On Monday the maid is expected to devote the morning to the heavy labor of washing; rising early, and getting the day's labors well under way before the breakfast hour. She will have, besides, the meals to attend to, but these are necessarily made simple and expeditious on that day, the mistress of the household usually rinding it necessary to assist in the cooking and dishwashing.

Care should be taken to choose a plain dinner—steaks or chops, potatoes, and some ready-made dessert. The afternoon is occupied in finishing the washing, hanging out the clothes, and getting the tea, which must be a meal easily cooked; for the '' tidying up " of the kitchen is yet to be done before the girl can rest. It will be a great assistance, in places where the visiting is sufficiently informal to permit it, if some member of the family open the door to callers on busy days.

Tuesday, by general consent, is assigned to the work of ironing; and here it will usually be necessary for the mistress to "lend a hand," and aid in clear-starching and ironing the fine clothing.

Wednesday is devoted to baking part of the cake, bread, and pies that will be needed during the week. In this work the mistress helps by washing the currants, stoning the raisins, beating the eggs, and making the light pastry. Often a lady who has a taste for cooking makes all the desserts, cakes, and pies. She should never consider it extravagant to supply herself with the best cooking utensils—egg-beaters, sugar-sifters, double-boilers, etc., and, if a good housekeeper, she will find both pride and pleasure in her jars of home-made pickles and preserves.

Thursday the maid must sweep the house thoroughly, for this work, if the carpets are heavy, requires strength. The mistress then dusts room after room, and, last of all, the servant follows with step-ladder to wipe oft mirrors and windows. This is morning work, for the Thursday afternoon out for the maid is an established institution.

Friday is commonly occupied in general house-cleaning: scrubbing the floors, cleaning the brasses and silver, scouring the knives, and putting linen-closets and drawers in order.

Saturday is filled with baking bread and cake, perhaps with cleaning the yard or other out-of-door work, and in some households with preparing the Sunday dinner; and the toil of the week closes with a thoroughly swept and orderly house, a clean kitchen, and all the cooking done except the meat and vegetables for the Sunday dinner.

Of course the routine given above will not suit all families; many persons may prefer to make a different apportionment of their work; but whatever the system fixed upon may be, it should be rigidly carried out, and the maid should receive all the help in her manifold duties that punctuality and order bestow.

Under the most favorable circumstances it is a credit to any mistress to carry on the work of a house through the week, with three meals daily, and to accomplish it she must be capable of doing much of the light work herself and be careful to secure a strong and willing maid servant.