es
containing more or less of quicksilver, in some form or another;
and this in process of time is sure to make the plate brittle.
If any one wishes to be convinced of the effect of quicksilver
on plate, he has only to rub a little of it on one place for
some time,--on the handle of a silver teaspoon for instance, and
he will find it break in that spot with very little pressure.

To Clean Plate.

_A very excellent method._

[Illustration: PLATE-BRUSH.]

2317. Wash the plate well to remove all grease, in a strong lather of
common yellow soap and boiling water, and wipe it quite dry; then mix as
much hartshorn powder as will be required, into a thick paste, with cold
water or spirits of wine; smear this lightly over the plate with a piece
of soft rag, and leave it for some little time to dry. When perfectly
dry, brush it off quite clean with a soft plate-brush, and polish the
plate with a dry leather. If the plate be very dirty, or much tarnished,
spirits of wine will be found to answer better than the water for mixing
the paste.

Plate-rags for daily use.

2318. Boil soft rags (nothing is better for the purpose than the tops of
old cotton stockings) in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder, in
the proportion of 1 oz. of powder to a pint of milk; boil them for 5
minutes; wring them as soon as they are taken out, for a moment, in cold
water, and dry them before the fire. With these rags rub the plate
briskly as soon as it has been well washed and dried after daily use. A
most beautiful deep polish will be produced, and the plate will require
nothing more than merely to be dusted with a leather or a dry soft
cloth, before it is again put on the table.

2319. For waiting at table, the housemaid should be neatly and cleanly
dressed, and, if possible, her dress made with closed sleeves, the large
open ones dipping and falling into everything on the table, and being
very much in the way. She should not wear creaking boots, and should
move about the room as noiselessly as possible, anticipating people's
wants by handing them things without being asked for them, and
altogether be as quiet as possible. It will be needless here to repeat
what we have already said respecting waiting at table, in the duties of
the butler and footman: rules that are good to be observed by them, are
equally good for the parlour-maid or housemaid.

2320. The housemaid having announced that dinner is on the table, w