Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1968

1766 left hand and on the left side of the person he serves, and hold it so that the guest may take it with ease. In lifting dishes from the table, he should use both hands, and remove them with care, so that nothing is spilt on the table cloth or on the dresses of the guests.

In opening wine, let it be done quietly, and without shaking the bottle; if crusted, let it be inclined to the crusted side, and decanted while in that position. In opening champagne, it is not necessary to discharge it with a pop; properly cooled, the cork is easily extracted without any explosion; when the cork is out, the mouth of the bottle should be wiped with a napkin.

At the end of the first course, notice is conveyed to the cook, who is waiting to send up the second, which is introduced in the same way as before; the attendants who remove the fragments carrying the dishes from the kitchen and handing them to the footmen or butler, whose duty it is to arrange them on the table. After dinner, the dessert-glasses and wines are placed on the table by the footman, who places himself behind his master's chair, to supply wine and hand round the ices and other refreshments, all other servants leaving the room.

As soon as the drawing-room bell rings for tea, the footman enters with the tray, which has been previously prepared; hands the tray round to the company, with cream and sugar, the tea and coffee being generally poured out, while another attendant hands cakes, toast, or biscuits. If it is an ordinary family party, where this social meal is prepared by the mistress, he carries the urn or kettle, as the case may be; hands round the toast, or such other eatable as may be required, removing the whole in the same manner when tea is over.

Receptions and Evening Parties.—The drawing-rooms being prepared, the card tables laid out with cards and counters, and such other arrangements as are necessary made for the reception of the company, the rooms should be lighted up. The attendant should avoid displaying an interest in his master or mistress's game.

Footman's Livery.—It is usual to allow each man two suits per year, also to find him in silk stockings, and fur capes, if they are worn.

Duties of Single Man-servant.—According to the household in which either of these is employed so will his duties be, but in all or any they partake of the various ones of the servants before mentioned. In many places the single man-servant devotes most of his time to the garden, the remainder being spent in cleaning windows, boots, knives, etc., bringing in water and coal, carrying messages and such work as would fall to the under-footman in larger establishments. When this is the case, the man so employed is seldom required to wear livery or wait at table. In other establishments where a gardener is kept and no out-door work demanded of the one indoor servant, his duties are all that he can contrive to do of those of the butler and footman.