FEBRUARY 199 



'Amidst the frivolous pursuits and pernicious dissi- 

 pations of the present age, a respect for the qualities of 

 the understanding still prevails to such a degree that 

 almost every individual pretends to have a taste for the 

 Belles -Lettres. The spruce 'prentice sets up for a critic, 

 and the puny beau piques himself on being a con- 

 noisseur. Without assigning causes for this universal 

 presumption, we shall proceed to observe that if it was 

 attended with no other inconvenience than that of 

 exposing the pretender to the ridicule of those few who 

 can sift his pretensions, it might be unnecessary to 

 undeceive the public, or to endeavour at the reformation 

 of innocent folly productive of no evil to the common- 

 wealth.' 



Spending youth in school may prevent a young ser- 

 vant from knowing her duties as a servant so well as if 

 she had been brought up at home ; but, on the other 

 hand, being moderately well educated makes it far easier 

 to learn, and I maintain that, with a very little practical 

 teaching, the modern schoolgirl makes an excellent 

 servant. But no one can have a well-ordered house on 

 a small scale who is constantly leaving home or con- 

 stantly changing servants. An indifferent servant who 

 knows your ways is better than the good servant who is 

 quite fresh to the work in your house. Leaving home 

 often means a badly kept house, of that I am sure, 

 unless many members of the family remain at home and 

 give plenty of employment to everybody. Then, per- 

 haps, the real mistress of the house may be very little 

 missed. 



The fulness of life, the selfishness of life, often 

 prompt the modern housewife to throw up the sponge, 

 to rush away to the idleness of the hotel or the lodging ; 

 but it is a cowardly wish — a wish, except in real bad 

 health, to be ashamed of. Our troubles and sorrows, be 



