It is considered an accomplishment for a lady to know how to carve well at her own table. It is not proper to stand in carving. The carving-knife should be sharp and thin. To carve fowls (which should always be laid with the breast uppermost,) place the fork in the breast, and take off the wings and legs without turning the fowl; then cut out the merry-thought, cut slices from the breast, take out the collar bone, cut off the side pieces, and then cut the carcass in two. Divide the joints in the leg of a turkey.
In helping the guests, when no choice is expressed, give a piece of both the white and dark meat, with some of the stuffing. Inquire whether the guest will be helped to each kind of vegetable, and put the gravy on the plate, and not on any article of food.
In carving a sirloin, cut thin slices from the side next to you, (it must be put on the dish with the tenderloin underneath;) then turn it, and cut from the tenderloin. Help the guest to both kinds.
In carving a leg of mutton or a ham, begin by cutting across the middle to the bone. Cut a tongue across, and not lengthwise, and help from the middle part.
Carve a fore-quarter of lamb by separating the shoulder from the ribs, and then dividing the ribs. To carve a loin of veal, begin at the smaller end and separate the ribs. Help each one to a piece of the kidney and its fat. Carve pork and mutton in the same way.
To carve a fillet of veal, begin at the top, and help to the stuffing with each slice. In a breast of veal, separate the breast and brisket, and then cut them up, asking which part is preferred. In carving a pig, it is customary to divide it, and take off the head, before it comes to the table; as, to many persons, the head is very revolting. Cut off the limbs, and divide the ribs. In carving venison, make a deep incision down to the bone, to let out the juices; then turn the broad end of the haunch toward you, cutting deep, in thin slices. For a saddle of venison, cut from the tail toward the other end, on each side, in thin slices. Warm plates are very necessary with venison and mutton, and in winter are desirable for all meats.
ON THE CARE OF CHAMBERS AND BEDROOMS.
Every mistress of a family should see not only that all sleeping-rooms in her house can be well ventilated at night, but that they actually are so. Where there is no open fire-place to admit the pure air from the exterior, a door should be left open into an entry, or room where fresh air is admitted; or else a small opening should be made in the top and bottom of a window, taking care not to allow a draught of air to cross the bed. The debility of childhood, the lassitude of domestics, and the ill health of families, are often caused by neglecting to provide a supply of pure air. Straw matting is best for a chamber carpet, and strips of woolen carpeting may be laid by the side of the bed. Where chambers have no closets, a wardrobe is indispensable. A low square box, set on casters, with a cushion on the top, and a drawer on one side to put shoes in, is a great convenience in dressing the feet. An old Champagne basket, fitted up with a cushion on the lid, and a valance fastened to it to cover the sides, can be used for the same purpose.
Another convenience, for a room where sewing is done in summer, is a fancy jar, set in one corner, to receive clippings, and any other rubbish. It can be covered with prints or paintings, and varnished, and then looks very prettily.
The trunks in a chamber can be improved in looks and comfort by making cushions of the same size and shape, stuffed with hay and covered with chintz, with a frill reaching nearly to the floor.