Thissomewhatidealizedanddiagrammaticoutlineofthedevelopmentandnatureofdomesticservicecomesnearestbeingtrueforthatculturalstagewhichwasherebeennamedthe“quasi-peaceable“stageofindustry。Atthisstagepersonalservicefirstrisestothepositionofaneconomicinstitution，anditisatthisstagethatitoccupiesthelargestplaceinthecommunity’sschemeoflife。Intheculturalsequence，thequasi猵eaceablestagefollowsthepredatorystageproper，thetwobeingsuccessivephasesofbarbarianlife。Itscharacteristicfeatureisaformalobservanceofpeaceandorder，atthesametimethatlifeatthisstagestillhastoomuchofcoercionandclassantagonismtobecalledpeaceableinthefullsenseoftheword。Formanypurposes，andfromanotherpointofviewthantheeconomicone，itmightaswellbenamedthestageofstatus。Themethodofhumanrelationduringthisstage，andthespiritualattitudeofmenatthislevelofculture，iswellsummedupundertheterm。Butasadescriptivetermtocharacterisetheprevailingmethodsofindustry，aswellastoindicatethetrendofindustrialdevelopmentatthispointineconomicevolution，theterm“quasi-peaceable“seemspreferable。SofarasconcernsthecommunitiesoftheWesternculture，thisphaseofeconomicdevelopmentprobablyliesinthepast；exceptforanumericallysmallthoughveryconspicuousfractionofthecommunityinwhomthehabitsofthoughtpeculiartothebarbarianculturehavesufferedbutarelativelyslightdisintegration。
Personalserviceisstillanelementofgreateconomicimportance，especiallyasregardsthedistributionandconsumptionofgoods；butitsrelativeimportanceeveninthisdirectionisnodoubtlessthanitoncewas。Thebestdevelopmentofthisvicariousleisureliesinthepastratherthaninthepresent；anditsbestexpressioninthepresentistobefoundintheschemeoflifeoftheupperleisureclass。Tothisclassthemoderncultureowesmuchinthewayoftheconservationoftraditions，usages，andhabitsofthoughtwhichbelongonamorearchaicculturalplane，sofarasregardstheirwidestacceptanceandtheirmosteffectivedevelopment。
Inthemodernindustrialcommunitiesthemechanicalcontrivancesavailableforthecomfortandconvenienceofeverydaylifearehighlydeveloped。Somuchsothatbodyservants，or，indeed，domesticservantsofanykind，wouldnowscarcelybeemployedbyanybodyexceptonthegroundofacanonofreputabilitycarriedoverbytraditionfromearlierusage。Theonlyexceptionwouldbeservantsemployedtoattendonthepersonsoftheinfirmandthefeeble-minded。Butsuchservantsproperlycomeundertheheadoftrainednursesratherthanunderthatofdomesticservants，andtheyare，therefore，anapparentratherthanarealexceptiontotherule。
Theproximatereasonforkeepingdomesticservants，forinstance，inthemoderatelywell-to-dohouseholdofto-day，isostensiblythatthemembersofthehouseholdareunablewithoutdiscomforttocompasstheworkrequiredbysuchamodernestablishment。Andthereasonfortheirbeingunabletoaccomplishitis1thattheyhavetoomany“socialduties“，and2thattheworktobedoneistoosevereandthatthereistoomuchofit。Thesetworeasonsmayberestatedasfollows:1
Underthemandatorycodeofdecency，thetimeandeffortofthemembersofsuchahouseholdarerequiredtobeostensiblyallspentinaperformanceofconspicuousleisure，inthewayofcalls，drives，clubs，sewing-circles，sports，charityorganisations，andotherlikesocialfunctions。Thosepersonswhosetimeandenergyareemployedinthesemattersprivatelyavowthatalltheseobservances，aswellastheincidentalattentiontodressandotherconspicuousconsumption，areveryirksomebutaltogetherunavoidable。2Undertherequirementofconspicuousconsumptionofgoods，theapparatusoflivinghasgrownsoelaborateandcumbrous，inthewayofdwellings，furniture，bric-a-brac，wardrobeandmeals，thattheconsumersofthesethingscannotmakewaywiththemintherequiredmannerwithouthelp。Personalcontactwiththehiredpersonswhoseaidiscalledintofulfiltheroutineofdecencyiscommonlydistastefultotheoccupantsofthehouse，buttheirpresenceisenduredandpaidfor，inordertodelegatetothemashareinthisonerousconsumptionofhouseholdgoods。Thepresenceofdomesticservants，andofthespecialclassofbodyservantsinaneminentdegree，isaconcessionofphysicalcomforttothemoralneedofpecuniarydecency。
Thelargestmanifestationofvicariousleisureinmodernlifeismadeupofwhatarecalleddomesticduties。Thesedutiesarefastbecomingaspeciesofservicesperformed，notsomuchfortheindividualbehoofoftheheadofthehouseholdasforthereputabilityofthehouseholdtakenasacorporateunit——agroupofwhichthehousewifeisamemberonafootingofostensibleequality。Asfastasthehouseholdforwhichtheyareperformeddepartsfromitsarchaicbasisofownership-marriage，thesehouseholddutiesofcoursetendtofalloutofthecategoryofvicariousleisureintheoriginalsense；exceptsofarastheyareperformedbyhiredservants。Thatistosay，sincevicariousleisureispossibleonlyonabasisofstatusorofhiredservice，thedisappearanceoftherelationofstatusfromhumanintercourseatanypointcarrieswithitthedisappearanceofvicariousleisuresofarasregardsthatmuchoflife。Butitistobeadded，inqualificationofthisqualification，thatsolongasthehouseholdsubsists，evenwithadividedhead，thisclassofnon-productivelabourperformedforthesakeofthehouseholdreputabilitymuststillbeclassedasvicariousleisure，althoughinaslightlyalteredsense。Itisnowleisureperformedforthequasi-personalcorporatehousehold，insteadof，asformerly，fortheproprietaryheadofthehousehold。
ChapterFourConspicuousConsumptionInwhathasbeensaidoftheevolutionofthevicariousleisureclassanditsdifferentiationfromthegeneralbodyoftheworkingclasses，referencehasbeenmadetoafurtherdivisionoflabour，——thatbetweenthedifferentservantclasses。Oneportionoftheservantclass，chieflythosepersonswhoseoccupationisvicariousleisure，cometoundertakeanew，subsidiaryrangeofduties——thevicariousconsumptionofgoods。
Themostobviousforminwhichthisconsumptionoccursisseeninthewearingofliveriesandtheoccupationofspaciousservants’
quarters。Another，scarcelylessobtrusiveorlesseffectiveformofvicariousconsumption，andamuchmorewidelyprevalentone，istheconsumptionoffood，clothing，dwelling，andfurniturebytheladyandtherestofthedomesticestablishment。
Butalreadyatapointineconomicevolutionfarantedatingtheemergenceofthelady，specialisedconsumptionofgoodsasanevidenceofpecuniarystrengthhadbeguntoworkoutinamoreorlesselaboratesystem。Thebeginningofadifferentiationinconsumptionevenantedatestheappearanceofanythingthatcanfairlybecalledpecuniarystrength。Itistraceablebacktotheinitialphaseofpredatoryculture，andthereisevenasuggestionthatanincipientdifferentiationinthisrespectliesbackofthebeginningsofthepredatorylife。Thismostprimitivedifferentiationintheconsumptionofgoodsislikethelaterdifferentiationwithwhichweareallsointimatelyfamiliar，inthatitislargelyofaceremonialcharacter，butunlikethelatteritdoesnotrestonadifferenceinaccumulatedwealth。
Theutilityofconsumptionasanevidenceofwealthistobeclassedasaderivativegrowth。Itisanadaptiontoanewend，byaselectiveprocess，ofadistinctionpreviouslyexistingandwellestablishedinmen’shabitsofthought。
Intheearlierphasesofthepredatoryculturetheonlyeconomicdifferentiationisabroaddistinctionbetweenanhonourablesuperiorclassmadeupoftheable-bodiedmenontheoneside，andabaseinferiorclassoflabouringwomenontheother。Accordingtotheidealschemeoflifeinforceatthetimeitistheofficeofthementoconsumewhatthewomenproduce。
Suchconsumptionasfallstothewomenismerelyincidentaltotheirwork；itisameanstotheircontinuedlabour，andnotaconsumptiondirectedtotheirowncomfortandfulnessoflife。
Unproductiveconsumptionofgoodsishonourable，primarilyasamarkofprowessandaperquisiteofhumandignity；secondarilyitbecomessubstantiallyhonourabletoitself，especiallytheconsumptionofthemoredesirablethings。Theconsumptionofchoicearticlesoffood，andfrequentlyalsoofrarearticlesofadornment，becomestabutothewomenandchildren；andifthereisabaseservileclassofmen，thetabuholdsalsoforthem。
Withafurtheradvanceinculturethistabumaychangeintosimplecustomofamoreorlessrigorouscharacter；butwhateverbethetheoreticalbasisofthedistinctionwhichismaintained，whetheritbeatabuoralargerconventionality，thefeaturesoftheconventionalschemeofconsumptiondonotchangeeasily。Whenthequasi-peaceablestageofindustryisreached，withitsfundamentalinstitutionofchattelslavery，thegeneralprinciple，moreorlessrigorouslyapplied，isthatthebase，industriousclassshouldconsumeonlywhatmaybenecessarytotheirsubsistence。Inthenatureofthings，luxuriesandthecomfortsoflifebelongtotheleisureclass。Underthetabu，certainvictuals，andmoreparticularlycertainbeverages，arestrictlyreservedfortheuseofthesuperiorclass。
Theceremonialdifferentiationofthedietaryisbestseenintheuseofintoxicatingbeveragesandnarcotics。Ifthesearticlesofconsumptionarecostly，theyarefelttobenobleandhonorific。Thereforethebaseclasses，primarilythewomen，practiceanenforcedcontinencewithrespecttothesestimulants，exceptincountrieswheretheyareobtainableataverylowcost。
Fromarchaictimesdownthroughallthelengthofthepatriarchalregimeithasbeentheofficeofthewomentoprepareandadministertheseluxuries，andithasbeentheperquisiteofthemenofgentlebirthandbreedingtoconsumethem。Drunkennessandtheotherpathologicalconsequencesofthefreeuseofstimulantsthereforetendintheirturntobecomehonorific，asbeingamark，atthesecondremove，ofthesuperiorstatusofthosewhoareabletoaffordtheindulgence。Infirmitiesinducedbyover-indulgenceareamongsomepeoplesfreelyrecognisedasmanlyattributes。Ithasevenhappenedthatthenameforcertaindiseasedconditionsofthebodyarisingfromsuchanoriginhaspassedintoeverydayspeechasasynonymfor“noble“or“gentle“。
Itisonlyatarelativelyearlystageofculturethatthesymptomsofexpensiveviceareconventionallyacceptedasmarksofasuperiorstatus，andsotendtobecomevirtuesandcommandthedeferenceofthecommunity；butthereputabilitythatattachestocertainexpensiveviceslongretainssomuchofitsforceastoappreciablylessonthedisapprobationvisiteduponthemenofthewealthyornobleclassforanyexcessiveindulgence。Thesameinvidiousdistinctionaddsforcetothecurrentdisapprovalofanyindulgenceofthiskindonthepartofwomen，minors，andinferiors。Thisinvidioustraditionaldistinctionhasnotlostitsforceevenamongthemoreadvancedpeoplesoftoday。Wheretheexamplesetbytheleisureclassretainsitsimperativeforceintheregulationoftheconventionalities，itisobservablethatthewomenstillingreatmeasurepractisethesametraditionalcontinencewithregardtostimulants。
Thischaracterisationofthegreatercontinenceintheuseofstimulantspractisedbythewomenofthereputableclassesmayseemanexcessiverefinementoflogicattheexpenseofcommonsense。Butfactswithineasyreachofanyonewhocarestoknowthemgotosaythatthegreaterabstinenceofwomenisinsomepartduetoanimperativeconventionality；andthisconventionalityis，inageneralway，strongestwherethepatriarchaltradition——thetraditionthatthewomanisachattel——hasretaineditsholdingreatestvigour。Inasensewhichhasbeengreatlyqualifiedinscopeandrigour，butwhichhasbynomeanslostitsmeaningevenyet，thistraditionsaysthatthewoman，beingachattel，shouldconsumeonlywhatisnecessarytohersustenance，——exceptsofarasherfurtherconsumptioncontributestothecomfortorthegoodreputeofhermaster。Theconsumptionofluxuries，inthetruesense，isaconsumptiondirectedtothecomfortoftheconsumerhimself，andis，therefore，amarkofthemaster。Anysuchconsumptionbyotherscantakeplaceonlyonabasisofsufferance。Incommunitieswherethepopularhabitsofthoughthavebeenprofoundlyshapedbythepatriarchaltraditionwemayaccordinglylookforsurvivalsofthetabuonluxuriesatleasttotheextentofaconventionaldeprecationoftheirusebytheunfreeanddependentclass。Thisismoreparticularlytrueasregardscertainluxuries，theuseofwhichbythedependentclasswoulddetractsensiblyfromthecomfortorpleasureoftheirmasters，orwhichareheldtobeofdoubtfullegitimacyonothergrounds。IntheapprehensionofthegreatconservativemiddleclassofWesterncivilisationtheuseofthesevariousstimulantsisobnoxioustoatleastone，ifnotboth，oftheseobjections；
anditisafacttoosignificanttobepassedoverthatitispreciselyamongthesemiddleclassesoftheGermanicculture，withtheirstrongsurvivingsenseofthepatriarchalproprieties，thatthewomenaretothegreatestextentsubjecttoaqualifiedtabuonnarcoticsandalcoholicbeverages。Withmanyqualifications——withmorequalificationsasthepatriarchaltraditionhasgraduallyweakened——thegeneralruleisfelttoberightandbindingthatwomenshouldconsumeonlyforthebenefitoftheirmasters。Theobjectionofcoursepresentsitselfthatexpenditureonwomen’sdressandhouseholdparaphernaliaisanobviousexceptiontothisrule；butitwillappearinthesequelthatthisexceptionismuchmoreobviousthansubstantial。