This is an advantage rather than an evil, for it tends to influence domestics to improve their minds and cultivate their manners, so that they may be worthy of the respect and honour which they would thus secure.
LETTER VII.
Reasons why the station of a domestic is a desirable one, and superior to that of a sempstress, a shop girl, or a factory girl.
My Friends:
I will now point out some of the reasons for considering your situation in life a desirable one, and far superior in advantages to many employments usually regarded as more respectable.
To understand this properly, we must bear in mind that our happiness, here and hereafter, depends chiefly on the character which we form. A woman that is selfish, irritable, proud, indolent and ambitious, can never be happy. Give her wealth and leisure, and beauty, and high standing in society, and a superior education, and all the comforts and luxuries that wealth secures, and yet she will be discontented and unhappy. She will always find some
one richer, or handsomer, or better educated, or more admired than herself. She will always find something about her different from what she wishes, that will make her fretful and irritable. This, with her pride and selfishness, will lead people to dislike and talk against her, so that while she is longing for love and admiration, she will receive dislike and detraction, and this will mortify and vex her. She will be too indolent to find employment to occupy her mind, and thus time will hang heavy, and life will become a burden—a constant scene of disappointment and trouble.
But change this woman’s character, and make her gentle, kind, and obliging to all around her; make her active, industrious, neat and orderly; give her that piety which influences the mind to be self-denying and benevolent to others, contented with our lot, and cheerful and resigned to all that God appoints, and such a woman will be happy in any circumstances.