Daisy's Retraining Pt. 02

Miss Davis then ordered from the front of the room, "Grace begin".

Like robots the girls began including Daisy. "Lord thank you for granting me the privilege of this food which I know my behavior has not merited. I am truly thankful for your mercy and promise to behave in a better way this day." The supervisors patrolled to ensure no one was not saying grace – it did not matter what your religion was or even if you had one, religious compliance was required.

"Sit," Miss Davis continued. They all sat on the low wooden stools designed for infants so that their knees with feet on the ground were above their waists and pressed uncomfortable under the low tables.

"When you have finished eating and drinking put your hands on your head and sit quietly. You may begin".

Daisy swiftly picked up her spoon and began eating the foul tasting now lukewarm gruel making sure not to spill anything on the table, floor or her uniform. She had seen people offending in this way have the contents of their bowl emptied onto their heads and their hands and behind caned or strapped on the spot. Full punishment then followed later.

She scooped the last morsels from her bowl (leaving food uneaten was also punished), drank her water and then placed her hands on her head looking directly forward.

After a couple of minutes more orders followed. Six of them Daisy included were told to stand and come to the front of the hall. Next they all received a full soap mouth washing lasting 2-3 minutes whilst everyone else watched. This punishment completed, they were all dismissed and filed to assembly. It was only 5:00 am and Daisy had already been up for two and a half hours.

The inmates filed in silence, as ever, into the assembly hall and were directed to sit in rows on the floor with their legs crossed and hands on their heads like five year olds. Daisy was marched to the front and made to stand in front of the stage facing the rest of the institution with her hands on her head. Two other girls joined her similarly uniformed although one girl who Daisy recognized from earlier assemblies was fully clothed in a completely woollen uniform.

Mr. Hamilton entered the back of the hall closely followed by Miss Davis and the institution was ordered to stand. The girls obeyed keeping their hands still on their heads as the two supervisors marched up the middle of the hall and up onto the stage.

"Right we will begin with the hymn "Where shall my wondering soul begin?" – begin now," ordered Mr. Hamilton.

At once without any musical accompliment the girls sang, Daisy included. Learning the hymns sung regularly in the morning assemblies was a vital part of the education in the first four weeks. Anyone unable to recite all six hymns fully by this time was placed on punishment until they learnt and for a suitable time thereafter as an additional penance. Daisy despite her fear of what was yet to come joined in so that it was clear to the supervising supervisors that she did not require correction for yet another failing. Girls failing to sing ended up in junior institution uniform with an assembly caning and then appearances to sing alone in assembly and in public amongst other sanctions.

Daisy continued through today's hymn.

"Come, O my guilty brethren, come,

Groaning beneath your load of sin,

His bleeding heart shall make you room,

His open side shall take you in;

He calls you now, invites you home;

Come, O my guilty brethren, come!

-

For you the purple current flowed

In pardons from His wounded side,

Languished for you the eternal God,

For you the Prince of glory died:

Believe, and all your sin's forgiven;

Only believe, and yours is Heaven!"

Daisy had not entered a Church for real for more than six years before beginning her punishment but she now recited the words as if she had always known them. The hymn ended and the room fell silent.

"Sit girls," Mr. Hamilton directed and with that there was a short noise but no talking as the girls returned to their places legs crossed and their hands on their heads. Daisy stood at the front realized that the humiliation she felt every morning as she sat there was real; rows of young women, probably all of relatively high intelligence, sat cross legged with their institution knickers easily visible, in institution uniform hands-on-head.

Mr. Hamilton remained standing, "This morning's reading is from Deuteronomy 6, verses 1-20 and will be given by Hastings."

With this he sat down and a girl sat in the front row stood up and walked up onto the stage carrying a Bible which she opened stood in front of the whole institution. She was dressed in standard uniform with her yellow gingham dress reaching to her knees and her brown institution sweatshirt.

She began, "These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you." Daisy despite her predicament listened intently – frequently questions were asked in lesson about the assembly reading and failure to answer correctly was of course punished. The inmate reading continued and finished, "The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. This is the word of the word of the Lord", Hastings completed closed The Bible and remained standing in the centre of the stage.

"I hope you have all listened carefully to the reading as I am asking all supervisors to check on this later – I have notice some slacking in this area over the past few days so I have asked all individuals with failings on answering questions on the readings to be referred to Miss Davis in addition to any immediate punishment. In addition I have asked Miss Davis to impose corporal punishment in front of the whole institution as a minimal component of punishments for any such offenders." Mr. Hamilton spoke authoritatively.

"We have three offenders to receive corporal punishment this morning. "First, Pritchard."

A supervisor led one of the girls stood with Daisy up onto the stage where she stood hands-on-head. "Offence – failure of uniform inspection. Punishment - Uniform –Winter uniform – institution knickers, knee socks, starched shirt and tie, institution tunic and cardigan. Uniform to be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Stand at all times in all lessons. One hour extra drill and inspection every morning. No washing bathing or clothing change throughout punishment. Corporal punishment – three strokes of the slipper to the palm and back of each hand on your dormitory once per week for the duration of your punishment. Eight strokes of the cane to your bare behind at institution assembly. Punishment to last two weeks. Sentence increased from 3 to 4 months. Hopefully this caning and your other penances will punish and correct your stupidity child. Miss. Davis please administer the caning."

The girl was told to undo her cardigan and her tunic from the waist downwards and then bend over the back of a chair with her hands holding firmly to the chair legs so that she was stretched with her back to the assembled inmates. Miss. Davis lifted the tunic of her skirt over her back to reveal her navy blue knickers. Pritchard's knickers were then stripped to her ankles. Miss. Davis repeated the rules for application of such a public beating which were the same as for others except that the punsihee was spared having to count each stroke instead thanks had to be given to the inflictor of the beating when complete. The effect of this, as Daisy knew, was that each girl sat watching counted each painful stroke as it was inflicted whilst listening to the weak sobs from the person being punished trying to avoid yet further indiscretions.

Miss. Davis walked over to the table on the stage and returned carrying a medium thickness 3 foot cane with crook handle. She swooshed it through the air a few times so that Pritchard stretched over the chair was left with an impending sense of what was to come and then having steadied herself Miss. Davis began the application.

Eight firm strokes were given across the punsihee's buttocks and upper thighs such that they were left striated with red welts and she was left sobbing. After being left in position so that everyone could see the impact of her caning Pritchard was told to stand and face the assembly with her hands on her head. As she did this her tunic and cardigan flopped back over her behind so that she was left standing hand-on-head, her undone cardigan and tunic skirt lifted apart so that she looked suitable disheveled and her knickers still around her ankles.

"What have you to say for yourself child," Miss Davis asked.

"I would like to thank you for caning me in front of the institution Maam. I thoroughly deserved this punishment because of my poor behavior. It has taught me a well-deserved lesson. Thank-you, Maam," Pritchard completed her compliant reply.

"Right go and stand over there, facing the front and keep your hands on your head," Miss. Davis directed pointing towards the side of the stage. Pritchard hobbled to the directed position her movement restricted by her knickers still ringing her ankles.

Mr. Hamilton moved on, "Next Morris". The second girl with Daisy was accompanied onto the stage leaving Daisy stood alone at the front of the hall. Daisy tried to swallow away some of the foul soap which still covered her mouth after her latest post breakfast application.

"Offence relating to this punishment – attempting to escape. Remaining punishment - Uniform – All woollen Winter uniform – institution knickers, knee socks, shirt and tie, institution tunic, waistcoat, V-neck and round neck cardigans. Uniform to be worn 24 hours a day seven days a week. Stand at all times in all lessons. One hour extra drill and inspection every morning. Bathing once per month and clothing change - knickers and socks once per month, rest of uniform every two months. Public display every week. Restrained to bed every night. Corporal punishment – twelve strokes of the strap to the behind in institution assembly once per week for the duration of your sentence. Five strokes of the tawse to the back and palm of both hands twice per week on your dormitory. Punishment to last for remainder of sentence. Sentence increased from 4 to 18 months. I am sure this latest strapping will remind you of the error of your behavior in trying to avoid the punishments you deserved. Miss. Davis please administer the strapping."

The girl was told to undo her cardigans and waistcoat and her tunic from the waist downwards and then bend over the back of the chair with her hands holding firmly to the chair legs so that she was stretched with her back to the assembled inmates as had Pritchard earlier. Miss. Davis lifted the tunic of her skirt over her back to reveal her woollen navy blue knickers. Morris's knickers were then stripped to her ankles revealing her behind which still bore the marks of the previously weekly strappings she had received. Miss. Davis repeated the rules for application of such a public beating except that in this case Morris was instructed to give thanks and count each stroke. Attempting to escape was the ultimate offence and the punishment which Morris now endured continuously was in fact the minimal to be inflicted for such an offence.

Miss. Davis strolled to the table and returned carrying a thick 3 foot leather strap with a wooden handle. She swooshed it as before so that the recipient's fear was allowed to rise as they laid awaiting their fate. Miss. Davis applied the first stroke with a fearful slap as the leather bit into Morris's behind.

"One stroke. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole institution because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior," Morris spoke clearly and steadily for everyone in the silent hall to hear. The strokes were applied regularly with just sufficient time for the pain to begin to ebb before another application of leather to the punsihees behind and thighs. Morris managing to utter the required thanks with increasing difficulty as the number of strokes increased.

"Eight strokes. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole institution because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior."

Daisy quivered with each stroke knowing that soon her beating would begin – a feeling of fear spread over her. Her behind was still aching and sore from the caning how was she going to be able to endure this?

Finally the twelfth stroke was applied and Morris squeezed out her last response, "Twelve strokes. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole institution because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior."

After a while she was permitted to stand and face the assembly with her hands on her head. As she did this her woollen uniform tunic and cardigans flopped back over her behind so that she was left standing hand-on-head, facing the hall her woollen knickers displayed around her ankles and tears rolling down her face.

"Stand over there, facing the front and keep your hands on your head. We will of course see you again next week for a deserved repetition," Miss. Davis directed pointing towards the side of the stage. Morris hobbled gingerly to the directed position.

Mr. Hamilton moved on, "Next Douglas".