proper utensil) in the right hand, and some Scotch, or coarse, oatmeal in
the left hand, and sprinkle the meal in gradually, stirring it briskly all
the time; if any lumps form draw them to the side of the pan and crush them
out. When the porridge is sufficiently thick (the degree of thickness must
be regulated by individual taste), draw the pan back a little, _put on the
lid_, and let the contents simmer gently till wanted; if it can have two
hours' simmering, all the better; but in hundreds of families in Scotland
and the North of England it is served when it has boiled for ten minutes or
a quarter of an hour; less oatmeal is required when it can boil a long
time, because the simmering swells the oatmeal, and so makes it go twice as
far. During the boiling the porridge must be stirred frequently to keep it
from sticking to the saucepan and burning, but each time this is done the
lid must be put on again. When it is done enough it should be poured into
a basin or upon a plate, and served hot with sugar or treacle and milk or
cream. The very best method that can be adopted for making porridge is to
soak the coarse Scotch oatmeal in water for _twelve hours_, or more (if the
porridge is wanted for breakfast it may be put into a pie-dish over night,
and left till morning). As soon as the fire is lighted in the morning it
should be placed on it, stirred occasionally, kept covered, and boiled as
long as possible, although it may be served when it has boiled for twenty
minutes. When thus prepared it will be almost like a delicate jelly, and
acceptable to the most fastidious palate. The proportions for porridge
made in this way are a heaped tablespoonful of coarse oatmeal to a pint of
water.

"It is scarcely necessary to give directions for making--


"BREAD AND MILK, for everyone knows how this should be done. It may be
said that the preparation has a better appearance if the bread is cut very