Looking at punctuality and regularity from a health point of view, no one will deny that in the serving of our meals they are essential. To the healthy, irregularity is dangerous; to the delicate, it is absolutely injurious.
It is known that a certain time should elapse, sufficient for digestive purposes, between our meals; but when that time has passed, and in waiting for a meal we lose the appetite for it we should have served it in time, so much good food is wasted, and a certain amount of harm done to our system.
It may take some time and trouble to so far plan out the time for meals so that, as far as possible, they are convenient and suitable for all; but when once this is done punctuality in serving them should be insisted upon, with a corresponding insistence on the punctuality of those for whom they are served.
According to the occupations and ages of those for whom meals are prepared so must the hours for them be arranged; but there are two golden rules concerning them: namely, that there should be sufficient time allowed for them to be partaken of without hurry, and that they should be punctually served.
Of little use is it having a dainty breakfast ready for the master of the house ten minutes before he has to start for business, or a well cooked good dinner for the members of family return home in evening after a long busy day. Better is it to allow a little extra time than to run the risk of people having to bolt their food or go without it.
There should always be a clear half- hour allowed for breakfast, and this should not be a meal that, as in many houses, runs on from eight to ten o` clock.
This is fatal to the regular house hold routine; nor can breakfast be served comfortably and properly for different members keeping different times, unless it be in large households where there are many hands for the morning.
Children should also have an early breakfast, or there will be too long an interval between that and their tea of the day before. Where there are little one` s and, wives and several servants a lunch must be served in the middle of the day; but it is generally necessary to have some cooking done later when the master of the house returns.
Most men who value their health prefer to have only a light luncheon during working hours and return to dinner late, and this is certainly more economical than dinning away from home.
We would advise young housekeepers not to make a trouble of this meal and to be ready to partake of it with their husbands. Many think it impossible without one or two servants to have a late dinner or what now often takes it place, a high tea; but in reality there is no work attached to it` s preparation than that of an ordinary tea and it` s following supper, and the late dinner is served and cleared away long before a supper could be.
If the latter meal be taken, it should be moderately early, and then we cannot see that it is more injurious than a very late dinn.