The complete servant / Being a practical guide to the peculiar duties and business of all descriptions of servants, from the housekeeper to the servant of all-work, and from the land steward to the foot-boy. With useful receipts and tables

by servant Samuel Adams; Sarah Adams

As sugar is an article of considerable expense, it is to be understood that, of the white sugars, the most refined goes furthest and sweetens best. Chuse those that are close, heavy, and shining.—The best sorts of the brown have a bright gravelly look. The coarser sorts are strongest and fittest for wines, sweetmeats, &c.

The only certain road to regularity, is to do every thing in its proper time—keep every thing in its proper place—and apply every thing to its proper use.

The great Dutch statesman, De Witt, attributed the whole art of dispatching a multitude of business, to the doing of one thing at a time.

The want of regularity gives to families the appearance of chance and confusion; on the contrary, order in a family is productive of much happiness.

Accustom all the servants under your direction to rise early, and let them breakfast at an early hour. If orders be given betimes in the morning, there will be more time to execute them,—servants will perform their work with more ease,—and less hands will be required. If the economy of time were duly considered, and a regular plan of daily employment laid down, much business may be effected without hurry or fatigue.

As some preparation is necessary in all families for accidental visitors, care should be taken to have things in readiness for lunch, chocolate, sandwiches, &c.

An inventory of furniture, linen, china, plate, &c. should be kept, and the articles examined by it twice a year, at least, or oftener if the servants be changed, and a correct list of the articles delivered into the care of the new servants should be kept.—House-cloths, knife-cloths, &c. should be numbered, and always be accounted for, either whole or in part—which would be done if a note were inserted at the top of the list of the articles delivered out.

Tin fenders, and other things that are painted, should be painted every year or two.—Tin vessels, if suffered to become damp, soon rust, and are eaten into holes.

The best way to scald fruits or to boil vinegar is, to put it in a stone jar on an iron hearth—or to put the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, called a water bath.

THE STORE-ROOM AND STILL-ROOM.