ch as conveying notes or
messages to friends, or the tradesmen, all of which he should punctually
and promptly attend to, it is his duty to be in waiting when his master
returns home to dress for dinner, or for any other occasion, and to have
all things prepared for this second dressing. Previous to this, he
brings under his notice the cards of visitors who may have called,
delivers the messages be may have received for him, and otherwise
acquits himself of the morning's commissions, and receives his orders
for the remainder of the day. The routine of his evening duty is to have
the dressing-room and study, where there is a separate one, arranged
comfortably for his master, the fires lighted, candles prepared,
dressing-gown and slippers in their place, and aired, and everything in
order that is required for his master's comforts.

FEMALE DOMESTICS.

DUTIES OF THE LADY'S-MAID.

2243. The duties of a lady's-maid are more numerous, and perhaps more
onerous, than those of the valet; for while the latter is aided by the
tailor, the hatter, the linen-draper, and the perfumer, the lady's-maid
has to originate many parts of the mistress's dress herself: she should,
indeed, be a tolerably expert milliner and dressmaker, a good
hairdresser, and possess some chemical knowledge of the cosmetics with
which the toilet-table is supplied, in order to use them with safety and
effect. Her first duty in the morning, after having performed her own
toilet, is to examine the clothes put off by her mistress the evening
before, either to put them away, or to see that they are all in order to
put on again. During the winter, and in wet weather, the dresses should
be carefully examined, and the mud removed. Dresses of tweed, and other
woollen materials, may be laid out on a table and brushed all over; but
in general, even in woollen fabrics, the lightness of the tissues
renders brushing unsuitable to dresses, and it is better to remove the
dust from the folds by beating them lightly with a handkerchief or thin
cloth. Silk dresses should never be brushed, but rubbed with a piece of
merino, or other soft material, of a similar colour, kept for the
purpose. Summer dresses of barege, muslin, mohair, and other light
materials, simply require shaking; but if the muslin be tumbled, it must
be ironed afterwards. If the dresses require slight repair, it should be
done at once: "a stitch in time saves nine."

2244. The bonnet should be dusted wi