This has been the state of things in England for hundreds of years. In consequence of this, those who have had the most wealth have lived in ease and indolence, and have considered labour as degrading. The rich and the noble have felt as if it was the business of poor and ignorant people to toil, and that living in indolence was a privilege, and the mark to distinguish the gentleman and the lady, from the vulgar and low born.
As we are descended from that nation, we have inherited a good deal of this feeling, so that even now, when a woman lives in perfect idleness, it is very common to say, that she “is living like _a lady_, with nothing to do but enjoy herself.” So we often find that a lounging, ignorant coxcomb, if he happens to have money to enable him to dress well, is called “a gentleman;” while a man of ten times the sense, education and usefulness is not so regarded, because he works with his hands for his own support. But things are gradually altering in this country, in regard to this matter, and it is becoming more and more honourable to work, and more and more discreditable to be useless and idle.
Yet a great change is to be accomplished before _all_ aristocratic notions are so shaken off, that a man or woman will be honoured for usefulness, good manners, good sense and good principles, without any regard to the _kind of work_ by which a livelihood is earned. When this time comes, if a woman has a refined education, good manners, and good principles, she will be as much honoured and respected as a domestic, as she would be in any other sphere of life.
Another reason why the station of a domestic is not regarded as honourable is, because most persons have wrong ideas about doing good and being useful.
To understand this, you will observe that when ladies have a great deal of money and leisure, they spend the greater part of their time in dressing, visiting, reading, and enjoying themselves in various ways. And yet if they take one afternoon in a week to go around and visit the poor and sick—if they distribute tracts, and give a very small portion of their income for benevolent purposes, they are spoken of as remarkably useful persons, and are honoured because they do so much good.