The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-20

English Ladies' Boarding Schools
Corporal Observation-Disclosures
LndIeGBIrched, Etc. isaIl ,,s=,-s7i
The Queen, a London ''lady's news
paper" has lately contained number
ofletters from various correspondents,
relating to corporal punishment in
schools, the contents of which have
completely disgusted the community
at large, and made parents particularly
anxious respecting their children at
school. It appears from these letters
that in most of the fashionable ladies'
boarding schools the system of corporal
punishment is in vogue, and that mar
riageable young ladies are stripped, laid
across q Hhorsei and then receive a cas-
tigation which is usually awarded to
only the enaughtiest ofchildren. Besides
the stripes ofthe birch there are several
other formalitiesto be gone through,
very humbling to the pupil, and which
one correspondent describes as follows:
"For the first offence the delin-
quent is prepared for punishment, but
generally pardoned; for the second
she is whipped privately, for all sub
takes place in the school-room, on the
'horse,' and i'm addition to the pain it
inflicts, It costs in money about Is. in
fees. This s-the system: First, she
proceeds to the housekeeper to procure
the rod-she pays I'd. for. the Use of 1t;
secondly, she has to be partly undrsss-
ed by the maid, and this costs 3D.;
thirdly, she has then towalk barefooted
to another part of the house, to be robed
for punishment-a peculiar dressing to
add to the disgrace; it is long linen
blouse, short cotton socks, and slippers.
The young lady, thus dressed, now pro
ceeds to the edrawing-room to be exhibi-
4 faH fn laFIxY into
ing been approved, she is then conduct
ed to the second room, when she has to
pay Cd. to the goyerness, who inflicts
the punishment. A wooden horse, COW
cred with soft leather, is the medium of
castigation. The delinquent then thanks
| the governess, kisses the rod, and re-
tires to her own room to appear no more
until the next mornings" One of the
writers, an Irishman, says he has under
his care a niece 1S years old, Last sum-
mel, the young lady having finished her
education, ,theywent to live in pheasant
lagew very large ladies' school,
and the young lady being particularly
fond of study, made arrangements 10
attend twice a week, N order to add to
her store of knowledge, if possible
One afternoon, it appears she contra
dicted, or rather corrected a teacher
who had misguided line of poetry
To her surprise, when about to leave af-
ter her lesson, she was ordered into the
school-room. To her amaZement and
| indignation, she was told that she was
to be birched "for impIldence to teach
err" Sheiprotested and implored, but
| in vain.T Her resistance was useless
against force, she, was held across a
desk, the clothing was completely re-
moved from the lower part Of her per-
son, and f1le lady principal gave her
twelve sharp cuts with a birch. The
young lady went home, distraeted.in
mind, and related the circumstances to
her uncle. He was, Of course highly
indignant, but he concluded ito
say nothing about it, until the young
lady had Completed the term of her
sent an invitation TO the lady principal,
asking her tolunch at his home and re-
ceive the amount of money due her.
This the principal accepted, and on her
arrival she was rather surprised at the
warmth of the reception, which was as
follows Three lady acquafntances had
been Invited to act as a committee OF
reception, with ssbirch, p shorse, de-,
along with them, On the appearance
of the principal the gentleman lectured
her as TO her conduct to his neice, and
told her, to avoid exposure by legal pro-
ceedings he had concluded, with the aid
of the ladies present, to punish her as
she had done his niece. There being no
other alternative she consented, and
drawn across the "horse,D and the gen.
tleman himself laid on the birch. He
gave her twenty strokes, the severity OF
whichthe principals flushed counten-
ance attested TO. She then departed.
There are a number of other letters, all
of which contained accounts similar to
the above.