997. _Of cleaning Boots and Shoes._--Where no man-servant is kept, the cook or housemaid must clean the shoes and boots. First, scrape the dirt off the shoe with a wooden knife, or piece of firewood, cut to something of an edge. When the worst of the dirt is thus taken off, use your hard brush to remove the remainder, or the leather will never be bright. Stir the blacking with a short fine sponge, tied round one end of it; and, with this, put some blacking on the blacking-brush, and black the shoe all over; use the polishing-brush directly, while it remains damp, and rub it lightly, yet briskly, till the shoe shines perfectly bright. When boots or shoes are laid down before a fire to dry, let them be placed at a good distance, or the leather will harden and shrink, and the shoes get out of shape. 998. _Of cleaning Candlesticks._--It is the duty of the cookmaid to clean the chamber candlesticks used by the servants, and the candlesticks belonging to the kitchen (those used by the family in the parlors, drawing-rooms, and best bed-rooms, belong to the housemaid's work). Before you commence, have a sheet of thick brown paper laid on a table, or on whatever else you intend to clean them, to save making a grease. Then scrape off the grease on to the brown paper with a piece of firewood, and put all you scrape off into your kitchen-stuff. The candlesticks should then be put, upside down, in the deepest candlestick, at a little distance from the fire, so that all the grease may melt, and drain into one. This grease should also be put into the kitchen stuff, and the candlesticks wiped perfectly clean with the candlestick-rag, or with a cloth kept for that purpose. The polishing should be done with a little dry rotten-stone, or dry whiting, put on a leather. The cookmaid has usually a candle-box provided for her, into which she puts all the pieces of candle, for kitchen use. This box should be lined with white paper, which should be frequently renewed, or the candles will become very dirty, and be unpleasant to burn, from bits of the snuff sticking to them. Always set the candles in the candlesticks in the fore part of the day, that they be ready when wanted, and that all the dirty work may be done before cooking commences.