about two dollars) to give the
cook (often the second one) who prepared her meals and one dollar for the
kitchen maid who set her table.

A gentleman scarcely ever "remembers" any of the women servants (to their
chagrin) except a waitress, and tips only the butler and the valet, and
sometimes the chauffeur. The least he can offer any of the men-servants is
two dollars and the most ever is five. No woman gets as much as that,
for such short service.

In a few houses the tipping system is abolished, and in every guest room,
in a conspicuous place on the dressing-table or over the bath tub where
you are sure to read it, is a sign, saying:

"Please do not offer tips to my servants. Their contract is with this
special understanding, and proper arrangements have been made to meet it;
you will not only create 'a situation,' but cause the immediate dismissal
of any one who may be persuaded by you to break this rule of the house."

The notice is signed by the host. The "arrangement" referred to is one
whereby every guest means a bonus added to their wages of so much per
person per day for all employees. This system is much preferred by
servants for two reasons. First, self-respecting ones dislike the
demeaning effect of a tip (an occasional few won't take them). Secondly,
they can absolutely count that so many visitors will bring them precisely
such an amount.

[Illustration: "IN SMALL HOUSES BREAKFAST TRAYS FOR WOMEN GUESTS ARE
CARRIED UP BY THE WAITRESS." [Page 426]]

=BREAKFAST DOWNSTAIRS OR UP=

Breakfast customs are as varied in this country as the topography of the
land! Communities of people who have lived or traveled much abroad, have
nearly all adopted the Continental breakfast habit of a tray in their
room, especially on Sunday mornings. In other communities it is the custom
to go down to the dining-room for a heavy American (or English) meal. In
communities where the latter is the custom and where people are used to
assembling at a set hour, it is simple enough to provide a breakfast
typical of the section of the country; corn bread and kidney stew and
hominy in the South; doughnuts and codfish balls "way down East"; kippered
herring, liver and bacon and griddle cakes elsewhere. But downstairs
breakfast as a continuous performance is, from a housekeeper's point of
view, a trial to say the least.

However, in big houses, where men refuse to eat in their rooms and equally
refuse to get up until they feel like