"The first thing a poor gentleman calls for of a morning is a needle and thread."

- Scotch

"His lordship finds the valet de chambre a necessary evil."

"As a man dresses, so is he esteemed."

Happy the man who, having a valet, has no care of his clothes, and " takes no heed to his raiment" save to be thoroughly up-to-date in every respect.

The man who knows how to take care of his own clothes is at an advantage; for even though it be not necessary for him to economize, an occasional emergency may arise in which, if he knows just what to do, he may rescue his apparel from certain ruin. As " a stitch in time saves nine," so does prompt attention to a chance stain or splash from the ink bottle save a suit from being spoiled.

The impecunious bachelor generally cares for his own clothing during his spare time, and often looks quite as well groomed as the man who pays his valet forty a month and " found." There are various handy devices on the market to assist him, notably the " wardrobe chair," which provides for keeping the trousers well creased and disposing of his business suit over night, as well as furnishing a boot-black stand.

A little care only is necessary to make a man look well set up. He should keep his hats in separate boxes when not wearing them. If a coat is nicely brushed upon being taken off, if trousers are carefully kept creased through the medium of the wardrobe chair or the patent hangers which may be purchased for a few cents, if gloves are carefully smoothed when taken off, and if a watchful care is lavished upon buttons and linen to prevent the one's being lost and the other frayed and ragged - even the bachelor of the hall bedroom may be nicely groomed and always neat.

' He who has but one coat cannot lend it," goes the old proverb. It is for the benefit of the man with one coat that many of the following rules for cleansing are given, in the hope that they may aid the impecunious bachelor in keeping himself tidy.

For a dime the bachelor may buy a box of patent trousers buttons that are warranted not to pull off. These are attached in various ways, but one of the best has little prongs that push through the cloth and bend down on the inside.

If one has little room, a box couch is a great convenience, for clothing may be kept in it and laid flat without wrinkling. It is thus better kept from dust than in a closet, and may serve in summer as a receptacle for winter clothing. It is economy in the end to have one's fur cap or fur-lined coat stored by a furrier, who will insure and protect against moths for a trifling sum. But in case one lives miles from a furrier and is obliged to care for it himself, directions are included for storing such clothes with camphor. Cedar branches laid among clothes will keep away moths, or if one has a cedar chest, so much the better.

Men never seem to be very handy in mending their own underclothing and linen. It is nearly always possible to arrange with one's laundress to do the weekly mending before the laundry is put in the water. If this is neglected, the tear generally makes great headway, and sometimes ruins the article beyond mending.

A couple of ticking laundry bags are great conveniences. One may send his laundry away in one while the other hangs on the closet door and serves during the week as a receptacle for soiled clothes.

One of the average bachelor's greatest expenditures is for hosiery. Have any of you ever heard a man say, "Oh, I never bother about having stockings mended; when they are too bad to wear I throw 'em away"? Changing the hose once a day or every other day and keeping them nicely mended means a great saving in the end. And mending stockings isn't half so difficult as it sounds. Try and see.