One of the results of prevailing extraordinary conditions is that w fre being cheated out of our Summer rights, 'The Silly Season is tupan us and in the normal course of seasonable thought we would be leav-jing Dull Care' behind and using up the grey matter upon such topies our Pear-Shaped Men, the Shanghai Mind, the Summer Grass Widower, Heat and Humidity, and similar idle thoughts. We are a conservative people and our habits of action and servants. She kept three maids and a man inside, a gardener, and an odd-job man." Wages for the men' were twelve guineas a year and two suils of clothes neldentally Sam Weller's remuneration exactly, around 1845).
Maids had from eight to eleven guineas a year plus uniform and we learn that 23 yards of print and three "body linings" were bought annually for maids' dresses. A present day amah would not think she Was so well done to on similar terms, ten pound check; half a hundred of
Tump, and four loaves of fine sugar. with' quantities of rice, tea, and spices.
Coffee and tea were expensive lems, tea being nine shillings (or family use), and coffee six and sixpence the pound.
The stocking of the wine cellar wasa little more difficult than our method of ringing up the supplier land getting the delivery coolie round jin half an hour. Shanghailanders with a reputation for ample liquid capacity would scarcely order on the fines of our lady of 1800. For instance we learn that she had to get ther wine shipped from Oporto with lots of trouble attached, for in addition to duties and landing charges the stuff had to be carried by road from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.