Then we come to brushes, and their name is legion. Oh, this furnishing a house is a serious affair! a carpet-broom, a short handled one for the stair carpets, a hair-broom for the bed-rooms, and another for the passages and kitchens; feather brushes, dusting-brushes, stove-brushes, hearth-brushes, shoe-brushes, plate-brushes, paste-brushes, clothes-brushes, a hat-brush, and a table-brush to remove the crumbs from the table-cloth, are all needed; and these should be bought at a good warehouse, and of good quality, if we would have them do us service, and not fall to pieces, or lose their hair, as soon as they are fairly brought into use. There are many items yet unmentioned, but it will not be requisite for us to waste our time, or that of our readers, by enumerating them all seriatim; we will therefore proceed to other matters. Supposing now that we have our house, and it is furnished, the next thing to determine is how many servants can be afforded. Must we be content with one, a “general servant;” or can we afford a cook and housemaid, or even aspire to the gentility of a man-servant or a page? Beware of this latter individual, young housekeepers, if you value your comfort; for if you chance to get a quick, clever lad, he will have more tricks than a monkey; and as for the stupid variety of the “genus page,” it is a torment indeed. The expenses must be determined by the sum which can, without incurring debts, or living too closely up to one’s income, be devoted to “housekeeping,” under which head we include rent, taxes, wages, and every outlay appertaining to the house. Now, in reckoning the expense of a servant, the question of wages is not the only one to be considered; there is the board and washing; and £30, exclusive of wages, is the lowest at which the keep of each servant can be estimated.