Chapter XXVIII: Part 28

Let a man act strictly to these habits--ever remembering that he hath
no profits by his pains whom Providence doth not prosper--and success
will attend his efforts.

2598. Taking a Shop or Place of Business.

If you are about to take a place of business, you will do well to
consider the following remarks:

2599. Small Capitalists.

Let us take the case of a person who has no intimate knowledge of any
particular trade, but having a very small capital, is about to embark
it in the exchange of commodities for cash, in order to obtain an
honest livelihood thereby. It is clear, that unless such a person
starts with proper precaution and judgment, the capital will be
expended without adequate results; rent and taxes will accumulate, the
stock will lie dead or become deteriorated, and loss and ruin must
follow. For the last absorption acting upon a small capital will soon
dry up its source; and we need not picture the trouble that will arise
when the mainspring of a tradesman's success abides by him no more.

2600. Larger Capitalists.

The case of the larger capitalist can scarcely be considered an
exception to the same rule. For it is probable that the larger
capitalist, upon commencing a business, would sink more of his funds
in a larger stock--would incur liability to a heavier rent; and the
attendant taxes, the wages of assistants and servants would be
greater, and, therefore, if the return came not speedily, similar
consequences must sooner or later ensue.

2601. Localities.

Large or small capitalists should, therefore, upon entering on a
shopkeeping speculation, consider well the nature of the locality in
which they propose to carry on trade, the number of the population,
the habits and wants of the people, and the extent to which they are
already supplied with the goods which the new adventurer proposes to
offer them.

2602. New Neighbourhoods.

There is a tendency among small capitalists to rush into new
neighbourhoods with the expectation of making an early connection. Low
rents also serve as an attraction to these localities. General
experience, however, tends to show that the early suburban shops
seldom succeed. They are generally entered upon at the very earliest
moment that the state of the locality will permit--often before the
house is finished the shop is tenanted, and goods exposed for
sale--even while the streets are unpaved, and while the roads are as
rough and uneven as country lanes.

The consequence is, that as the few inhabitants of these localities
have frequent communication with adjacent centres of business, they,
as a matter of habit or of choice, supply their chief wants thereat;
and the newly arrived shopkeeper has to depend principally for support
upon the accidental forgetfulness of his neighbour, who omits to bring
something from the cheaper and better market; or upon the changes of
the weather, which may sometimes favour him by rendering a "trip to
town" exceedingly undesirable.

2603. Failures.

"While the grass is growing the horse is starving;" and thus, while
the new district is becoming peopled the funds of the small shopkeeper
are gradually eaten up, and he puts up his shutters just at the time
when a more cautious speculator steps in to profit by the connection
already formed, and to take advantage of the new improved condition of
the locality. It seems, therefore, desirable for the small capitalists
rather to run the risk of a more expensive rent, in a well-peopled
district, than to resort to places of slow and uncertain demand; for
the welfare of the small shopkeeper depends entirely upon the
frequency with which his limited stock is cleared out and replaced by
fresh supplies.

2604. Precautions.

But should the small capitalist still prefer opening in a suburban
district, where competition is less severe, and rents and rates less
burdensome, there are certain precautions which he will do well to
observe. He should particularly guard against opening a shop to
supply what may be termed the superfluities of life; for the
inhabitants of new suburban districts are those who, like himself,
have resorted to a cheap residence for the sake of economy. Or if this
be not the case--if they are people of independent means, who prefer
the "detached villa" to the town house, squeezed up on both sides,
they have the means of riding and driving to town, and will prefer
choosing articles of taste and luxury from the best marts, enriched by
the finest display.

2605. Necessaries or Luxuries.

The suburban shopkeeper should, therefore, confine himself to
supplying the _necessaries_ of life. Hungry people dislike to fetch
their bread from five miles off; and to bring vegetables from a long
distance would evidently be a matter of considerable inconvenience.
The baker, the butcher, the greengrocer, the beer retailer, &c., are
those who find their trade first established in suburban localities.
And not until these are doing well should the tailor, the shoemaker,
the hatter, the draper, the hosier, and others, expect to find a
return for their capital and reward for their labour.

2606. Civility.

In larger localities, where competition abounds, the small shopkeeper
frequently outstrips his more powerful rival by one element of
success, which may be added to any stock without cost, but cannot be
withheld without loss. That element is _civility_. It has already been
spoken of elsewhere, but must be enforced here, as aiding the little
means of the small shopkeeper to a wonderful degree. A kind and
obliging manner carries with it an indescribable charm. It must not be
a manner which indicates a mean, grovelling time-serving spirit, but a
plain, open, and agreeable demeanour, which seems to desire to oblige
for the pleasure of doing so, and not for the sake of squeezing an
extra penny out of a customer's pocket.

2607. Integrity.

The sole reliance of the shopkeeper should be in the integrity of his
transactions, and in the civility of his demeanour. He should make it
the interest and the pleasure of the customer to come to his shop. If
he does this, he will form the very best "connections," and so long as
he continues this system of business, they will never desert him.

2608. Duties of a Shopkeeper.

He should cheerfully render his best labour and knowledge to serve
those who approach his counter, and place confidence in his
transactions; make himself alike to rich and poor, but never resort to
mean subterfuge and deception to gain approbation and support. He
should be frugal in his expenditure, that in deriving profits from
trade, he may not trespass unduly upon the interest of others; he
should so hold the balance between man and man that he should feel
nothing to reprove his conscience when the day comes for him to repose
from his labours and live upon the fruits of his industry. Let the
public discover such a man, and they will flock around him for their
own sakes.

2609. A Very Useful Book.

A very useful book, "The Handy Book of Shopkeeping, Shopkeeper's
Guide" [1] (published at one shilling), enlarges upon these subjects
in a very able manner, and gives most useful hints to people in every
dapartment of trade.

[Footnote 1: Houlston and Sons, London.]

2610. Early Rising.

The difference between rising every morning at six and eight, in the
course of forty years, amounts to 29,200 hours, or three years one
hundred and twenty-one days and sixteen hours, which are equal to
eight hours a day for exactly ten years So that rising at six will be
the same as if ten years of life (a weighty consideration) were added,
wherein we may command eight hours every day for the cultivation of
our minds and the despatch of business.

2611. Frugality.

i. The great philosopher, Dr. Franklin, inspired the mouthpiece of
his own eloquence, "Poor Richard," with "many a gem of purest ray
serene," encased in the homely garb of proverbial truisms. On the
subject of frugality we cannot do better than take the worthy Mentor
for our text, and from it address our remarks. A man may, if he
knows not how to save as he gets, "keep his nose all his life to the
grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last. A fat kitchen makes a
lean will."

"Many estates are spent in getting,
Since women for tea forsook spinning and knitting,
And men for punch forsook hewing and splitting."

ii. If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting.
The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her out-goes are
greater than her in-comes.

iii. Away with your expensive follies, and you will not have so much
cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable
families.

iv. "What maintains one vice would bring up two children."

v. You may think, perhaps, that a little tea, or superfluities now
and then, diet a little more costly, clothes a little finer, and a
little entertainment now and then, can be no great matter; but
remember, "Many a little makes a mickle."

vi. Beware of little expenses: "A small leak will sink a great
ship," as Poor Richard says; and again, "Who dainties love, shall
beggars prove;" and moreover, "Fools make feasts and wise men eat
them."

vii. Here you are all got together to this sale of fineries and
nick-nacks. You call them goods; but if you do not take care they
will prove evils to some of you. You expect they will be sold cheap,
and perhaps they may, for less than they cost; but if you have no
occasion for them they must be dear to you.

viii. Remember what Poor Richard says, "Buy what thou hast no need
of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessaries."

ix. "At a great pennyworth, pause awhile." He means, perhaps, that
the cheapness is apparent only, and not real; or the bargain, by
straightening thee in thy business, may do thee more harm than good;
for in another place he says, "Many have been ruined by buying good
pennyworths."

x. "It is foolish to lay out money in the purchase of repentance;"
and yet this folly is practised every day at auctions for want of
minding the Almanack.

2612. Cash and Credit.

If you would get rich, don't deal in bill books. Credit is the
"Tempter in a new shape." Buy goods on trust, and you will purchase a
thousand articles that cash would never have dreamed of. A shilling in
the hand looks larger than ten shillings seen through the perspective
of a three months' bill. Cash is practical, while credit takes
horribly to taste and romance. Let cash buy a dinner, and you will
have a beef-steak flanked with onions. Send credit to market, and he
will return with eight pairs of woodcocks and a peck of mushrooms.
Credit believes in diamond pins and champagne suppers. Cash is more
easily satisfied. Give him three meals a day, and he doesn't care much
if two of them are made up of roasted potatoes and a little salt. Cash
is a good adviser, while credit is a good fellow to be on visiting
terms with. If you want double chins and contentment, do business with
cash.

2613. Hints upon Money Matters.

Have a supply of change in hand--shillings, sixpences, halfpence. This
will obviate the various inconveniences of keeping people at the door,
sending out at unreasonable times, and running or calling after any
inmate in the house, supposed to be better provided with "the
needful." The tradespeople with whom you regularly deal will always
give you extra change, _when_ you are making purchases or paying
bills; while those to whom you apply for it, on a sudden emergency,
may neither be willing nor able to do so. Some housekeepers object to
this arrangement, that, "as soon as five-pound notes or sovereigns are
changed, they always seem to go, without their understanding how;" but
to such persons I would humbly intimate, that this is rather the fault
of their _not getting understanding_, than any inevitable consequence
of _getting change_.

The fact is, that it is the necessity of parting with your money which
obliges you to get the larger pieces changed, and not the circumstance
of having smaller coin that _necessitates_ your parting with your
money, though it certainly facilitates your doing so when the
necessity arrives. However, as it is easier to count a few sovereigns
than many shillings, and loose money is most objectionable, it is well
to put up reserve change in small collective packets, and to replenish
the housekeeping purse from these daily or weekly, as may be most
convenient.

[DEATH DOES NOT BLOW A TRUMPET.]

2614. Save Time and Trouble.

If Money for daily expenses has to pass through the hands of a
servant, it is a time-and-trouble-saving plan to settle with her
_every_ night, and to make up her cash in hand to a certain _similar_
sum. This will prevent such puzzling calculations as the
following:

"Let me see: I gave you 10s. on Saturday, and 9d. the day before.
Was it 9d.? No, it must have been 11d., for I gave you 1s., and you
gave me 1d. out for the beggar; then there was 6s. 6d. on Monday,
and 8d. you owed me from last money; and then the 1s. 6d. your
master gave you for a parcel--you brought him 2d. back, and 3d-1/2.
out of the butcher's bill; no--_you_ had to give 3-1/2d. to the
butcher, but you came to me for the 1/2d., and I had no coppers, so
we still owe him the 1/2d.; by the way, don't forget to pay him the
next time you go. Then there's the baker--no, I paid the baker
myself, and I _think_ the housemaid paid the butter-man; but you got
in the cheese the day before, and I have a sort of recollection that
I may possibly owe you for _that_, all but a few pence you must have
had left of mine, that I told you to take from off the
chimney-piece. Well, cook, I think that's _nearly_ all! Now how do
your accounts stand?"

This the poor cook, who _is_ a cook, and _not_ a conjuror, finds it no
easy matter to discover; all that she is quite certain of is, that her
disbursements have somewhat exceeded her receipts, and being an honest
woman, though a poor one, she wishes to cheat neither her mistress nor
herself; but what with her memory and her want of it, her involved
payments, and different receipts; what she owed her mistress, and what
her mistress owes her; what she got from her master, and what was
partly settled by the housemaid; the balance from the butcher's bill,
and the intricacies of the cheese account, the poor woman is perfectly
bewildered.

She counts again and again; recapitulates her mistress's data and her
own; sums upwards, backwards, and forwards, and endeavours to explain
the differences between them; then, if she can read and write, she
brings her slate to "explain the explanation," and the united
calculations of maid and mistress, which are after all entirely
unavailing to produce a more correct account, probably consume more
time, and are expressed in more words, than would suffice to fill
another volume like the present. Two minutes' daily reckoning from a
_regular_ sum in hand would do the business effectually, and prevent
either party from being out of pocket or out of temper. Thus, for
instance, the maid has her usual sum of five shillings to account for;
she pays during the day, for:

s. d.
Bread 1 9
Beer 0 6
Vegetables and fruit 0 10
Milk 0 4
Matches 0 1
Parcel 1 0
______
Total 4 6

This is easily reckoned, even by the unlearned; the mistress enters
the items in her day-book, takes the remaining sixpence, and again
gives her servant 5s., in convenient change, to be as readily
accounted for on the succeeding day.

_Home Truths for Home Peace_; or, _Muddle Defeated._

[TIME BRINGS EVERYTHING TO THOSE WHO CAN WAIT.]

2615. Don't Run in Debt.

"Don't run in debt;"--never mind, never mind
If your clothes are faded and torn:
Mend them up, make them do; it is better by far
Than to have the heart weary and worn.
Who'll love you the more for the shape of your hat,
Or your ruff, or the tie of your shoe,
The cut of your vest, or your boots, or cravat,
If they know you're in debt for the new?
There's no comfort, I tell you, in walking the street
In fine clothes, if you know you're in debt,
And feel that, perchance, you some tradesman may meet,
Who will sneer--"They're not paid for yet."
Good friends, let me beg of you, don't run in debt;
If the chairs and the sofas are old,
They will fit your back better than any new set,
Unless they are paid for--with gold;
If the house is too small, draw the closer together,
Keep it warm with a hearty good-will;
A big one unpaid for, in all kinds of weather,
Will send to your warm heart a chill.
Don't run in debt--now, dear girls, take a hint,
if the fashions have changed since last season,
Old Nature is out in the very same tint,
And old Nature, we think, has some reason;
But just say to your friend, that you cannot afford
To spend time to keep up with the fashion;
That your purse is too light and your honour too bright,
To be tarnished with such silly passion.
Men, don't run in debt--let your friends, if they can.
Have fine houses, and feathers, and flowers:
But, unless they are paid for, be more of a man
Than to envy their sunshiny hours.
If you've money to spare, I have nothing to say--
Spend your silver and gold as you please;
But mind you, the man who his bill has to pay
Is the man who is never at ease.
Kind husbands, don't run into debt any more;
'Twill fill your wives' cup full of sorrow
To know that a neighbour may call at your door,
With a claim you must settle to-morrow
Oh! take my advice--it is good, it is true!
But, lest you may some of you doubt it,
I'll whisper a secret now, seeing 'tis you--
I have tried it, and know all about it,
_The chain of a debtor is heavy and cold.
Its links all corrosion and rust;
Gild it o'er as you will, it is never of gold,
Then spurn it aside with disgust_.

2616. Carving, Ceremonies of the Table, &c.

A dinner-table should be well laid, well lighted, and always afford a
little spare room. It is better to invite one friend less in number,
than to destroy the comfort of the whole party.

2617. The Laying out of a Table.

The laying out of a table must greatly depend upon the nature of the
dinner or supper, the taste of the host, the description of the
company, and the appliances possessed. It would be useless, therefore,
to lay down specific rules. The whiteness of the table-cloth, the
clearness of glass, the polish of plate, and the judicious
distribution of ornamental groups of fruits and flowers, are matters
deserving the utmost attention.

2618. A Sideboard.

A sideboard will greatly relieve a crowded table, upon which may be
placed many things incidental to the successive courses, until they
are required.

2619. Menu.

A bill of fare or Menu at large dinner parties, where there are
several courses, should be provided neatly inscribed upon small
tablets, and distributed about the table, that the diners may know
what there is to come.

2620. Napkins.

Napkins should be folded neatly. The French method, which is very
easy, of folding the napkin like a fan, placing it in a glass, and
spreading out the upper part, is very pleasing. But the English method
of folding is like a slipper, and placing the bread inside its folds
is convenient as well as neat.

[AS THE VIRTUE IS IN THE TREE, SUCH IS THE FRUIT.]

2621. Bread.

Bread should be cut into thick squares, the last thing after the table
is laid. If cut too early it becomes dry. A tray should he provided,
in which there should be a further supply of bread, new, stale, and
brown. For cheese, pulled bread should be provided.

2622. Carving-knives.

Carving-knives should be "put in edge" before the dinner commences,
for nothing irritates a good carver, or perplexes a bad one, more than
a knife which refuses to perform its office; and there is nothing more
annoying to the company than to see the carving-knife gliding to and
fro over the steel while the dinner is getting cold, and their
appetites are being exhausted by delay.

2623. Joints.

Joints that require carving should be set upon dishes sufficiently
large. The space of the table may be economised by setting upon small
dishes those things that do not require carving.

2624. The Carver.

The carver should have plenty of room, however closely the diners are
compelled to sit together.

2625. The Vegetables.

The vegetables, if the table is very crowded, may be placed upon the
sideboard, and handed round by those who wait upon the guests.

2626. Smaller Joints.

Geese, Turkeys, Poultry, Sucking-pigs, &c., should be CARVED BEFORE
BEING SET ON TABLE; especially in those cases where the whole or the
principal part of such dishes is likely to be consumed.

2627. Handing Round.

The carver should supply the plates, and the waiter hand them round,
instead of putting the question to each guest as to which part he
prefers, and then striving to serve him with it, to the prejudice of
others present.

2628. Ladies.

Ladies should be helped before gentlemen.

2629. Waiters.

Waiters should present dishes on the left hand; so that the diner may
help himself with his right.

2630. Wine.

Wine should be taken after the first course; and it will be found more
convenient to let the waiter serve it, than to hand the decanters
round, or to allow the guests to fill for themselves.

2631. Removal.

Waiters should be instructed to remove whatever articles upon the
table are thrown into disuse by the progress of the dinner, as soon as
they are at liberty.

2632. Finger-Bowls.

Finger-glasses, or glass bowls, filled with water, slightly scented or
not, as may be preferred, and slightly warm in winter, and iced in
summer, should be handed round.

2633. Dessert.

When the dessert is served, the wine should be set upon the table, and
the decanters passed round by the company.

2634. Fried Fish.

Fried fish should be divided into suitable slices, before the fire, as
soon as it leaves the frying-pan.

2635. Cod's Head and Shoulders.

The thick part of the back is best. It should be carved in unbroken
slices, and each solid slice should be accompanied by a bit of the
sound, from under the back-bone, or from the cheek, jaws, tongue, &c.,
of the head.

2636. Hake.

Hake, if sent to table, simply boiled, is served as cod. The better
way of dressing hake is to cut it transversely to the length into
slices about one inch in thickness. These should be fried and sent to
table garnished with parsley.

2637. Turbot.

Strike the fish-slice along the back-bone, which runs from head to
tail, and then serve square slices from the thick part, accompanying
each slice with some of the gelatinous skin of the fins and thin part,
which may be raised by laying the fish-slice flat.

2638. Brill.

Brill is served in the same manner.

2639. John Dory.

John Dory is also served in the same way. This fish has a favourite
piece on the cheek.

2640. Plaice and Flat-fish.

Plaice and flat-fish generally, are served in the same manner.

2641. Soles.

Soles, when large, may be served as turbot; but when small they should
be sliced across.

2642. Salmon.

Serve a slice of the thick with a smaller slice of the thin part.
Keep the flakes of the thick part as unbroken as possible.

2643. Mackerel.

Mackerel should be served in pieces cut through the side when they are
large. It small, they may be divided through the back-bone, and served
in halves. The shoulder part is considered the best.

2644. Haddock and Gurnet.

Haddock and Gurnet are served as directed for mackerel.

2645. Whiting.

Whiting are usually fried and curled; they should be cut in halves
down the back, and served. The shoulder-part is best.

2646. Eels.

Eels are usually cut into several pieces, either for stewing or
frying. The thick parts are considered best.

2647. Trout.

Trout, if small, are served whole; if large, they may be divided
through the back-bone and served in halves. The same applies to perch
and other smaller fresh-water fish.

2648. Pike and Jack.

Pike and Jack should be served in thick unbroken pieces taken from the
side or shoulder of the fish accompanied by a piece of the stuffing
with which these fish are usually filled.

2649. Remarks.

The _roes_ of mackerel, the _sound_ of cod, the _head_ of carp, the
_cheek_ of John Dory, the _liver_ of cod, &c., are severally
considered delicacies, though not by all persons.

2650. Saddle of Mutton.

Cut thin slices parallel with the back-bone; or slice it obliquely
from the bone to the edge.

2651. Haunch of Mutton or Venison.

Make an incision across the knuckle-end, right into the bone, and set
free the gravy. Then cut thin slices the whole length of the haunch.
Serve pieces of fat with slices of lean.

2652. Rump or Sirloin of Beef.

The undercut, called the "fillet," is exceedingly tender, and some
carvers will turn the joint and serve the fillet first, reserving the
meat on the upper part to be eaten cold. From the upper part, whether
hot or cold, the slices should be cut lengthways from top to bottom,
so that the fat and lean may be distributed in fair proportions.

2653. Ribs of Beef.

Ribs of beef are carved in the same way as the sirloin; but there is
no fillet.

2654. Round of Beef.

First cut away the irregular outside pieces, to obtain a good surface,
and then serve thin and broad slices. Serve bits of the udder fat with
the lean.

2655. Brisket of Beef.

Cut off the outside, and then serve long slices, cut the whole length
of the bones.

2656. Shoulder of Mutton.

Make a cross incision on the fore-part of the shoulder, and serve
slices from both sides of the incision; then cut slices lengthways
along the shoulder-blade. Cut fat slices from the round corner.
Another and more economical way, is to cut slices from the under part
when first brought to table. The joint then presents a better
appearance when cold.

2657. Leg of Mutton.

Make an incision across the centre, and serve from the knuckle-side,
or the opposite, according to choice. The knuckle-side will be
generally found well done, and the opposite side underdone, for those
who prefer it.

2658. Loin of Mutton.

Cut down between the bones, into chops.

2659. Quarter of Lamb.

Lay the knife flat, and cut off the shoulder. The proper point for
incision will be indicated by the position of the shoulder. A little
lemon juice may be squeezed over the divided part, and a little
Cayenne pepper, and the shoulder transferred to another dish, for the
opposite end of the table. Next separate the _brisket_, or short
bones, by cutting lengthways along the breast. Then serve from either
part as desired.

[TRAVEL NORTH, OR SOUTH, OR EAST, OR WEST...]

2660. Loin of Veal.

Loin of veal may be cut across through the thick part; or slices may
be taken in the direction of the bones. Serve pieces of kidney and fat
with each plate.

2601. Fillet of Veal.

Fillet of veal is carved as a round of beef. The browned bits of the
outside are esteemed, and should be shared among the company, with
bits of fat, and of forcemeat from the centre.

2662. Breast of Veal.

Breast of veal should be divided by cutting the BRISKET, or soft
bones, the same as the basket of lamb. When the sweetbread comes to
table with the breast, a small piece should be served on each plate.

2663. Sucking-Pig.

Sucking-pig should be sent to table in two halves, the head divided,
and one half laid at each end of the dish. The shoulders and legs
should be taken off by the obvious method of laying the knife under
them, and lifting the joint out. They may be served whole, or divided.
The ribs are easily divided, and are considered choice.

2664. Tongues.

Tongues are cut across in tolerably thick slices.

2665. Calves' Heads.

Calves' heads are carved across the cheek, and pieces taken from any
part that is come-at-able. The tongue and brain sauce are served
separate.

2666. Knuckle of Veal.

Knuckle of veal is carved by cutting off the outside pieces, and then
obtaining good slices, and apportioning the fat to the lean, adding
bits of the sinew that lie around the joint.

2667. Leg of Pork.

Leg of pork is carved as a ham, but in thicker slices; when stuffed,
the stuffing must be sought for under the skin at the large end.

2668. Loin of Pork.

Loin of pork is carved the same as a loin of mutton.

2669. Spare-rib of Pork.

Spare-rib of pork is carved by separating the chops, which should
previously have been jointed. Cut as far as the joint, then return the
knife to the point of the bones, and press over, to disclose the
joint, which may then be relieved with the point of the knife.

2670. Hams.

Hams are cut in very thin slices from the knuckle to the blade.

2671. Pheasants.

Carve the breast in slices. Then take off the legs and wings.

2672. Fowls.

Fix the fork firmly into the breast, then slip the knife under the
legs, and lay it over and dis-joint; detach the wings in the same
manner. Do the same on both sides, The smaller bones require a little
practice, and it would be well to watch the operations of a good
carver. When the merry-thought has been removed (which it may be by
slipping the knife through at the point of the breast), and the
neck-bones drawn out, the trunk may be turned over, and the knife
thrust through the back-bone.

2673. Partridges.

Partridges are best carved by cutting off the breast, and then
dividing it. But for more economical carving, the wings may be cut
with a small breast slice attached.

2674. Woodcocks.

Woodcocks may be cut right through the centre, from head to tail.
Serve with each portion a piece of the toast upon which they come to
table.

2675. Pigeons.

Pigeons may be carved as woodcocks, or as partridges.

2676. Snipes.

Snipes may be carved the same as woodcocks.

2677. Turkey.

Cut slices from each side of the breast down, to the ribs; the legs
may then be removed, and the thighs divided from the drumsticks, which
are generally tough; but the pinions of the wing are very good, and
the white part of the wing is preferred by many to the breast. The
stuffing is usually put in the breast; but when truffles, mushrooms,
or oysters are put into the body, an opening must be made into it by
cutting through the apron.

2678. Goose.

The apron must be cut off in a circular direction, when a glass of
port wine, mixed with a teaspoonful of mustard, may be poured into the
body or not. Some of the stuffing should then be drawn out, and, the
neck of the goose being turned a little towards the carver, the flesh
of the breast should be sliced on each side of the bone. The wings may
then be taken off, then the legs. The other parts are carved the same
as a fowl.

[A MAN'S OWN HOSE IS STILL THE BEST.]

2679. Ducks.

Ducks may be carved, when large, the same as geese; but when young,
like chickens. The thigh joints, however, lie much closer into the
trunk than those of fowls.

2680. Hares.

Hares should be placed with their heads to the left of the carver.
Slices may be taken down the whole length of the back; the legs,
which, next to the back, are considered the best eating, may then be
taken off, and the flesh divided from or served upon them, after the
small bones have been parted from the thighs. The shoulders, which are
not much esteemed, though sometimes liked by sportsmen, may be taken
off by passing the knife between the joint and the trunk. When a hare
is young, the back is sometimes divided at the joints into three or
four parts, after being freed from the ribs and under-skin.

2681. Remarks.

Sufficient general instructions are here given to enable the carver,
by observation and practice, to acquit himself well. The art of
carving does not consist merely in dissecting the joints sent to
table, but in the judicious and economical distribution of them, and
the grace and neatness with which this distribution is effected. Every
dish ahould be sent to table properly garnished (where needed), and
the carver should preserve the neatness of the arrangement as much as
possible.

2682. Dyeing.

The filaments from which stuffs of all kinds are fabricated are
derived either from the animal or vegetable kingdom. We recognise the
former by the property they possess of liberating ammonia on being
treated with potash; while the latter afford a liquor having an acid
reaction under the same treatment. The animal kingdom furnishes three
varieties--silk, wool, and the furs, &c., of various animals; the
vegetable kingdom also three--flax, hemp, and cotton: all of which
require certain preliminary preparations to render them fit for the
dyer, which do not come within our province, our space only admitting
of a rapid glance at the production of the various colours.

2683. General Observations.

The various shades produced by colouring matters may be classed in one
or other of the following groups:

1. Blues }
2. Reds } _Simple_.
3. Yellows }

4. Violets }
5. Orange colours } _Binary_.
6. Greens }

7. Compound colours }
8. Black } _Ternary_.

Some colours adhere at once to the stuff, and are called _substantial
colours_; while others require that the material to be dyed should
undergo some previous preparation in order to render it permanent. The
substances used to fix the colouring matters are called _mordants_,
which should possess four qualifications:

i. They should possess an equal affinity for the fibre of the
material and the colouring matter.

ii. They should be incapable of injuring or destroying either by
prolonged action,

iii. They should form, with the colour, a compound capable of
resisting the action of air and water.

iv. They should be capable of readily conforming to the various
operations of the dyer.

2684. The Mordants.

For the reasons just given, the acetate or tartrate of iron is
preferable to the sulphate; and the acetate or tartrate of alumina to
alum. _For reds, yellows, green, and pinks_, aluminous mordants are to
be used. _For blacks, browns, puces, and violets_, the acetate or
tartrate of iron must be employed. _For scarlets_, use a tin mordant,
made by dissolving in strong nitric acid one-eighth of its weight of
sal-ammoniac, then adding by degrees one-eighth of its weight of tin,
and diluting the solution with one-fourth of its weight of water.

[CUNNING MEN'S CLOAKS SOMETIMES FALL.]

2685. Calico, Linen, and Muslin (Blue).

_Blue_.--Wash well to remove dressing, and dry; then dip in a strong
solution of sulphate of indigo--partly saturated with potash--and hang
up. Dry a piece to see if the colour is deep enough; if not dip again.

_Saxon Blue_.--Boil the article in alum, and then dip in a strong
solution of chemical blue.

2686. Calico, Linen, and Muslin (Buff).

_Buff_.--Boil an ounce of anatto in three quarts of water, add two
ounces of potash, stir well, and put in the calico while boiling, and
stir well for five minutes; remove and plunge into cold pump water,
hang up the articles without wringing, and when almost dry, fold.

2687. Calico, Linen, and Muslin (Pink).

_Pink_.--Immerse in the acetate of alumina mordant, and then in the
colouring of a pink saucer.

2688. Calico, Linen, and Muslin (Green).

_Green_.--Boil the article in an alum mordant, and then in a solution
of indigo mixed with any of the yellow dyes until the proper colour is
obtained.

2689. Calico, Linen, and Muslin (Yellow).

_Yellow_.

i. Cut potato tops when in flower, and express the juice; steep
articles in this for forty-eight hours.

ii. Dip in a strong solution of weld after boiling in an aluminous
mordant. Turmeric, fustic, anatto, &c., will answer the same as weld.

2690. Cloth (Black).

Impregnate the material with the acetate of iron mordant, and then
boil in a decoction of madder and logwood.

2691. Cloth (Madder Red).

Boil the cloth in a weak solution of pearlash--an ounce to a gallon of
water,--wash, dry, and then steep in a decoction of bruised nutgalls.
After drying it is to be steeped twice in dry alum water, then dried,
and boiled in a decoction made of three quarters of a pound of madder
to every pound of the article. It should then be taken out and dried,
and steeped in a second bath in the same manner. When dyed, the
articles should be washed in warm soap and water, to remove a
dun-coloured matter given out by the madder.

2692. Cloth (Scarlet).

Three quarters of a pint of a tin mordant, made by dissolving three
pounds of tin in sixty pounds of hydrochloric acid, is added to every
pound of lac dye, and digested for six hours. To dye twenty-five
pounds of cloth, a tin boiler of seventy-five gallons capacity should
be filled nearly full with water, and a fire kindled under it. When
the heat is 150° Fahr., half a handful of bran and two ounces of tin
mordant are to be thrown into it. The froth which arises is skimmed
off, the liquor is made to boil, and two pounds and three quarters of
lac dye, previously mixed with a pound and three quarters of the
solvent, and fourteen ounces of the tin solvent, are added.

Immediately afterwards two pounds and three quarters of tartar, and a
pound of ground sumach, both tied up in a linen bag, are to be added,
and suspended in the bath for five minutes. The fire being withdrawn,
five gallons of cold water and two pints and three quarters of tin
mordant being poured into the bath, the cloth is immersed in it. The
fire is then replaced, and the liquid made to boil rapidly for an
hour, when the cloth is removed and washed in pure water.

2693. Cloth (Yellow).

Use No. ii. for calico. Quercitron and weld produce a solid yellow;
fustic a very brilliant tint; while turmeric yields a less solid
yellow.

2694. Feathers (Black).

Use the same as for cloth.

2695. Feathers (Blue).

Every shade may be given by indigo--or dip in silk dye.

2696. Feathers (Crimson).

Dip in acetate of alumina mordant, then in a boiling-hot decoction of
Brazil-wood--and, last of all, pass through a bath of cudbear.

2697. Feathers (Pink, or Rose-colour).

Pink, or rose-colour, is given by safflower and lemon juice.

2698. Feathers (Deep Red).

Proceed as for crimson, omitting the cudbear bath.

[THE FAT MAN KNOWETH NOT WHAT THE LEAN THINK.]

2699. Feathers (Yellow).

Mordant with acetate of alumina, and dip in a bath of turmeric or weld.

2700. Hair (Black).

As the object in view is simply to dye the hair without tingeing the
skin, the following will be found the best:--Take equal parts of
litharge and lime; mix well, and form into a paste with water, if a
black is desired; with milk if brown. Clean the head with a small
tooth comb, and then well wash the hair with soda and water to free it
from grease; then lay on the paste pretty thick, and cover the head
with oilskin or a cabbage-leaf, after which go to bed. Next morning
the powder should be carefully brushed away, and the hair oiled.

2701. Leather (Black).

Use No. iv. _black stain_ (see par. 1430), and polish with oil.

2702. Gloves (Nankeen).

Steep saffron in boiling-hot soft water for about twelve hours; sew
up the tops of the gloves, to prevent the dye staining the insides,
wet them over with a sponge dipped in the liquid. A teacupful of dye
will do a pair of gloves.

2703. Gloves (Purple).

Boil four ounces of logwood and two ounces of roche alum in three
pints of soft water till half wasted; strain, and let it cool. Sew up
the tops, go over the outsides with a brush or sponge twice; then rub
off the loose dye with a coarse cloth. Beat up the white of an egg,
and rub it over the leather with a sponge. Vinegar will remove the
stain from the hands.

2704. Silk (Black).

The same as for cloth, but black dyeing is difficult.

2705. Silk (Blue).

i. Wash quite clean, rinse well, and then dip in a hot solution of
sulphate of iron: after a short time take it out and rinse again.
Have ready in another vessel a hot solution of prussiate of potash,
to which a small quantity of sulphuric acid has been added. Dip the
silk in this liquid; on removal rinse in clean water, and expose to
the air to dry.

ii. Wash well, rinse, wring out, and then dip in the
following:--Boil a pound of indigo, two pounds of woad, and three
ounces of alum, in a gallon of water. When the silk is of a proper
colour, remove, rinse, and dry.

2706. Silk (Carnation).

Boil two gallons of wheat and an ounce of alum in four gallons of
water; strain through a fine sieve; dissolve half a pound more of alum
and white tartar; add three pounds of madder, then put in the silk at
a moderate heat.

2707. Silk (Crimson).

Take about a spoonful of cudbear, put it into a small pan, pour
boiling water upon it; stir and let it stand a few minutes, then put
in the silk, and turn it over in a short time, and when the colour is
full enough, take it out; but if it should require more violet or
crimson, add a spoonful or two of purple archil to some warm water;
steep, and dry it within doors. It must be mangled, and ought to be
pressed.

2708. Silk (Lilac).

For every pound of silk, take one and a half pounds of archil, mix it
well with the liquor; make it boil for a quarter of an hour, dip the
silk quickly, then let it cool, and wash it in river water, and a fine
half violet, or lilac, more or less full, will be obtained.

2709. Silk (Madder Red).

Use the dye for cloth.

2710. Silk (Yellow).

Take clear wheat bran liquor fifteen pounds, in which dissolve three
quarters of a pound of alum; boil the silk in this for two hours, and
afterwards take half a pound of weld, and boil it till the colour is
good. Nitre used with alum and water in the first boiling fixes the
colour.

2711. Wool (Blue).

Boil in a decoction of logwood and sulphate or acetate of copper.

2712. Wool (Brown).

Steep in an infusion of green walnut-peels.

2713. Wool (Drab).

Impregnate with brown oxide of iron, and then dip in a bath of
quercitron bark. It sumach is added, it will make the colour a dark
brown.

[NO LOCK WILL HOLD GAINST KEYS OF GOLD.]

2714. Wool (Green).

First imbue with the blue, then with the yellow dye.

2715. Wool (Orange).

Dye first with the red dye for cloth, and then with a yellow.

2716. Wool (Red).

Take four and a half pounds of cream of tartar, four and a quarter
pounds of alum; boil the wool gently for two hours; let it cool, and
wash it on the following day in pure water.

Infuse twelve pounds of madder for half an hour with a pound of
chloride of tin, in lukewarm water; filter through canvas, remove the
dye from the canvas, and put it in the bath, which is to be heated to
100° Fahr.; add two ounces of aluminous mordant, put the wool in, and
raise to boiling heat.

Remove the wool, wash, and soak for a quarter of an hour in a solution
of white soap in water.

2717. Wool (Yellow).

Dye with that used for calico, &c.

2718. Dyeing Bonnets.

Chip and straw bonnets or hats may be dyed black by boiling them three
or four hours in a strong liquor of logwood, adding a little green
copperas occasionally. Let the bonnets remain in the liquor all night,
then take out to dry in the air. If the black is not satisfactory, dye
again after drying. Rub inside and out with a sponge moistened in fine
oil. Then block.

2719. To Dye Hair and Feathers Green.

Take of either verdigris or verditer one ounce; gum water, one pint;
mix them well, and dip the hair or feathers into the mixture, shaking
them well about.

2720. To Clean White Satin and Flowered Silks.

i. Mix sifted stale bread-crumbs with powder blue, and rub it
thoroughly all over the article; then shake it well, and dust it
with clean soft cloths. Afterwards, where there are any gold or
silver flowers, take a piece of crimson ingrain velvet, rub the
flowers with it, which will restore them to their original lustre.

ii. Pass them through a solution of fine hard soap of a moderate
heat, drawing them through the hand; rinse in lukewarm water, dry,
and finish by pinning out. Brush the flossy or bright side with a
clean clothes-brush, the way of the nap. Finish them by dipping a
sponge into a size, made by boiling isinglass in water, and rub the
wrong side. Rinse out a second time, and brush, and dry near a fire
in a warm room.

Silk may be treated in the same way, but not brushed.

2721. Cleaning Silk, Satins, Coloured Woollen Dresses, &c.

Four ounces of soft soap, four ounces of honey, the white of an egg,
and a wineglassful of gin; mix well together, and scour the article
with a rather hard brush thoroughly; afterwards rinse it in cold
water, leave to drain, and iron whilst quite damp.

2722. To Clean Black Cloth Clothes.

Clean the garments well, then boil four ounces of logwood in a boiler
or copper containing two or three gallons of water for half an hour;
dip the clothes in warm water and squeeze dry, then put them into the
copper and boil for half an hour. Take them out, and add three drachms
of sulphate of iron; boil for half an hour, then take them out and
hang them up for an hour or two; take them down, rinse them thrice in
cold water, dry well, and rub with a soft brush which has had a few
drops of olive oil applied to its surface. If the clothes are
threadbare about the elbows, cuffs, &c., raise the nap with a teasel
or half worn hatter's card, filled with flocks, and when sufficiently
raised, lay the nap the right way with a hard brush.

2723. To Clean Furs.

Strip the fur articles of their stuffing and binding, and lay them as
nearly as possible in a flat position They must then be subjected to
a very brisk brushing, with a stiff clothes-brush; after this any
moth-eaten parts must be cut out, and neatly replaced by new bits of
fur to match.

Sable, chinchilla, squirrel, fitch, &c., should be treated as follows:
Warm a quantity of new bran in a pan, taking care that it does not
burn, to prevent which it must be actively stirred. When well warmed,
rub it thoroughly into the fur with the hand. Repeat this two or three
times: then shake the fur, and give it another sharp brushing until
free from dust.

White furs, ermine, &c., may be cleaned as follows:--Lay the fur on a
table, and rub it well with bran made moist with warm water; rub until
quite dry, and afterwards with dry bran. The wet bran should be put on
with flannel, and the dry with a piece of book muslin.

The light furs, in addition to the above, should be well rubbed with
magnesia, or a piece of book muslin, after the bran process.

Furs are usually much improved by stretching, which may be managed as
follows: To a pint of soft water add three ounces of salt, dissolve;
with this solution, sponge the inside of the skin (taking care not to
wet the fur) until it becomes thoroughly saturated; then lay it
carefully on a board with the fur side downwards, in its natural
position; then stretch as much as it will bear, and to the required
shape, and fasten with small tacks. The drying may be accelerated by
placing the skin a little distance from the fire or stove.

[GOLD IS NO BALM TO A WOUNDED SPIRIT.]

2724. Cleansing Feathers of their Animal Oil.

The following receipt gained a premium from the Society of Arts:--Take
for every gallon of clean water one pound of quicklime, mix them well
together, and when the undissolved lime is precipitated in fine
powder, pour off the clean lime water for use. Put the feathers to be
cleaned in another tub, and add to them a quantity of the clean lime
water, sufficient to cover them about three inches when well immersed
and stirred about therein. The feathers, when thoroughly moistened,
will sink, and should remain in the lime water three or four days;
after which the foul liquor should be separated from them, by laying
them in a sieve.

The feathers should be afterwards well washed in clean water, and
dried upon nets, the meshes of which may be about the fineness of
cabbage nets. The feathers must be from time to time shaken on the
nets, and, as they get dry, they will fall through the meshes, and
must be collected for use. The admission of air will be serviceable in
drying. The process will be completed in three weeks. When thus
prepared, the feathers need only be beaten to get rid of the dust.

2725. To Clean White Ostrich Feathers.

Four ounces of white soap, cut small, dissolved in four pints of
water, rather hot, in a large basin; make the solution into a lather,
by beating it with birch rods, or wires. Introduce the feathers, and
rub well with the hands for five or six minutes. After this soaping,
wash in clean water, as hot as the hand can bear. Shake until dry.

2726. Cleaning Straw Bonnets.

They may be washed with soap and water, rinsed in clear water, and
dried in the air. Then wash them over with white of egg well beaten,
Remove the wire before washing. Old straw bonnets may be picked to
pieces, and put together for children, the head parts being cut out.

2727. To Bleach a Faded Dress.

Wash it well in hot suds, and boil it until the colour seems to be
gone, then wash, and rinse, and dry it in the sun; if still not quite
white, repeat the boiling.

2728. Bleaching Straw Bonnets, &c.

Wash them in pure water, scrubbing them with a brush. Then put them
into a box in which has been set a saucer of burning sulphur. Cover
them up, so that the fumes may bleach them.

2729. Clothes Balls.

Take some fullers' earth, dried till it crumbles to powder: moisten it
with the juice of lemon, add a small quantity of pearlash, work and
knead carefully together till it forms a thick paste; make into balls,
and dry them in the sun. Moisten the spot on clothes with water, then
rub it with the ball. Wash out the spot with pure water.

[O HEART! BUT TRY IT ONCE;--'TIS EASY TO BE...]

2730. To Wash China Crêpe Scarves, &c.

If the fabric be good, these articles of dress can be washed as
frequently as may be required, and no diminution of their beauty will
be discoverable, even when the various shades of green have been
employed among other colours in the patterns. In cleaning them, make a
strong lather of boiling water; suffer it to cool; when cold or nearly
so, wash the scarf quickly and thoroughly, dip it immediately in cold
hard water in which a little salt has been thrown (to preserve the
colours), rinse, squeeze, and hang it out to dry in the open air; pin
it at its extreme edge to the line, so that it may not in any part be
folded together: the more rapidly it dries the clearer it will be.

2731. To Wash a White Lace Veil.