pitched on the plate without any care, the bread cut with a mixture of junks and thin slices and thrown on the plate carelessly, and all other matters in similar disorder. Nothing will give more satisfaction to employers than carefulness and order in this particular. The following rules will serve as a guide in this duty.

Rules for setting Tables.

1. Lay the table rug square with the room; the right side up, and smooth and even.

2. Set the table square with the room, and see that the leaves and legs are properly fixed, so that all will stand firm, and then put on the table cloth smooth and even, so that the creases will run straight across the table.

3. For breakfast and tea, set the waiter on square, put the cups and saucers in front, and the sugar and slop bowls, and cream cup the back side. Put a sugar spoon, or tongs, by the sugar bowl. Then set the plates around the table at regular distances with a knife in front, and a napkin on one side and a cup mat the back side of it. Put mats for dishes of food in a regular manner, and set these dishes on, square and orderly. Set the tea or coffee either on the waiter, or on a mat at the right hand.

4. For dinner, set the caster exactly in the middle of the table, and put the salts at two oblique corners of the table between two large spoons crossed. If more spoons are needed lay them each side the caster. Lay the salt spoons across the salt dishes, and the mustard spoon beside its cup. Place the knives and forks at regular distances, so that the knife will be at the right hand and the fork at the left. Place a tumbler and napkin so that they will be at the right hand side of each plate. In cool weather, set the plates to warm till dinner is ready. Place the two largest mats opposite the master and mistress of the family, and the others in regular order. Put the two principal dishes on these largest mats. Set the bread on a side table, or with a fork lay a piece on the napkin by each plate.

On clearing Tables.

Always wipe the salt spoons and lay them beside the salt dishes in the cupboard. Also cleanse the mustard spoon. Fold the napkins neatly and lay them up in good order. When all the dishes are removed, fold up the table cloth so that it shall double in the same creases as were ironed in, and lay it away smoothly.

On waiting at Table.

Always have a clean apron on, and your hands clean, and your hair in order, when waiting on table. Stand on the left side of the lady of the house, and always go to the left side of a person waited on.

In removing covers, be careful to turn them wrong side up before bearing them away, so as not to spill the steam on the table cloth, or on the dresses of those at table. In pouring out water, never fill the tumbler higher than an inch from the top. It is not considered good manners when waiting on table, to address persons at table, or join in the conversation at all, unless you are addressed by persons at the table.

On Washing and Ironing.

Success in washing well, depends very much on the abundant use of water, and it is very important to employers, who are anxious to have their clothes well washed, that they provide easy modes of getting water and of heating it. In the work of mine on Domestic Economy, which I have before alluded to, is a plan by which, at a trifling expense, water can be raised, conducted about, and heated with far less labor than is commonly used.

Common mode of Washing.

Assort the clothes and put the white ones in soak over night, as it loosens the dirt. Next day, wash the fine clothes first, and then rub them again in a second suds, turning all wrong side out. Put them in a bag and boil them half an hour, and no more. Then rinse them in a plenty of water and throw them into the bluing water. The nicest washers use two rinse waters before the bluing water. Starch those to be stiffened, and bang them out. Then wash the common white clothes, then the calicoes, then the flannels.

Never leave calicoes long damp, or standing in water; do not wash them in very hot water, and when the water looks dingy, change it or they will look dirty. Never rub on soap, but mix it in the water so as not to have any lumps, and use hard soap. Never let calicoes freeze in drying, and dry them wrong side out and in a shady place. All these cautions are needful to preserve the colours. Wash flannels in two suds, as hot as the hand can bear, and rinse in a hot suds. If not very dirty, two hot suds will answer.

If they are to be blued, then the rinse water must not be suds, as it makes the bluing go on in specks. Never put flannels in any but very hot water. Starch and shake them before hanging out.

Soda Washing.

This mode saves just one half the work done by the common mode.

Make the soap thus: Boil six pounds of common soda with six pounds of bar soap in thirty quarts of water two hours. Then let it grow cool, and set it away for use.

In washing, put one pound of this soap to each pailful of water. After soaking the white clothes in lukewarm water over night, boil them in this mixture one hour and no more, or they will be injured. Then take them into a tub of cold water, and proceed just as you do in the common mode after you take them out of the boil. That is, rinse them in one or two waters and put them in blue water. The boiling in this mixture saves the rubbing in two suds, which is the common mode. If there are spots very much soiled, put on soap and rub them in the first rinse water. Flannels and calicoes cannot be washed thus. The mixture can be used twice or thrice, and then is good to wash floors with. Always wring clothes very dry the last time.

On Sprinkling, Folding and Ironing.

Wipe the dust from the ironing board or table. Take lukewarm water and sprinkle all the articles, laying the coloured ones separately and the fine ones by themselves. Turn each article right side out. Fold and roll each piece separately, putting the fine ones in a towel and laying all in a basket, separating the white and coloured ones by a towel. Do not let the coloured clothes be damp long, but wait till you can iron them as soon after folding as will answer. Shake, stretch and fold the sheets and table linen. Iron all lace and needle work on the wrong side. Iron calicoes with an iron not very hot. Frocks are to be ironed thus; first the waist, then the sleeves, and then hang them on a chair, and iron the skirt. Keep the skirt rolled, while ironing the waist and sleeves.

Shirts are ironed thus; first the back, then the sleeves, then the collar and bosom, then the front. Iron stockings on the wrong side. Wipe the dust from the clothes frame before putting on the clothes, and remove the clothes as soon as aired, to save them from smoke or flies.

Other Kitchen Work.

Be careful to keep your sink in order by frequent scalding. Keep a slop pail at hand to receive all refuse matter. Always keep a kettle of warm soft water over the fire.

Be very careful to wash dishes properly, as this is a matter very often done amiss. I will tell you how those persons do this kind of work, who are ranked as the best domestics.

In the first place, they always keep a good supply of dish cloths. They have at least three in daily use, one for dishes that are not greasy, one for greasy dishes, and one for pots and kettles. These are put in the wash every week, and clean ones taken in their place. This prevents the musty, greasy smell that dish water so often leaves on dishes and dish towels.

When a large number of dishes are to be washed, they have two dish pans, one for hot suds and one for rinsing; also an old waiter, on which to drain the dishes when taken out of the rinsing water.

They also keep their suds hot and change it often. Before washing the dishes, they scrape all the plates and dishes clean and set them in regular piles, the largest at the bottom. Then they wash the glass, silver and other metal dishes first, wiping them while hot and rubbing them till bright and clear. Then they wash the dishes not greasy; and then take another dish cloth and wash the greasy dishes, rinsing them before putting them to drain. They keep two or three towels in use, so as to lay one aside when it becomes wet. One towel is usually kept for the dishes that are not greasy. Last of all, they take another dish cloth, and getting fresh water, wash the roasters, gridiron, pots and kettles. The metals they dry by the fire before setting away. For the nicest dishes, a swab made of stripes of linen tied to a stick like a small mop, is very convenient, and saves the hands from the hot water.

Be very careful to keep the cellar clean. Decayed vegetables in a cellar always endanger the health of a family. Many terrible fevers and epidemics have been caused by storing vegetables in cellars and leaving them to send out the poisonous gas that is always exhaled when they decay. Always remove any vegetables when they begin to decay. Watch the barrels of salt food to see that the meat keeps under the brine.

Care of Lamps.

This matter demands far more care and neatness than is generally bestowed. This is the way I have seen it managed by those most neat and careful. An old waiter is provided to hold all the articles used, the oil pot has a small turned-up nose that will not drip and is set on a plate, the wick yarn is kept in a basket and sharp scissors are kept for trimming. Great pains is taken to keep all the articles free from oil, and the rags and towels used are frequently washed and changed. After all the lamps are done, each lamp is carefully examined to see if it is secured properly, and wiped entirely clean. Then every article used is made so clean and nice that no smell of oil will be caused by using them next time. Some housekeepers always do this job themselves, because they cannot get persons who will do it carefully.

Nothing makes work go off so easily as having some system in doing it. Where the mistress of the family does not arrange your work, always try to have some plan yourself. For example, have a particular day of the week for doing particular kinds of work, and go by the clock as much as you can.

On Friday or Saturday, see that your cellar, closets, pantry, are all in order. See also that you have a supply of holders, dish cloths, and all the articles you need for washing and ironing. If you will devote one day each week to examining every department and putting all in order, you will save much time and trouble.

On the Care of Parlours and Chambers.

In sweeping the nicest parlours, it is common to cover the tables, books, sofas and chimney ornaments with old sheets. Then cleanse the fireplace and hearth and jambs. Then sweep the carpet. It saves a carpet very much to have a very large flat tin dust pan, with a handle a yard long, fixed straight up, so it will stand alone. This can be moved about without stooping, and much of the dirt swept into it with the broom, instead of sweeping all across the carpet. This saves much dust as well as wearing of the carpet.

After the dust settles, dust the articles with old silk handkerchiefs and feather brushes. Use a painter’s brush for dusting ledges. Shake and wash your dust cloths often, or they get filled with dust and soil the walls and furniture.

In dusting, be careful not to rub your duster against the wall. Set all the furniture straight and in regular order—never leave the chairs standing awry, as if dancing a jig with each other. Make them square with the wall. When doing chamber work, observe the following directions about making a bed.

To make a bed.

Open the windows, lay off the bed covering on two chairs at the foot, and let the bed air some time before making it. When ready to make it, shake the feathers from each corner into the middle, then take up the middle part and shake it well, then push about the feathers and turn the bed over. Then push the feathers so as to make the head a little higher than the foot, and the sides as high as the middle part. Then put on the bolster, and then the undersheet so that the marking shall be at the head, and the right side of the sheet upward, tucking in all around. Then place the pillows so that the open ends shall be at the sides of the bed. Then spread on the upper sheet so that the marking shall be at the head, and the right side downward. This arrangement of the sheets is designed to prevent the part where the feet lie from being turned so as to come to the face, and to prevent also the parts soiled by the body from touching the bed tick and blankets. Then put on the other covering, tucking in all except the outside one. Then smooth the cover and draw the hand along the side of the pillows, to make an even indentation. When the pillow cases are smooth and clean, hem over the upper sheet, and put them on the outside.

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Sweep clean under beds, and remove all articles that can be moved, so as to sweep behind them. Wash the bowl and pitcher and tumbler on the wash stand every day. Once a week, scald all the vessels used in a chamber. Dust the doors, ledges, window sashes, and every article of furniture.

Never allow yourself to look in boxes or drawers, as it is a temptation to honesty, besides, being contrary to the wish of employers. Never allow yourself to take the most trifling article that belongs to another. Nothing is more important to a domestic than a character for honesty, and nothing grows so fast as habits of dishonesty. If you will steal needles, thread, pins, cord, or tapes, you will soon take more valuable things. And it is not the value of the thing taken which makes it an act of theft. Stealing is “taking or using any thing that belongs to another, without evidence that the owner is willing.” And no matter how small the thing is, it is theft, as much as if it were greater. And it is not the harm done to another that is most to be feared, it is the injury done to yourself in forming a habit of dishonesty, and thus searing your conscience, and ruining your character. Always remember that you are committing a sin, when you are handling or using any thing that belongs to another, if you would be unwilling to have the owner suddenly appear and see you doing it.