mouthful that is consumed?

Eating and drinking come _three times every day_; they must come; and,
however little we may, in the days of our health and vigor, care about
choice food and about cookery, we very soon get _tired_ of heavy or
burnt bread, and of spoiled joints of meat. We bear them for once or
twice perhaps; but about the third time, we begin to lament; about the
fifth time, it must be an extraordinary affair that will keep us from
complaining; if the like continue for a month or two, we begin to
_repent_; and then adieu to all our anticipated delights. We discover,
when it is too late, that we have not got a helpmate, but a burden;
and, the fire of love being damped, the unfortunately educated
creature, whose parents are more to blame than she is, unless she
resolve to learn her duty, is doomed to lead a life very nearly
approaching to that of misery; for, however considerate the husband, he
never can esteem her as he would have done, had she been skilled in
domestic affairs.

The mere _manual_ performance of domestic labors is not, indeed,
absolutely necessary in the female head of the family of professional
men; but, even here, and also in the case of great merchants and of
gentlemen living on their fortunes, surely the head of the household
ought to be able to give directions as to the purchasing of meal,
salting meat, making bread, making preserves of all sorts; and ought to
see the things done.

The lady ought to take care that food be well cooked; that there be
always a sufficient supply; that there be good living without waste;
and that in her department, nothing shall be seen inconsistent with the
rank, station, and character of her husband. If he have a skilful and
industrious wife, he will, unless he be of a singularly foolish turn,
gladly leave all these things to her absolute dominion, controlled only
by the extent of the whole expenditure, of which he must be the best
judge.

But, in a farmer's or a tradesman's family, the manual performance is
absolutely necessary, whether there be domestics or not. No one knows
how to teach another so well as one who has done, and can do, the thing
himself. It was said of a famous French commander, that, in attacking
an enemy, he did not say to his men '_go_ on,' but '_come_ on;' and,
whoever has well observed the movements of domestics, must know what a
prodigious difference there is in the effect of the words, _go_ and
_come_.

A very good rule would