Never boil eggs by guess; if you have no clock in the kitchen, you should have a sand-glass or egg-boiler, for in guessing at the time, it is not possible to be quite exact, and half a minute too much or too little will spoil an egg. It is the duty of the cookmaid to prepare the breakfast; and that of the housemaid to carry it up to the breakfast-parlor. 969. _Cold Meats at Breakfast._--In some families, whatever cold meat or cold poultry may have been left from the previous day, is served up at breakfast; in which case it is the cookmaid's duty to send it up, laid out neatly on clean and rather small-sized dishes, with breakfast plates and small clean knives and forks; sometimes it will require a little putting to rights, by trimming, and garnishing with a few sprigs of parsley, which, of course, she will attend to. 970. _To arrange for Children, &c._--If the children of the family breakfast in the nursery, or require to go to school early, you will, most probably, be expected to cut their bread and butter, and get their breakfast ready for them; or, at all events, assist in doing so. It is your place also to get the kitchen breakfast ready for yourself and the housemaid, &c.; and it will materially add to the comfort of your situation, if you take care to keep your table-cloth clean, and neatly folded, so that it may not have an untidy appearance when spread upon the table; and let the knives, and all the things you use for yourself and fellow servants, be clean like those you send up to the table of the family. 971. _Taking Directions for Dinner._--In most families, it is the custom of the lady of the house, to go into the kitchen every morning, to make arrangements with the cook about the dinner, and to give out from the store-closet such things as may be required for the day's use, either by the cookmaid or housemaid. You must then remember to ask for whatever you will want, so that you may not have to give trouble a second time. Some ladies prefer that the cookmaid should come into the parlor, to receive directions. Should this be the custom, you should make it a rule to wash your hands, and put on a clean apron, before you go in. There are some foolish servants, who have a mistaken notion that a lady should not trouble herself much with her kitchen; but every one ought to have the good sense to know that it is the province and duty of a mistress to superintend the order and management of every part of her household; and those servants who are conscious that they waste not, and perform their duties to the best of their ability, will never feel an objection; but, on the contrary, will be pleased that their mistress should see that they do so.