stance, and the sooner you clear the house of such a person, and do the work yourself, the better. I have seen at morning prayers servants and mistresses with sulky tempers ; now the religion of life has to do with the common duties of life; it is the habit of thinking and doing good all the day long, and of being cheer- ful and good-natured to those who serve us ; and if kindness on the part of a mistress fails to obtain kindness in return, the sooner you part the better. But ask yourself, has there been anything in my conduct, or wishes, or language, or treatment towards my servants unkind or unreasonable ? Ingratitude and wickedness are to be found in every class. Mistresses are no better than servants, only as they have had better opportunities, and a better education. I have often spoken against perquisites. No inven- tion of the devil has been a more fruitful source of dishonesty and waste among servants. The per- centage of the tradesman, the sale of kitchen grease, which is often good dripping, the skinunings of sauce- pans, and fat meat most useful in the kitchen, ought to be discountenanced in every household. To sell fat at fourpence per pound and purchase lard at elevenpence ; to purchase egg powders and charge for eggs, is simply dishonest. Better give your cooks two or three pounds a year more, and encourage them to make the best of everything, than allow perquisites. Well may Mrs. Brown believe that the race of honest servants, like the Trilobite, is an extinct species. The maid of all work is a maid of no work ; the cook is dirty, extravagant, impudent and bad-tempered, the Mistresses and Servants. 4i housemaid is an untidy slattern, and the lady’s maid a proud time-serving minx. If a mistress when en- gaging a servant knew how to perform the various duties of a house herself, she would not have so much difficulty in obtaining a good servant, and the only way to know these duties is to learn them before you are married, or it will be a sorry business. The physical exertion would be healthful ; the scrubbing of a room with the windows open, the use of a pestle and mortar, the wringing of a blanket, the sweeping of a carpet, and the making of bread, are better and safer calisthenic exercises for young ladies than lawn tennis. The physical effort necessary in the performance of house duties would be far more beneficial to health than either tatting or wool work. You must not understand by these remarks that I am speaking against accomplishments in a lady ; but of what value are these accomplishments unless they teach the responsibilities and duties of domestic life. A knowledge of cooking may go, and has often gone, with the highest culture, and most delicate refine- ment. The best educated and accomplished ladies at the cookery school are the best cooks ; they can light a fire or prepare a dinner that would do no dis- credit to a professional cook. I wish this habit was more fashionable among the middle classes. But some women often think it genteel to affect the most oblivious ignorance of household work ; can you wonder at servants taking advantage of this ignorance, and speaking despisingly of their mistresses. Now the true remedy for this state of things is the early training of girls in the practical performance of 4 2 Buckmaster's Cookery.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

stance, and the sooner you clear the house of such a person, and do the work yourself, the better. I have seen at morning prayers servants and mistresses with sulky tempers ; now the religion of life has to do with the common duties of life; it is the habit of thinking and doing good all the day long, and of being cheerful and good-natured to those who serve us ; and if kindness on the part of a mistress fails to obtain kindness in return, the sooner you part the better. But ask yourself, has there been anything in my conduct, or wishes, or language, or treatment towards my servants unkind or unreasonable ? Ingratitude and wickedness are to be found in every class. Mistresses are no better than servants, only as they have had better opportunities, and a better education. I have often spoken against perquisites. No invention of the devil has been a more fruitful source of dishonesty and waste among servants. The percentage of the tradesman, the sale of kitchen grease, which is often good dripping, the skinunings of saucepans, and fat meat most useful in the kitchen, ought to be discountenanced in every household. To sell fat at fourpence per pound and purchase lard at elevenpence ; to purchase egg powders and charge for eggs, is simply dishonest. Better give your cooks two or three pounds a year more, and encourage them to make the best of everything, than allow perquisites. Well may Mrs. Brown believe that the race of honest servants, like the Trilobite, is an extinct species. The maid of all work is a maid of no work ; the cook is dirty, extravagant, impudent and bad-tempered, the Mistresses and Servants. housemaid is an untidy slattern, and the lady’s maid a proud time-serving minx. If a mistress when engaging a servant knew how to perform the various duties of a house herself, she would not have so much difficulty in obtaining a good servant, and the only way to know these duties is to learn them before you are married, or it will be a sorry business. The physical exertion would be healthful ; the scrubbing of a room with the windows open, the use of a pestle and mortar, the wringing of a blanket, the sweeping of a carpet, and the making of bread, are better and safer calisthenic exercises for young ladies than lawn tennis. The physical effort necessary in the performance of house duties would be far more beneficial to health than either tatting or wool work. You must not understand by these remarks that I am speaking against accomplishments in a lady ; but of what value are these accomplishments unless they teach the responsibilities and duties of domestic life. A knowledge of cooking may go, and has often gone, with the highest culture, and most delicate refinement. The best educated and accomplished ladies at the cookery school are the best cooks ; they can light a fire or prepare a dinner that would do no discredit to a professional cook. I wish this habit was more fashionable among the middle classes. But some women often think it genteel to affect the most oblivious ignorance of household work ; can you wonder at servants taking advantage of this ignorance, and speaking despisingly of their mistresses. Now the true remedy for this state of things is the early training of girls in the practical performance of 4 2 Buckmaster's Cookery.

Buckmaster's cookery