So, that I may not be utterly condemned for dragging in my invalids, I will just mention that a very nice dish for a small evening party is made by simply grating raw chestnuts up very finely into a dish, and covering them thickly with whipped cream, sweetened and flavoured to taste; while tins of American peaches, placed in a deep dish and sweetened to taste and covered with good whipped cream, are also things most useful to the country housewife, who is often called upon to provide a good extra dish in a hurry, despite her distance from shops and the impossibility of getting anything decent in her village; while Edwards’ desiccated soup is an excellent ‘standby’ in any country house, for with its aid soup is always forthcoming; and with soup and a pretty-looking sweet the simplest dinner may be made to pass off with sufficient éclat to satisfy a guest who may have been cajoled into sharing pot-luck, despite the fact that the nearest butcher is four miles off and that it is not the game season—a species of entertaining most trying to any one, especially in the country, but which even there can be faced with equanimity if we have sense, a few tinned provisions in our store-cupboards, and a cook who does not become flurried and who has her stockpot always going. A very good dinner can be extemporised by adding some of Edwards’ desiccated soup to the ordinary soup; a side-dish can be made from poached eggs on spinach, from tinned lobsters made into cutlets, from any remains of cold meat made into croquettes; while pancakes and tinned peaches and cream add sufficient variety to whatever had been prepared for the late dinner, which can be furthermore supplemented and helped out by some of the cooked cheese prepared in one of the ways given in the menu receipts; but a welcome must be forthcoming too, else no amount of dinner will make the unexpected guest feel as if he were being entertained.
One last hint: always, unless you live in London, keep two or three new toothbrushes and a clean brush and comb in the house; then, should your guest be willing to remain until the next morning unexpectedly, you will even be ready for that emergency, and will not have one tiny flaw left to be found in your simple but most complete system of entertaining.
CHAPTER XX.
THE SUMMING-UP.
I have been so continually asked what is the very smallest possible sum of money that will suffice to furnish a little house for a young couple beginning life, that I have drawn up from actual bills a short schedule of the cost of furnishing the ordinary villa residence in the suburbs. But to this must be added quite another 50l. should the householder have literally every single thing to buy; for in this special house, as will be seen from the list, several rather important items were already procured, and wedding presents made a great and perceptible difference in the appearance of the modest ménage, as is fortunately generally the case with all young couples starting in life, who, if they are wise, will only purchase necessaries at first, saving their money until they are actually married, and know not only what their friends have given them, but also what the house itself really requires. There is no doubt, if this be done, the following will suffice at first; and on 150l. the house will not only look nice but artistic too.
Dining-room.
| Bought of | £ | s. | d. | |
| A. and R. Smee | Six oak-framed rush-seated chairs at 25s. | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| Maple | Mahogany table | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| “ | Kidderminster square carpet | 1 | 17 | 6 |
| Burnett | Felt for curtains | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Whiteley | Fender | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| “ | Fireirons | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| £14 | 14 | 3 |
There were two deep cupboards in this special room, which rendered the purchase of a sideboard unnecessary; if one be imperative, I recommend the purchase of Maple’s ‘Vicarage’ suite of furniture at 20l. It is both pretty and good, I hear; I have not actual personal experience of it.
Drawing-room.
| Bought of | £ | s. | d. | |
| Shoolbred | Two squares of carpet | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| Maple | Sofa and pillows, covered velveteen | 9 | 2 | 6 |
| Whiteley | Fenders | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| “ | Fireirons | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Smee | Walnut octagonal table | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| “ | Stuffed arm-chair | 5 | 18 | 0 |
| “ | Sutherland table | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| “ | Low chair | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| “ | Arm-chair in rush &c. | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| “ | Walnut and rush easy chair | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Whiteley | Two low basket chairs | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| “ | Cushions made at home | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Burnett | Cretonne for curtains &c. | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Holroyd and Barker | Muslin for second curtains | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| £35 | 12 | 6 |