is
whole time in recreation is ever whetting, never mowing; his grass may
grow and his steed starve; as, contrarily, he that always toils and
never recreates, is ever mowing, never whetting, labouring much to
little purpose. As good no scythe as no edge. Then only doth the work go
forward, when the scythe is so seasonably and moderately whetted that it
may cut, and so cut, that it may have the help of sharpening."

Unless the means of the mistress be very circumscribed, and she
be obliged to devote a great deal of her time to the making of
her children's clothes, and other economical pursuits, it is
right that she should give some time to the pleasures of
literature, the innocent delights of the garden, and to the
improvement of any special abilities for music, painting, and
other elegant arts, which she may, happily, possess.

26. THESE DUTIES AND PLEASURES BEING PERFORMED AND ENJOYED, the hour of
luncheon will have arrived. This is a very necessary meal between an
early breakfast and a late dinner, as a healthy person, with good
exercise, should have a fresh supply of food once in four hours. It
should be a light meal; but its solidity must, of course, be, in some
degree, proportionate to the time it is intended to enable you to wait
for your dinner, and the amount of exercise you take in the mean time.
At this time, also, the servants' dinner will be served.

In those establishments where an early dinner is served, that
will, of course, take the place of the luncheon. In many houses,
where a nursery dinner is provided for the children and about
one o'clock, the mistress and the elder portion of the family
make their luncheon at the same time from the same joint, or
whatever may be provided. A mistress will arrange, according to
circumstances, the serving of the meal; but the more usual plan
is for the lady of the house to have the joint brought to her
table, and afterwards carried to the nursery.

27. AFTER LUNCHEON, MORNING CALLS AND VISITS may be made and received.
These may be divided under three heads: those of ceremony, friendship,
and congratulation or condolence. Visits of ceremony, or courtesy, which
occasionally merge into those of friendship, are to be paid under
various circumstances. Thus, they are uniformly required after dining at
a friend's house, or after a ball, picnic, or any other party. These
visits should be short, a stay of from