s getting cold, whilst great care should be
taken, that, between the first and second courses, no more time is
allowed to elapse than is necessary, for fear that the company in the
dining-room lose all relish for what has yet to come of the dinner. When
the dinner has been served, the most important feature in the daily life
of the cook is at an end. She must, however, now begin to look to the
contents of her larder, taking care to keep everything sweet and clean,
so that no disagreeable smells may arise from the gravies, milk, or meat
that may be there. These are the principal duties of a cook in a
first-rate establishment.

In smaller establishments, the housekeeper often conducts the higher
department of cooking (_see_ 58, 59, 60), and the cook, with the
assistance of a scullery-maid, performs some of the subordinate duties
of the kitchen-maid.

When circumstances render it necessary, the cook engages to perform the
whole of the work of the kitchen, and, in some places, a portion of the
house-work also.

85. WHILST THE COOK IS ENGAGED WITH HER MORNING DUTIES, the kitchen-maid
is also occupied with hers. Her first duty, after the fire is lighted,
is to sweep and clean the kitchen, and the various offices belonging to
it. This she does every morning, besides cleaning the stone steps at the
entrance of the house, the halls, the passages, and the stairs which
lead to the kitchen. Her general duties, besides these, are to wash and
scour all these places twice a week, with the tables, shelves, and
cupboards. She has also to dress the nursery and servants'-hall dinners,
to prepare all fish, poultry, and vegetables, trim meat joints and
cutlets, and do all such duties as may be considered to enter into the
cook's department in a subordinate degree.

86. THE DUTIES OF THE SCULLERY-MAID are to assist the cook; to keep the
scullery clean, and all the metallic as well as earthenware kitchen
utensils.

The position of scullery-maid is not, of course, one of high
rank, nor is the payment for her services large. But if she be
fortunate enough to have over her a good kitchen-maid and clever
cook, she may very soon learn to perform various little duties
connected with cooking operations, which may be of considerable
service in fitting her for a more responsible place. Now, it
will be doubtless thought by the majority of our readers, that
the fascinations connected with the position of the
sc