Bad habits to be reformed--Late hours--Value of the long winter evenings--Simplicity of manners--Over-carefulness--Instruction to be gained from foreign nations--Our manners should be natural-- _Impedimenta_ in our households--Comparison of former times with our own--Children trained to habits of consideration--Young men and boys over-indulged--Reduction of establishments--Lady-helps--What is menial work?--Picturesque occupation--What is lady-like--Amateur millinery-- Two subjects for an artist--Taste--Plan of the book--Eugénie de Guérin 20 THE ENTRANCE-HALL. The evil of side doors--Difficulties with cooks--Who is to answer the door?--Four classes of applicants--Arrangements for tradespeople-- Visitors--Furniture of the hall--Warming the passages--Dirt and door-mats--The door-step--Charwomen 40 BREAKFAST. Lighting gas-fire--Difficulty of rousing servants--Family breakfast-- Cooking omelet--Hours of work and enjoyment--Duties of mothers and householders--What is included in six hours' daily work--Clearing away the breakfast--Bowl for washing the _vaisselle_--Ornamented tea-cloths--Muslin cap worn while dusting--Use of feather-brush-- Cleaning windows--Advantages of gas-fire 54 THE KITCHEN. Parisian markets--No refuse food brought into a house--Catering in London--Cooking-stoves--Pretty kitchen--Underground kitchens objectionable--Kitchen level with the street door--Larder and store-room--The dresser--Kitchen in the Swiss style--Herbs in the window--Hygienic value of aromatic plants--Polished sink--Earthenware scrap-dish--Nothing but ashes in dust-bin--Soap-dish--Plate-rack-- Kitchen cloths--Few cleaning materials necessary--Hand work better than machine work--Washing at home--Knife-cleaning--Fuel-box--No work in the kitchen unfit for a lady to do 68 THE LADY-HELP. True position of a lady-help--Division of work in a family--The mother the best teacher--Marketing--Young lady-helps--Luncheon--Early dinners for children--Recreation--Preparing the late dinner--Evening tea--The lady-help a gentlewoman--Her assistance at breakfast--Her spare time-- Tact 88 THE DINING-ROOM. Carpets and curtains--Picture hanging and frames--Distemper colouring for cornices--Oval dining-table--Sideboard for breakfast service-- Beauty of English porcelain--A London dining-room--Giulio Romano's banquet--Growing plants--The large sideboard--Dinner-service--Styles of dinner--Food in due season--Gracefulness of flowers and fruits-- Fresh fruit better than preserves--Communication between kitchen and dining-room--Remarks on plate--Table decorations 103 THE DRAWING-ROOM.