Blessed is that woman whose house con- tains a butler's pantry. Too often the fine china and glass must either be washed in the kitchen, or else in a dish-pan brought into the dining-room. When a pantry is lacking, there should be a butler's tray to hold the solid dishes. Such a tray may be closed, and put out of the way when not in use. A folding screen covered with Japanese pict- ures, with wall-paper, or with some textile fabric, may conceal the door to the pantry, or the slide by which dishes enter the dining- room, or may cut off the corner in which stands the butler s tray. To the woman of quick wit and ready fingers countless are the opportunities pro- vided for beautifying her dining-room. She may drape her mantel and conceal the ugly marble, using for this stamped Madras, or silkolene, both of which are pretty and cheap ; she may make covers for her side-' 14 THE DINING-EOOM board, rich with drawn-work and embroid- ery ; she may set a box of growing plants in the window, and tend them, so that she may always have a vase of fresh blossoms or of green sprays for the centre of the table ; and she may expend boundless energy in the manufacture of doilies, tray-cloths, and the thousand and one dainty pieces of linen dear to the housewife's soul. 15 AT THE BREAKFAST- TABLE EVEKYTHING in reason should be done to make the breakfast a tolerably pleas- ant meal. Very cheerful or jovial it seldom is. The father is in a hurry to get to his office or business, and usually buries himself in the morning paper; the children are burdened with the thought of approaching school duties ; the mother is silently mapping out the line of her day's operations, and is disin- clined to conversation. Add to this that all are apt to be more or less dominated by the physical depression of tone and passive dis- comfort so well known that one judge is fabled to have refused to ordain capital pun- ishment for a man convicted of having com- mitted a murder before breakfast. Until after that meal, even the best-tempered are prone to petulance, while those of a taciturn nature are quiet to the verge of what looks like sullenness. 16 AT THE BBEAKFAST-TABLE Here, as everywhere, upon the mother de- volves the burden of the family well-being. If her face is cast dow^n and gloomy, its re- flection is seen in the countenances of all those about her ; Avhile if she is bright and sunny, there is a perceptible rise in the spir- itual thermometer. Only by making a posi- tive duty of cheerfulness is it practicable sometimes for the mother to conquer the weariness and languor, the aching head, and the loathing for food, that are so frequently a woman's morning portion. The discom- fort the other members of the family know is increased tenfold in her case if a restless child, an ailing baby, or worry over financial or domestic matters has robbed her of part of her night's sleep. A good deal may be done to create an at- mosphere of pleasantness by due attention to the condition of the room. Unless it has been left in spotless order the preceding even- ing, either the maid or one of the family must bestow some attention upon it beyond putting the breakfast on the table. No crumbs from the last repast should disfigure 2 17 WHAT TO EAT HOW TO SERVE IT

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Blessed is that woman whose house contains a butler's pantry. Too often the fine china and glass must either be washed in the kitchen, or else in a dish-pan brought into the dining-room. When a pantry is lacking, there should be a butler's tray to hold the solid dishes. Such a tray may be closed, and put out of the way when not in use. A folding screen covered with Japanese pictures, with wall-paper, or with some textile fabric, may conceal the door to the pantry, or the slide by which dishes enter the diningroom, or may cut off the corner in which stands the butler's tray. To the woman of quick wit and ready fingers countless are the opportunities provided for beautifying her dining-room. She may drape her mantel and conceal the ugly marble, using for this stamped Madras, or silkolene, both of which are pretty and cheap ; she may make covers for her side-' THE DINING-EOOM board, rich with drawn-work and embroidery ; she may set a box of growing plants in the window, and tend them, so that she may always have a vase of fresh blossoms or of green sprays for the centre of the table ; and she may expend boundless energy in the manufacture of doilies, tray-cloths, and the thousand and one dainty pieces of linen dear to the housewife's soul. AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE EVERYTHING in reason should be done to make the breakfast a tolerably pleasant meal. Very cheerful or jovial it seldom is. The father is in a hurry to get to his office or business, and usually buries himself in the morning paper; the children are burdened with the thought of approaching school duties ; the mother is silently mapping out the line of her day's operations, and is disinclined to conversation. Add to this that all are apt to be more or less dominated by the physical depression of tone and passive discomfort so well known that one judge is fabled to have refused to ordain capital punishment for a man convicted of having committed a murder before breakfast. Until after that meal, even the best-tempered are prone to petulance, while those of a taciturn nature are quiet to the verge of what looks like sullenness. AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE Here, as everywhere, upon the mother devolves the burden of the family well-being. If her face is cast dow^n and gloomy, its reflection is seen in the countenances of all those about her; while if she is bright and sunny, there is a perceptible rise in the spiritual thermometer. Only by making a positive duty of cheerfulness is it practicable sometimes for the mother to conquer the weariness and languor, the aching head, and the loathing for food, that are so frequently a woman's morning portion. The discomfort the other members of the family know is increased tenfold in her case if a restless child, an ailing baby, or worry over financial or domestic matters has robbed her of part of her night's sleep. A good deal may be done to create an atmosphere of pleasantness by due attention to the condition of the room. Unless it has been left in spotless order the preceding evening, either the maid or one of the family must bestow some attention upon it beyond putting the breakfast on the table. No crumbs from the last repast should disfigure 2 17

What to eat, how to serve it