ments is performed by cook,
kitchen-maid, and housemaid, and occasionally the part of a footman's
duty, which consists in carrying messages.

2341. The general servant's duties commence by opening the shutters (and
windows, if the weather permits) of all the lower apartments in the
house; she should then brush up her kitchen-range, light the fire, clear
away the ashes, clean the hearth, and polish with a leather the bright
parts of the range, doing all as rapidly and as vigorously as possible,
that no more time be wasted than is necessary. After putting on the
kettle, she should then proceed to the dining-room or parlour to get it
in order for breakfast. She should first roll up the rug, take up the
fender, shake and fold up the table-cloth, then sweep the room, carrying
the dirt towards the fireplace; a coarse cloth should then be laid down
over the carpet, and she should proceed to clean the grate, having all
her utensils close to her. When the grate is finished, the ashes cleared
away, the hearth cleaned, and the fender put back in its place, she must
dust the furniture, not omitting the legs of the tables and chairs; and
if there are any ornaments or things on the sideboard, she must not dust
round them, but lift them up on to another place, dust well where they
have been standing, and then replace the things. Nothing annoys a
particular mistress so much as to find, when she comes down stairs,
different articles of furniture looking as if they had never been
dusted. If the servant is at all methodical, and gets into a habit of
_doing_ a room in a certain way, she will scarcely ever leave her duties
neglected. After the rug is put down, the table-cloth arranged, and
everything in order, she should lay the cloth for breakfast, and then
shut the dining-room door.

2342. The hall must now be swept, the mats shaken, the door-step
cleaned, and any brass knockers or handles polished up with the leather.
If the family breakfast very early, the tidying of the hall must then be
deferred till after that meal. After cleaning the boots that are
absolutely required, the servant should now wash her hands and face, put
on a clean white apron, and be ready for her mistress when she comes
down stairs. In families where there is much work to do before
breakfast, the master of the house frequently has two pairs of boots in
wear, so that they may be properly cleaned when the servant has more
time to do them, in the daytime. This arrang