d on that particular day, be it ever so
small; then, at the end of the month, let these various payments be
ranged under their specific heads of Butcher, Baker, &c.; and thus will
be seen the proportions paid to each tradesman, and any one month's
expenses may be contrasted with another. The housekeeping accounts
should be balanced not less than once a month; so that you may see that
the money you have in hand tallies with your account of it in your
diary. Judge Haliburton never wrote truer words than when he said, "No
man is rich whose expenditure exceeds his means, and no one is poor
whose incomings exceed his outgoings."

When, in a large establishment, a housekeeper is kept, it will
be advisable for the mistress to examine her accounts regularly.
Then any increase of expenditure which may be apparent, can
easily be explained, and the housekeeper will have the
satisfaction of knowing whether her efforts to manage her
department well and economically, have been successful.

17. ENGAGING DOMESTICS is one of those duties in which the judgment of
the mistress must be keenly exercised. There are some respectable
registry-offices, where good servants may sometimes be hired; but the
plan rather to be recommended is, for the mistress to make inquiry
amongst her circle of friends and acquaintances, and her tradespeople.
The latter generally know those in their neighbourhood, who are wanting
situations, and will communicate with them, when a personal interview
with some of them will enable the mistress to form some idea of the
characters of the applicants, and to suit herself accordingly.

We would here point out an error--and a grave one it is--into
which some mistresses fall. They do not, when engaging a
servant, expressly tell her all the duties which she will be
expected to perform. This is an act of omission severely to be
reprehended. Every portion of work which the maid will have to
do, should be plainly stated by the mistress, and understood by
the servant. If this plan is not carefully adhered to, domestic
contention is almost certain to ensue, and this may not be
easily settled; so that a change of servants, which is so much
to be deprecated, is continually occurring.

18. IN OBTAINING A SERVANT'S CHARACTER, it is not well to be guided by a
written one from some unknown quarter; but it is better to have an
interview, if at all possible, with the form