50 years ago, The Good Wives Book gave women advice on how to be a good wife, we look at how things may look in today's edition

Only 50 years ago, women were being encouraged to scrub up their marriage skills. The Good Wife's Guide from Housekeeping Monthly in 1955 put emphasis on preparing for hubby's arrival home while keeping your thoughts to yourself and your mouth in a permanent smile. The magazine article has become an internet hit as the dated tips highlight how much life for married women has changed. Here, Women's Editor Lindsay Clydesdale looks at a selection of the guide's best bits and gives modern day equivalents.

THE FIFTIES GUIDE

1 Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

2 Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.

3 Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

4 Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

5 Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

6 Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

7 Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

8 Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

9 Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

10 A good wife always knows her place.

THE MODERN GUIDE

1 Don't waste your time. Unless you answer the door in your underwear, most husbands won't notice whether you're bare faced, made-up, in joggers or haute couture.

2 Collect all the c**p he left lying about the night before and hide it under the duvet on his side of the bed as a surprise and a lesson in housekeeping. Hide all your new purchases of shoes, etc behind the bathroom cleaning products as this cupboard is invisible to all men.

3 In winter, build a makeshift bonfire of his "adult" magazines and enjoy the warm glow you feel.

4 Bribe the children to beg daddy to do bath time and bed time stories so you can relax with a glass of wine and pretend you're still single. Explain to him that, amazingly kitchen appliances can also be operated by men and if the noise of the washing machine bothers him, he can spend the evening enjoying silence in the garage.

5 Anything above "Oh it's you" will do although you get extra points for a brief, "How was your day?" and a minimum of eye-rolling and depressed sighing. Anything more enthusiastic will arouse suspicion.

6 Let him drone on while you fantasise about Sawyer from Lost. This will have the happy side-effect of putting a smile on your face which your husband will presume is due to his fascinating monologue.

7 Just be grateful he won't realise you didn't come home either and count this as lucky he doesn't know what you were up to last night.

8 Avoid at all costs going near his feet, particularly if he's not just had a shower. The toxic fumes are likely to melt your eyebrows while you run the risk of the always amusing (to him) "While you're down there..." comment.

9 Remember he is a man and will deaf-ear any suggestion that he hasn't the faintest idea what he's talking about. Sadly men's fragile egos need constant boosting so nod and agree, even if you're sniggering inside. There is no point in questioning him.

10 A real wife knows her husband's place.