The cleaning and polishing your plate and glass, the laying the table, the tasteful adorning of it with variegated leaves, with ferns or flowers, and the artistic folding of the serviettes, may with confidence be left to the mayordomo's care; every detail will be attended to down to the ylang-ylang flowers in the finger-bowls. With such servants as these, the mistress of the house, free from domestic cares, may take her shower-bath, and, clad in Kabaya and Sarong, await the moment when she must resume the garments of civilisation, and receive her guests looking as fresh, in spite of the thermometer, as if she had stepped out of a coupé in Piccadilly or Fifth Avenue. Ladies used to the ministry of Irish Biddy or Aunt Chloe ought to fancy themselves transported to heaven when they find themselves at the head of a household in Manila. I append a note of household expenses for a family living moderately in Manila in 1892. I suppose the cost has been doubled under American rule. Household Budget in 1892. For a family of three adults and three children. Mexican Dollars. House-rent per month 100 Servants' wages and food per month 80 Washing per month 12 Forage and grain for two ponies per month 16 Allowance to cook for market per month 60 Extra for two dinner-parties of six or eight guests each 20 Bill at Almacen (grocery store) for groceries, ordinary wines, spirits, and petroleum per month 65 Bill at Botica (drug store) for soda water, ice and various articles per month 20 Case of champagne for dinner-parties per month 25 Repairs to carriage, shoeing horses, materials for cleaning stable, etc. per month 10 Garden expenses--plants, tools, hose per month 5 Subscriptions to clubs, telephone, newspapers, and charities per month 20 Tobacco and cigars per month 7 Taxes on servants and horses per month 10 Clothing for self and family per month 50 Pocket money, entertainments, and sundries per month 100 ----- Per month 600 Say $7,200 per annum. Diet.