The Housekeeper's Room should be neatly but plainly furnished, and should contain large closets, or cupboards, for her use; writing materials, a slate-book and pencil for the dinner carte, and as the individual is often alone, it is usual to put a modest sofa or leather easy-chair in her room.

The Lady's-maid's Room should have a long, large deal table in it for cutting out; a dummy figure, or at least a head for fitting trimmings and bonnet making, two flat-irons for pressing dresses, etc.; an Italian and gauffering irons, soft and hard clothes brushes, and a sewing machine. In many large houses a room is set apart for the needlework of the family; when this is the case the lady's-maid's room is simply furnished as any other bedroom of modest pretensions, and the table, machine, irons, etc., are transferred to the workroom.

Servants' Hall And Servants' Bedrooms

The Servants' Hall has a long, large oak or deal dining-table, and forms or benches for sitting at it.

In many large houses the servants' bedrooms are a disgrace to the dwelling; while amongst the middle classes very tidy rooms are provided for the domestics. We have seen servants' chambers in great mansions which were void of nearly every comfort. Why should not servants have neat and even pretty rooms? It would be one means of civilizing them and improving their tastes; and surely they require baths even more than their mistresses do. We wish we could see a bath in every servant's room, a toilette-cover on her table, a good text enlivening her wall with gay colours and wholesome counsel, and a glass of flowers, or any other cheap adornment. If female servants are encouraged to try and make their bedrooms pretty, they will take a pride in them and acquire habits and tastes which may ultimately improve the home of the working man. In addition to neat ordinary furniture, we would give, in the rich man's home, a hip-bath, a few bookshelves and books on them, a table and inkstand, and a flower-glass or two.

"I must say a word," observes Miss Nightingale, "about servants' bedrooms. From the way they are built, but ofcener from the way they are kept, and from no intelligent inspection whatever being exercised over them, they are almost invariably dens of foul air, and the 'servants' health' suffers in an 'unaccountable' (?) way, even in the country. For I am by no means speaking only of London houses, where too often servants are put to live under the ground and over the roof. But in a country ' mansion,' which was really a ' mansion ' (not after the fashion of advertisements), I have known three maids who slept in the same room ill of scarlet fever. 'How catching it is,' was of course the remark. One look at the room, one smell of the room, was quite enough. It was no longer ' unaccountable.'"