So let the young housekeeper go out armed with energy, hammers, tacks, brass nails, a goodly supply of Bon-accord enamel (made by an Aberdeen firm, which is the best the writer has ever used), Japanese black, varnish, &c., and then buy the old sticks in the bazaar, provided they are strong or can be made so by a few screws. Then, as was said to a friend of the authors’, she will have the prettiest house in the station, with nothing worth a button in it ! Wall-papers are everywhere — even in England — a mistake. Distemper properly applied with dados and friezes of well-chosen colours is prettier and cleaner. The friezes especially serve to lower the obtrusive height of most Indian rooms. A very good way of producing a pretty effect is to take out a paper Irieze, mount it on coarsest muslin like a map, and tack it with brass nails to the wall. If the room is very high, a band ot contrasting distemper «6oi’e it will bring the frieze within proper vision. Otherwise it will be lost in the rafters. English carpets are always a mistake. A good jail one for the reception rooms and cotton dhurries for the bedrooms answer all requirements. Pictures arc a great help in decorating, and no present can be more charming than a set of framed pictures fitted into a neat partitioned box with lock and key. One of the authors had a set of photographs from originals which kept alive her memories of art for many and many a long year in India, and now perform the same kind office for her in the wilds of Scotland. China and glass should always be chosen cheap, and the numbers noted and the address left, where they 28 The Complete Indian are purcliasetl, in view of future matching. I.amps are best vcnf plain, and witli metal stands. Wire mattresses should never be omitted where possible, but nothing over 3 feet 6 inches in width is satisfactory. Wider ones sag in the middle. One of the authors ^ strongly recommends plain white double-width Bolton sheeting at 8|d. a yard as the best curtain material in the world. They can be dyed and re-dyed in the bazaar to any tint, and if that is kept light, and a bordering of fringe or cretonne added, the effect is charming, the folds being so soft. They require no lining, and if you order them to be dyed kutcha (not fast), you can change your tint at each move by having them washed, bleached, and re-dyed. The author did hers with Maypole soaj), which is invaluable. Brass rings, hooks, picture cord, upholstery tacks, gimps, wire nails, screws, brass picture nails, a few sets of neat hinges for screens, &c., will cost little, and be of endless convenience, while a set of carpenter’s tools and a little perseverance will save their cost ten times over in a year. There is so much leisure in India, especially when the nursery is not full, that young housekeepers will find decorat- ing and upholstering a delightful occupation. In taking out house-linen omit dusters and all but face towels of fine linen. With these preliminaries we proceed to particulars of esti- mates, &c., for each Presidency. These have been revised for the North-West, and, except in the item of bazaar account, for other places. By adding ten per cent, to the food account, a fairly accurate estimate may be reached. It is a mistake to imagine, however, that living in India has gone up so enormously ; it is the style of living. Estimate for Bombay. Rs.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

So let the young housekeeper go out armed with energy, hammers, tacks, brass nails, a goodly supply of Bon-accord enamel (made by an Aberdeen firm, which is the best the writer has ever used), Japanese black, varnish, &c., and then buy the old sticks in the bazaar, provided they are strong or can be made so by a few screws. Then, as was said to a friend of the authors’, she will have the prettiest house in the station, with nothing worth a button in it ! Wall-papers are everywhere — even in England — a mistake. Distemper properly applied with dados and friezes of well-chosen colours is prettier and cleaner. The friezes especially serve to lower the obtrusive height of most Indian rooms. A very good way of producing a pretty effect is to take out A paper frieze, mount it on coarsest muslin like a map, and tack it with brass nails to the wall. If the room is very high, A band of contrasting distemper above it will bring the frieze within proper vision. Otherwise it will be lost in the rafters. English carpets are always a mistake. A good jail one for the reception rooms and cotton dhurries for the bedrooms answer all requirements. Pictures arc a great help in decorating, and no present can be more charming than a set of framed pictures fitted into a neat partitioned box with lock and key. One of the authors had a set of photographs from originals which kept alive her memories of art for many and many a long year in India, and now perform the same kind office for her in the wilds of Scotland. China and glass should always be chosen cheap, and the numbers noted and the address left, where they The Complete Indian are purchased, in view of future matching. Lamps are best kept plain, and witli metal stands. Wire mattresses should never be omitted where possible, but nothing over 3 feet 6 inches in width is satisfactory. Wider ones sag in the middle. One of the authors strongly recommends plain white double-width Bolton sheeting at 8|d. a yard as the best curtain material in the world. They can be dyed and re-dyed in the bazaar to any tint, and if that is kept light, and a bordering of fringe or cretonne added, the effect is charming, the folds being so soft. They require no lining, and if you order them to be dyed kutcha (not fast), you can change your tint at each move by having them washed, bleached, and re-dyed. The author did hers with Maypole soaj), which is invaluable. Brass rings, hooks, picture cord, upholstery tacks, gimps, wire nails, screws, brass picture nails, a few sets of neat hinges for screens, &c., will cost little, and be of endless convenience, while a set of carpenter’s tools and a little perseverance will save their cost ten times over in a year. There is so much leisure in India, especially when the nursery is not full, that young housekeepers will find decorating and upholstering a delightful occupation. In taking out house-linen omit dusters and all but face towels of fine linen. With these preliminaries we proceed to particulars of estimates, &c., for each Presidency. These have been revised for the North-West, and, except in the item of bazaar account, for other places. By adding ten per cent, to the food account, a fairly accurate estimate may be reached. It is a mistake to imagine, however, that living in India has gone up so enormously ; it is the style of living. Estimate for Bombay. Rs.

The complete Indian housekeeper & cook