skim-milk to a pail of water being sufficient. Never use soap or
scrubbing-brush, as they destroy both color and texture.

All brass or silver-plated work about fire-place, doorknobs, or bath-room
faucets, should be cleaned once a week and before sweeping. For silver,
rub first with powdered whiting moistened with a little alcohol or hot
water. Let it dry on, and then polish with a dry chamois-skin. If there is
any intricate work, use a small toothbrush. Whiting, silver-soap, cloths,
chamois, and brushes should all be kept in a box together. In another may
be the rotten-stone necessary for cleaning brass, a small bottle of oil,
and some woolen cloths. Old merino or flannel under-wear makes excellent
rubbing-cloths. Mix the rotten-stone with enough oil to make a paste; rub
on with one cloth, and polish with another. Thick gloves can be worn, and
all staining of the hands avoided.

The bedrooms and the necessary daily sweeping finished, a look into cellar
and store-rooms is next in order,--in the former, to see that no decaying
vegetable matter is allowed to accumulate; in the latter, that bread-jar
or boxes are dry and sweet, and all stores in good condition.

Where there are servants, it should be understood that the mistress makes
this daily progress. Fifteen minutes or half an hour will often cover the
time consumed; but it should be a fixed duty never omitted. A look into
the refrigerator or meat-safe to note what is left and suggest the best
use for it; a glance at towels and dish-cloths to see that all are clean
and sweet, and another under all sinks and into each pantry,--will prevent
the accumulation of bones and stray bits of food and dirty rags, the
paradise of the cockroach, and delight of mice and rats. A servant, if
honest, will soon welcome such investigation, and respect her mistress the
more for insisting upon it, and, if not, may better find other quarters.
One strong temptation to dishonesty is removed where such inspection is
certain, and the weekly bills will be less than in the house where matters
are left to take care of themselves.

The preparation of dinner if at or near the middle of the day, and the
dish-washing which follows, end the heaviest portion of the day's work;
and the same order must be followed. Only an outline can be given; each
family demanding variations in detail, and each head of a family in time
building up her own system. Remember, however, that, if but one servant is
kept, s