Part 6

The Colonel continues: ‘Now the real art of birching consists, of course, in inflicting the greatest amount of humiliation and suffering, but without in reality doing serious damage; we have to consider how so to apply the rod as to effect some radical moral good in the disposition and mind of the culprit; how to make them feel the very dregs as it were of humiliation, degradation, and every kind of mortification. It is a curious fact that it sends the blood of a sensitive modest girl in impulsive rushes (especially to the face and neck) in the form of scarlet blushes, which pass over those parts in continuous waves, corresponding to each stroke of the rod; this is a curious psychological fact, which is puzzling even to anatomists.’

_Letter from Mrs. Martinet on Slipper Punishment._

A slipper is a splendid thing to slap with, as it has such a stinging effect without cutting the skin, like a regular birchrod.

I should not write so fully as I do, but knowing you to be an amateur, and consequently interested in every incident of punishment, it gives a kind of freedom to my pen, as I know you can be depended on not to abuse my confidence.

My special penchant used to be for a good stinging bunch of real birch twigs, and I still think that is far the best thing to use for big girls over thirteen, but for little delicate chits under that age, there is nothing answers so well as a nice new slipper. A proficient disciplinarian would first give the delinquent a short lecture on the nature of her offence, then firmly insist upon the culprit herself fetching the instrument of punishment: to my idea, there is more shame and humiliation at having to bring the slipper to be flogged, than fear of the smart, which is always worse in imagination than fact.

A skilful flagellatrix will always prolong these sensations, as they effect as much good as the application of the slipper.

_Flogging and Cruelty in a Glasgow Industrial School._

A case not unlike what has just been brought to light in London is reported in connection with the Glasgow Girls’ Industrial School. The charges against the matron consist of acts of cruelty when administering punishment to the girls. Here is part of an account given in a Glasgow paper of an interview with the matron regarding her treatment of a girl who had absconded from the institution. The girl was taken into the laundry with only her chemise and a petticoat on, and held by two girls while she flogged her with a taws. She knows that the girl’s garments got twisted in the struggle, but cannot remember whether they all came off or not. She is sure the girl did not receive more than twelve strokes, very likely not so many. After flogging the girl she went to her own room, she was so excited, leaving instructions to have the girl put under the spray-bath to cool her down. After whipping the girls she gave them the spray to revive them. Then a mattress was taken into the surgery and the girl was put in there. That very night she visited her in the surgery, and told her she had only punished her for her good. She taught her a little prayer, and then she prayed with her. The interview goes on to say: ‘You did not enter the punishment in the records?’ ‘No, for the girl had never been in the schoolroom, and the punishment did not form part of the ordinary discipline of the school.’ ‘You consider that the punishment requisite to break a girl in should not be entered?’ ‘Well, I go upon precedent. I was assistant to the former matron, and in a case where a girl was punished under similar circumstances it was not entered in the book.’

The matron mentioned above is also reported by the same girl to have confessed to stripping a girl naked before whipping her. This lady who was assistant matron, said she knew nothing about the rules. One of the teachers who has since left the institution said she did so out of disgust at the way it was conducted, and the cruelty practised in the punishment of the inmates. The resignation of the matron was accepted by the committee of management.

_The Convent School._

The Superior, with whom Olive had been a favourite, now vented her spite in every direction amongst the young lady pupils of the seminary, and I, for one, soon fell under her displeasure and was ordered to be tied to the whipping-post. It was only for slightly oversleeping myself, and not dressing quickly when the bell rang for us to get up at 6 a.m. I was suspended by my wrist, being tied high up on the post, as I stood on a footstool, when it was suddenly kicked away, the jerk of the sudden strain on my wrists almost making the straps cut into the flesh. My feet were dangling some inches from the floor. ‘Oh! oh! ah-r-r-re!’ I screamed. ‘How cruel! Oh! papa! papa! if you only knew how they treated us in this awful place!’

The Lady Superior, who seemed delighted at my pain, said: ‘Hold your foolish tongue; wait till you have something to scream about, girl.’ Then old Serena who, it seemed, was always in attendance at punishment time, pinned up my skirts, and the Superior went on: ‘This rod shall make all the sluggards turn out quicker in the morning. What do you mean, Miss, by making us all wait prayers for ten minutes? Will you wake up sharper in future?’

She then gave me several sharp cuts with the rod. My screams were heartrending, but they only seemed to enjoy it more and more, and the Superior never ended her objurgations till the rod was worn out.

_The Woman in White._

Mme. Hauteville made a very pretty toilette for the occasion—she was all in white: in the costume of a novice when she takes the veil. The dress had been considerably modified, as being too flowing for the occasion, but it was all white silk and lace: and a lovely little angel she looked when it was complete. From head to foot she had nothing on that was not pure white; white satin shoes with diamonds sparkling on the rosettes; white silk stockings, gartered above her round knees with white velvet garters; white petticoats—one of the finest flannel—embroidered with lilies, and one of soft lawn, with a lace flounce. Her robe was silk—the soft noiseless sort that does not rustle—richly trimmed with costly lace, and over her head she had a square veil. She had her maid in to assist at her toilette and fasten her garters and shoes. Madame submitted to be blindfolded with a very good grace, though she tried hard to get us to tell her what was going to be done; she had such pretty coaxing ways that it was hard to resist her; but we did, and she went in quite unprepared.

We led her slowly up the room, and at the first stroke of the rod nearest the door, she winced but did not cry out; the next blow she received was a stinging one from a slipper my lady held in her hand (she knows how to strike with a shoe, I can tell you), and she gave a little scream and a jump. ‘Oh! what is it?’ she asked between her teeth; but the next stroke, a fair open-handed slap from Mrs. D—’s fat hand made her fairly shriek out and twist out of her grasp on to the floor. It _was_ a slap, and rang out even above the laughter of the ladies, leaving a broad red mark on the white firm flesh of the little lady.

_Home Scenes._

Mrs. Eden was brought up in a convent. Her parents were Roman Catholics and, having no daughter but her, they were desirous of bestowing upon her every accomplishment, and foolishly imagined a convent education far superior to any this country could boast of. There she lived till she was twenty-five, when her father died, and she found herself in possession of twenty-five thousand pounds. At the importunities of a fond mother, who went to see her every year, she visited England and, being a girl of good fortune, it is not to be wondered at that she had a crowd of admirers. In her visits she was very much taken with that part of a widower’s family generally found most disagreeable, at least to young ladies—I mean his children. She observed they were indulged by a weak father in everything, and were consequently very disobedient and unruly. Upon this gentleman, though verging on forty, she fixed her affections, and being a woman of ungovernable spirit, she was happy to find him an easy pusillanimous creature. The match was scarcely mentioned when it was concluded, and a few days after she found herself at the head of his household. She had six little subjects to govern, three of whom were then at school, who were instantly ordered home, as she said she would finish their education, which indeed was in her power, for she was a very sensible woman; but that was not her intent altogether. It was the boys that were ordered from school, and right happy they were at leaving so irksome a place; but they little knew their stepmother. As soon as she was married she discharged all her servants and hired a set of her own choosing, and among the rest she took care to engage a French maid whose disposition she knew would just suit her.

Mrs. Eden was of the first order of beauty, fine turned limbs, good skin, fine blue eyes, and when not ruffled by passion was certainly very captivating. If she stepped across the room she displayed uncommon dignity and elegance, and had all the chic of a Frenchwoman.

Now although she had a passion for flogging, yet she was never observed to take the rod in hand without cause. She was convinced where there were such a number of children and they ungovernable, many bickerings would arise which would give her an opportunity to amuse herself with the rod. The first to give her a chance was a boy of seventeen who was so stupid at a lesson she gave him that she resolved to try the effects of birching. Her maid was ordered to bring a rod, which was no sooner done than she proceeded to use it; but she found the boy too strong for her. The maid, with the assistance of her mistress, tied his hands behind him, and then they found him manageable enough and, the woman holding his legs, his stepmother whipped him till the twigs flew about the room.

This was the first sample of her severity, and it made such an impression on the other children that they trembled in her presence. A few hours afterwards the boy was tearfully complaining of her treatment to his elder sister, who advised him to burn the rod at the first opportunity. This was overheard by the maid, who informed her lady of the affair. The young lady was summoned to the parlour, where she denied the fact, was confronted by the maid, and well whipped.

MEIBOMIUS, (J. H., M.D.) A Treatise on the Utility of Flogging in Medicine and Venery; wherein many curious things are plainly set out and elucidated, for the enjoyment of the curious and the delight of the learned. Faithfully translated from the original Latin. Demy 8vo, cloth.