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every mother, keep your children under your own eye. It has been well remarked that no children are so healthy, so intelligent, and so firm in principle as those whose nursery has been the parlour-the parlour not being too fine for the occupation of children, but plainly and usefully furnished.

In the houses of the middle classes who endeavour to make an appearance above their means, there is usually a plan, destructive to the comfort of the family, of making the best room in the house a show-room, called, by courtesy, a reception-room, where elegant couches not meant for resting-places, rich carpets not meant to be trodden upon, books in green and gold not meant to be opened, are the pride of the mistress, the drain on the means of the master, the trouble and sorrow of the servants, the bugbear of the banished children, and the ridicule of unfriendly visitors.

We cannot see why this useless room, generally the largest and airiest room in the house, should not be usefully employed. Why should not the sofa be covered with a neat chintz that can be washed when soiled, that the tired husband may rest on it, and a visitor sit down on it in comfort? Why should not the furniture be good, even handsome, but so plain that it will not be injured by daily use? Why should not the books be read, the piano played upon, and the room itself be a happy family sanctuary, and still a reception-room that a sensible woman need not blush to see her friends in.

Another objectionable practice is to allow the servants usually to spread the table in a slovenly, incomplete manner, when the family are alone, thus rendering it a trouble and a difficulty for them to arrange it for company. If they were daily obliged to do this duty with neatness and propriety, to place clean knives, polished spoons, bright glasses, and all in the same order as for company, the family would sit down in comfort, and never feel ashamed if a stranger were casually admitted into the dining-room.

DUTIES OF A WIFE AND MOTHER.

9

Order is the very soul of a household, and a witty writer on domestic matters has said, "Order is the basis of economy; order in the conduct of affairs; order in the distribution of time; order in the management of the income; order in the regulation of amusements; order in the arrangement of your society."

This maxim should never be lost sight of in the simplest affairs: the small things of life make up the sum of happiness or misery; as the minutes, whether employed or wasted, make up the great account of human life.

To illustrate the benefit of order in the distribution of time, we would take the instance of a lady of moderate income, with a small establishment and young children.

She should rise sufficiently early to allow herself an hour for her toilet and her private devotions; half an hour's sleep more than usual must cause her to hurry over her ablutions and dressing, to descend to breakfast in a slovenly toilet, or to neglect her duties to God.

Then half an hour may be well spent in inspecting the rooms, to see that the housemaid has done her duty effectually; in visiting the nursery to ascertain that all is well, that the young children have breakfasted, and all are ready for prayers as soon as the head of the family is prepared to take his place.

After prayers, she should require that all who are old enough to breakfast with the family should be down at the regular hour. Breakfast should be a social meal. There is no greater hindrance to order, or annoyance to servants, than to have the breakfast remain standing on the table for one or two lazy individuals.

After breakfast, while the children are sent out to walk or to play, the mother should attend to those household duties which her position in life requires

from her.

If she have but one or two maids she may be called

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on to take an active part in the business of the kitchen, or, at all events, to exercise some superintendence for an hour or two; but if she has a good establishment, it will be sufficient that she should inspect the larder, and give her orders to the cook fully and distinctly for the day. If company be expected, and unusual preparations be required, the orders should be written out. A great point of good management is to take care that nothing is wasted, and that everything is turned to the greatest advantage.

Every Saturday morning, the bed and house linen necessary for the week should be given out, and the linen returned from the washing be looked over and placed in the closets. Soap and candles should be also given out, and tea and sugar. It is usual to allow to each servant a quarter of a pound of tea and one pound of moist sugar for the week.

After the household affairs of the morning are over, there are some hours in which there is little apprehension of interruption, and these hours should have their allotted and regular occupations. At least one hour should be devoted to walking or riding; and if the lady teaches her own children, this is the most convenient time for the lessons. If not thus occupied, various improving studies, useful needlework, letter-writing, or any employment requiring continued attention may fill up the time till dinner.

A certain portion of this time will be liable to be interrupted by visitors; but the reception need not prevent useful employment. And at certain periods these visits of ceremony must be returned; but a prudent and economical woman will devote as little time as is consistent with the usages of society to this unprofitable pursuit.

If it be well cooked, neatly set out, and seasoned with cheerful good-humour, there are few husbands that will not thoroughly appreciate the comfort of a home dinner.

DUTIES OF A WIFE AND MOTHER.

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Wine is one of the luxuries of life, seldom needed absolutely; and if habitually taken, even very moderately, it forms an extravagant item in household expenditure. Nevertheless, a man of good income has been usually accustomed to it, and if he can afford it, it is not necessary to relinquish it.

To preserve the respect of servants, it is necessary to be guarded in the conversation at table; hasty observations, animadversions on acquaintances, and, above all, altercations, should be carefully avoided.

The evening should ever be set apart for such social amusements as are suited to the taste, the habits, the ages of the children, and the income of the family. The inclination of the master of the house should first be consulted; he may choose to devote his evening to quiet reading; then, the wife must give the children quiet amusements, and work or read herself; or, if on a subject she can understand and enjoy, she may participate in the pleasure of her husband's reading.

In some families, music or dancing fill up the evening pleasantly sports with the children, if not continued too long, are rarely annoying to a father; and small evening parties, if kept within the bounds of prudence and economy, aid the plan of making home happy.

We might certainly suggest another means of rendering evenings at home pleasant, but we might offend against that code of social law by which all women in a respectable station are supposed to be bound.

Among the conventional and inevitable usages of good society, resulting rather from the increasing luxury of the times than from the wisdom of ages, is that systematical waste of time called morning calls. We would presume to say, that even the lady of rank reclining in her carriage as she passes from house to house fulfilling this monotonous duty, might employ her hours more profitably and pleasantly; but we do not hesitate to assert that the mother of a family, probably not in affluent circumstances, fearfully misspends her time when,

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abandoning her domestic duties, she sets out, card-case in hand, to make a tour of morning calls. What is the spirit that pervades these visits ? Not the improvement of the mind, for usually a few formal set phrases, polite inquiries, or idle gossip is the sum of the conversation. Not friendship, for it is not uncommon to make a call on a lady, knowing she is out, and it is usually a great relief under any circumstances to hear the words, "Not at home," and have all the gratification of having performed a duty to society at the expense of a card.

On the other hand, the lady honoured by the visit generally feels a peculiar gratification on finding several cards on her table, symbolic of visitors whom she has happily escaped. Yet such is the passive endurance of society when fashion is the tyrant, that though all feel the weight of the chains, none will venture to shake them off.

It is strange that the English people, who usually imitate with avidity foreign manners, have never been induced to adopt the agreeable continental custom of informal and impromptu evening visits. These are expressly suited to families in that grade of society where the husband is certainly occupied during the day, and the wife ought to be much engaged in domestic affairs.

There is much of the warmth of real friendship, and usually a certainty of pleasant amusement, when a few visitors, old and young, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, join without ceremony the social evening circle, enlivening the conversation, and contributing some mite to the general entertainment. Music, sports with the children, and the harmless diversions of a home assembly, usually extend these visits far beyond the regulation twenty minutes of morning calls. A simple and inexpensive refreshment of fruit and cakes gives to the little party a character of hospitality, and in such easy and cheerful circles permanent ties of friendship and affection are often formed.