Inallthislatter-dayrangeofleisure-classactivitiesthatproceedonthebasisofanon-invidiousandnon-religiousinterest，itistobenotedthatthewomenparticipatemoreactivelyandmorepersistentlythanthemen——except，ofcourse，inthecaseofsuchworksasrequirealargeexpenditureofmeans。Thedependentpecuniarypositionofthewomendisablesthemforworkrequiringlargeexpenditure。Asregardsthegeneralrangeofameliorativework，themembersofthepriesthoodorclergyofthelessnaivelydevoutsects，orthesecularizeddenominations，areassociatedwiththeclassofwomen。Thisisasthetheorywouldhaveit。Inothereconomicrelations，also，thisclergystandsinasomewhatequivocalpositionbetweentheclassofwomenandthatofthemenengagedineconomicpursuits。Bytraditionandbytheprevalentsenseoftheproprieties，boththeclergyandthewomenofthewell-to-doclassesareplacedinthepositionofavicariousleisureclass；withbothclassesthecharacteristicrelationwhichgoestoformthehabitsofthoughtoftheclassisarelationofsubservience——thatistosay，aneconomicrelationconceivedinpersonalterms；inbothclassesthereisconsequentlyperceptibleaspecialpronenesstoconstruephenomenaintermsofpersonalrelationratherthanofcausalsequence；bothclassesaresoinhibitedbythecanonsofdecencyfromtheceremoniallyuncleanprocessesofthelucrativeorproductiveoccupationsastomakeparticipationintheindustriallifeprocessoftodayamoralimpossibilityforthem。Theresultofthisceremonialexclusionfromproductiveeffortofthevulgarsortistodraftarelativelylargeshareoftheenergiesofthemodernfeminineandpriestlyclassesintotheserviceofotherintereststhantheself-regardingone。Thecodeleavesnoalternativedirectioninwhichtheimpulsetopurposefulactionmayfindexpression。Theeffectofaconsistentinhibitiononindustriallyusefulactivityinthecaseoftheleisure-classwomenshowsitselfinarestlessassertionoftheimpulsetoworkmanshipinotherdirectionsthanthatofbusinessactivity。
Ashasbeennoticedalready，theeverydaylifeofthewell-to-dowomenandtheclergycontainsalargerelementofstatusthanthatoftheaverageofthemen，especiallythanthatofthemenengagedinthemodernindustrialoccupationsproper。
Hencethedevoutattitudesurvivesinabetterstateofpreservationamongtheseclassesthanamongthecommonrunofmeninthemoderncommunities。Henceanappreciableshareoftheenergywhichseeksexpressioninanon-lucrativeemploymentamongthesemembersofthevicariousleisureclassesmaybeexpectedtoeventuateindevoutobservancesandworksofpiety。Hence，inpart，theexcessofthedevoutproclivityinwomen，spokenofinthelastchapter。Butitismoretothepresentpointtonotetheeffectofthisproclivityinshapingtheactionandcoloringthepurposesofthenon-lucrativemovementsandorganizationshereunderdiscussion。Wherethisdevoutcoloringispresentitlowerstheimmediateefficiencyoftheorganizationsforanyeconomicendtowhichtheireffortsmaybedirected。Manyorganizations，charitableandameliorative，dividetheirattentionbetweenthedevotionalandthesecularwell-beingofthepeoplewhoseintereststheyaimtofurther。Itcanscarcelyhedoubtedthatiftheyweretogiveanequallyseriousattentionandeffortundividedlytothesecularinterestsofthesepeople，theimmediateeconomicvalueoftheirworkshouldbeappreciablyhigherthanitis。Itmightofcoursesimilarlybesaid，ifthisweretheplacetosayit，thattheimmediateefficiencyoftheseworksofameliorationforthedevoutmightbegreaterifitwerenothamperedwiththesecularmotivesandaimswhichareusuallypresent。
Somedeductionistobemadefromtheeconomicvalueofthisclassofnon-invidiousenterprise，onaccountoftheintrusionofthedevotionalinterest。Buttherearealsodeductionstobemadeonaccountofthepresenceofotheralienmotiveswhichmoreorlessbroadlytraversetheeconomictrendofthisnon-emulativeexpressionoftheinstinctofworkmanship。Tosuchanextentisthisseentobetrueonacloserscrutiny，that，whenallistold，itmayevenappearthatthisgeneralclassofenterprisesisofanaltogetherdubiouseconomicvalue——asmeasuredintermsofthefullnessorfacilityoflifeoftheindividualsorclassestowhoseameliorationtheenterpriseisdirected。Forinstance，manyoftheeffortsnowinreputablevoguefortheameliorationoftheindigentpopulationoflargecitiesareofthenature，ingreatpart，ofamissionofculture。Itisbythismeanssoughttoacceleratetherateofspeedatwhichgivenelementsoftheupper-classculturefindacceptanceintheeverydayschemeoflifeofthelowerclasses。Thesolicitudeof“settlements，“forexample，isinpartdirectedtoenhancetheindustrialefficiencyofthepoorandtoteachthemthemoreadequateutilizationofthemeansathand；butitisalsonolessconsistentlydirectedtotheinculcation，bypreceptandexample，ofcertainpunctiliosofupper-classproprietyinmannersandcustoms。Theeconomicsubstanceoftheseproprietieswillcommonlybefoundonscrutinytobeaconspicuouswasteoftimeandgoods。Thosegoodpeoplewhogoouttohumanizethepoorarecommonly，andadvisedly，extremelyscrupulousandsilentlyinsistentinmattersofdecorumandthedecenciesoflife。Theyarecommonlypersonsofanexemplarylifeandgiftedwithatenaciousinsistenceonceremonialcleannessinthevariousitemsoftheirdailyconsumption。Theculturalorcivilizingefficacyofthisinculcationofcorrecthabitsofthoughtwithrespecttotheconsumptionoftimeandcommoditiesisscarcelytobeoverrated；norisitseconomicvaluetotheindividualwhoacquiresthesehigherandmorereputableidealsinconsiderable。
Underthecircumstancesoftheexistingpecuniaryculture，thereputability，andconsequentlythesuccess，oftheindividualisingreatmeasuredependentonhisproficiencyindemeanorandmethodsofconsumptionthatarguehabitualwasteoftimeandgoods。Butasregardstheulterioreconomicbearingofthistraininginworthiermethodsoflife，itistobesaidthattheeffectwroughtisinlargepartasubstitutionofcostlierorlessefficientmethodsofaccomplishingthesamematerialresults，inrelationswherethematerialresultisthefactofsubstantialeconomicvalue。Thepropagandaofcultureisingreatpartaninculcationofnewtastes，orratherofanewscheduleofproprieties，whichhavebeenadaptedtotheupper-classschemeoflifeundertheguidanceoftheleisure-classformulationoftheprinciplesofstatusandpecuniarydecency。Thisnewscheduleofproprietiesisintrudedintothelower-classschemeoflifefromthecodeelaboratedbyanelementofthepopulationwhoselifeliesoutsidetheindustrialprocess；andthisintrusiveschedulecanscarcelybeexpectedtofittheexigenciesoflifefortheselowerclassesmoreadequatelythantheschedulealreadyinvogueamongthem，andespeciallynotmoreadequatelythantheschedulewhichtheyarethemselvesworkingoutunderthestressofmodernindustriallife。