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be no servants . In a community where the intellects and knowledge of all were on a par none would willingly be servants . All must
take it in turn , and the stimulus to labour-saving inventions would be so great that in no long period the necessity for personal service would be in a great measure dispensed with . The abundance of inferior people at present to be found to perform the office of domestic servants is a drawback upon invention ; but notwithstanding , for all those whose tastes are simple , who merely
require abundant food and cleanly lodging , and ease and leisure , who , in short , have no love of ostentation , the presence of servants , and the necessity of overlooking them , is a great evil . The only remedy for this is a well-digested system of social living . There are many rational people who will at once start away from such
a proposition , because , at first sight , the term social living portends the destruction of all privacy , a most necessary ingredient in human comfort , especiall y amongst thinking beings . But the destruction of privacy is not necessarily implied by social living ; a well-digested system would be adapted to suit every mood of
mind , to enable the members to congregate together when gregariously disposed , or to retire to their ruminations when otherwise disposed . I fully agree that unless this be perfectly understood and provided for , no such community would hold together
six months . As society at present exists , the intercourse of intellect cannot be kept up without a great expenditure of time , trouble , and money . People live far apart from each other , and the disposition to society may change while traversing the distance between , and at best it is only at scattered intervals that
such society can be enjoyed . But could it be easily attained , those who esteemed each other would mingle together at several periods of the day , and sharpen their intellects in discourse for shorter or longer periods as might best suit them . In a dwelling whose inhabitants possess a moderate income , the time of the female members is usually principally taken tip with what are called domestic duties , and thus the most
important of all duties , the education oi the junior members , is given over to hirelings . The kitchen—the accursed kitchen — 4 kitchen / ' her kitchen , ' as is said by and of the cooks—the kitchen and what is thereon depending , usually consumes for three persons the time which mig ht suffice , if properly arranged ,
for fifty . All is ill-arranged , and contrived to perform in the worst possible way the least possible quantity of work , and to give little choice of food to the inmates , though we know quite well that a variety of food is mainly conducive to health , and that the tastes of different persons are as diversified as their features . Then comes bed-making , and room-clean ing , and shoes-cleaning , in some cases done all by the same person , and mostly in a dawdling imperfect manner . And the carrying water up and down stairs , and the numberless contrivances for performing operations
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Housebuilding and Housekeeping . 493
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No . 91 . 2 N
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1834, page 493, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2635/page/33/
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