her spit, gridiron, and frying-pan will not be put away greasy, otherwise they will accumulate a mass of dust and filth; nor will a tin saucepan, after cleaning, be put away without drying, otherwise it becomes rusty; so also does a toasting-fork, unless wiped dry and rubbed with a leather every time of using. Q. What is the best method of cleaning saucepans and other kitchen utensils? A. As soon as done with, they should be filled with cold water to soak them; by this means, whatever hangs about the sides, will be prevented from sticking, and they will be cleaned the more easily and effectually; afterwards, a bunch of straw, and a little wood-ashes lightly rubbed round the inside, answer very well; or if they are particularly greasy, the ashes may be boiled up in them with a little water, and then used for scouring, as above; afterwards they must be well rinsed with clean water, and made perfectly dry. To brighten the outsides, have clean leathers, a separate one for each purpose, and rub the copper and brass vessels with white brick, finely powdered, and the tin with fine whitening, or rotten-stone and sweet oil. Q. How may the cook ensure punctuality ? A. By forecasting her work, allotting the exact time at which every part of it ought to be attended to, in order to have all complete at the appointed minute; and in such calculation, allowing even in a small family, a quarter of an hour for serving up dinner, and at least as long a time for unforeseen delays and hindrances. She will in particular be careful always to make up her fire in proper time, according to what she has to prepare, and never to be without hot water: she will also regularly clean and put in its place every article, every day, that the business of the morning may not be hindered by the neglects of the preceding afternoon; and she will take care to have in the house a regular supply of those things that are in daily use for cooking: such as flour, salt, pepper, &c., or much time be may • Vitriol is often used for this purpose, but it is a dangerous thing to leave about; besides, though it cleans quickly, coppers so cleaned do not retain their colour. hindered for want of having them at the moment they are required. Q. Can you give any rules as to the time and manner of dressing different meats? A. In boiling or roasting a joint, a quarter of an hour to a pound is usually allowed, and to most joints a few minutes over. Poultry, according to its size a chicken will take about twenty-five minutes or half an hour; a large fowl, forty minutes for boiling, something longer for roasting; ducks, from half to three quarters of an hour; a goose, from an hour to an hour and a half; a turkey, from an hour and a quarter to an hour and three quarters; wild fowl and game should be less done than tame. White meats, as : fowls, veal, lamb, should be floured before boiling, to keep them white and free from grease: the pot must be carefully scummed; use soft water for boiling, if it can be got put the meat in when blood-warm, and reckon the time from when it boils: keep it boiling the whole time, but do not let it boil fast. All thick joints, for roasting, require at first a slow but strong fire, and that will become fiercer by degrees, when the joint is hot through; small thin joints (as of lamb, griskin of pork, &c.), and poultry, require a clear brisk fire from the first; all meat and poultry, while roasting, should be well basted, especially on the lean parts, turned every way in the influence of the fire, and a little salt and flour scattered on when nearly done. For frying and broiling, have a brisk clear fire of cinders or charcoal: turn a steak often; scatter a little pepper and salt, and rub on a small piece of butter, when done. For boiling fish, mackarel and cod may be put on in cold water, with a spoonful of salt, and a little vinegar; salmon with the water blood-warm: set them on a moderate fire: the mackarel will be done when the water boils; the others will take five, ten or fifteen minutes longer, but it may be proved by pulling a fin; if it comes out easily, the fish is done. For frying fish, avoid as much as possible wetting it; let it be cleaned an hour or two before wanted, and wrapped in a coarse dry cloth; let it be well floured, and put into plenty of fat, perfectly boiling: let one side be done of a fine pale brown before you turn it. VaQWhat rules do you give for the boiling of vegetables? A Potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes should be put into cold water, just enough to cover them, and a spoonful of salt; they should boil slowly, with the lid off, until the skin cracks; then pour off the water, put the lid on, and stand them on the hod some minutes, to dry before pealing. Carrots, parsnips and turnips are best boiled with meat; they should be put in the liquor boiling: turnips and young carrots will take from twenty minutes to half an hour; old carrots require much longer. All kinds of greens, peas, beans, French-beans, asparagus, sea-kale, &c. should be put, with a little salt, into a fast-boiling saucepan, and the lid immediately put on make them boil up as quickly as possible; when they do so, take the lid off, and put it on no more, but keep them fast boiling till done. Q. Have you any directions for puddings and pastry? A. Eggs should be well beaten, and then thoroughly mixed with flour, before any milk is added; for a rich batter-pudding, to every egg put one table-spoonful of flour, and one of milk; let the bason and cloth be buttered; tie it up securely, and boil it; for one egg, twenty minutes; for two, half an hour; for three, three quarters of an hour; and for five, one hour, which time a light batter-pudding ought never to exceed. For a plain batter-pudding, either baked or boiled, fewer eggs will do to a larger quantity of flour and milk, and a little dripping or suet, finely shred, will make it light. For puddings in which the milk and other ingredients are first boiled, and then added to the eggs, have the bread and milk, or rice* milk, boiling, and add to it, by degrees, the eggs and sugar, and put it immediately into the oven for baking, or the saucepan for boiling, without suffering it to get cool. For pie-crust, rub the lard and butter, or dripping, to a cream; then add the flour by degrees, and wet it with *Two large table-spoonsful of ground rice will thicken a quart of new milk: wet the rice by degrees with a little of the milk cold, and stir it into the rest boiling; let it boil a minute or two, then add the eggs. cold water; roll it out on a clean board. For a common paste, half a pound of fat to two pounds of flour ; if wanted richer, more in proportion. Crust for steak or fruit puddings is made in the same manner, with either suet, lard, or dripping; they should be boiled in a bason, and will take, for a good sized fruit pudding, two hours boiling; a steak pudding, of the same size, two hours and a half or three hours.* The Triumph of Truth. ( Mr leaving the castle was now a thing fixed, and the only consolation I could receive in the view of it, was from a knowledge of carrying with me the good-will of all that knew me. I was shocked at the thoughts of being thrown into the world without a friend; but I was reminded, by dear Miss Osburne, that the friend ship of man is but a bending reed, in comparison of the. protection of Him, who is, to all that put their trust in Him, a tower of strength. I was now to go in three days, and was not yet provided with a place; but Miss Osburne had written about me to a friend of hers, and I hoped her application would be successful. In the mean time, Lord Longlands arrived at the castle, to prepare his mother for the reception of his intended bride, the heiress of Merriton, whose great fortune made her a more acceptable daughter-in law to the old lady, than my lord's first wife had been; and Jackson, seeing my lady in such high good humour, thought it a favourable time to soften her in my behalf. She began by telling her, how sorry I was to leave the castle, and then ventured to say many things in my praise, taking care, at the These are long paragraphs, but they contain a good deal of information, by which any handy, notable girl, in a plain family, may guide herself in her first attempts, and practice will soon make all easy. same time, to contrast all she said in my favour, with the idleness and self-conceit of Jenny, whose word, she said, would never be taken before mine, by any one who knew us both, as she did. Poor Jackson had reason to repent her zeal; for she found my lady so prepossessed in favour of my adversary, that all she said against her was attributed to spite. And she now saw, that, having accustomed her lady to flattery, she had exposed her to the arts of a more cunning flatterer than herself. In fact, Jenny looked to Jackson's place, and would have succeeded in her designs, had it not been for a very extraordinary accident, which brought all her character to light. On the morning that I was to leave the castle, Miss Osburne told Lord Longlands, that his mother was that day to part with the most attached and faithful creature in the world, on account of her having thrown the blame of burning a piece of lace on little Charles. My lord inquired into the particulars, and resolved to have the matter investigated fairly before I went; and, on my lady's coming in, told her his design. Both Jenny and I were summoned to appear; and my lord having first requested that no one should speak but the person he called on for an answer, first desired me to tell my story; and when I had finished, called on Jenny for hers. She began much in the same way she had done before; but, in concluding, added, what she had not then said, that I had immediately intreated her not to tell how it happened, but to join me in saying it was Lord Lintop who threw down the screen; for that my lady would not be angry if she thought he did it. She was then beginning a long harangue upon her good will to me, and the hardships she lay under, in being looked down upon by all the servants in the house, because she would not join me in making up a story against her dear innocent child, to save me from my lady's anger. Lord Longlands desired her to stop; and then asked me what I had done with the lace which the child had twisted up, and which I said was torn. I had, I said, given it to Mrs. Jackson. She was called on, and the lace was produced in the state I had described it. On examining it, my lord called for his |