Dear Miss Candida,

I have been most interested in the descriptions given by wives who have petticoated their husbands, and from my own experience, can vouch for its effectiveness in training of unruly boys. Some years ago my sister had to spend some months in hospital and I agreed to take charge of my nephew. I soon found his behaviour left much to be desired, doubtless due to laxity by my sister in her poor health. However, I am not one to tolerate disobedience in any man be he young or old. He was not a bad boy, and after several thrashings accepted my discipline and became quite useful about the house. Although he was well behaved indoors under my supervision, like most males, he could not be trusted on his own. At the bottom of our garden there was a pedestrian way much used by pupils of the local Girls' High School. It was his delight to secret himself in a tree and asail them with a catapult. He was eventually apprehended and appeared at the juvenile court where he was bound over: I won't dwell on the momentary whipping he got from me when we got home, or the strict regime I imposed, which proved to be of no avail.

About two months later the molestation of the girls was resumed, and a delegation of angry mothers appeared on my doorstep, demanding to know what I intended to do about this interference with their daughters. I invited them in and over a cup of coffee, confessed I was at my wit's end, and would welcome suggestions. One of the mothers suggested petticoat discipline, which she claimed, her mother had said was widely practised in Victorian times. I was ready to try anything once, and it was it was decided to dress him as a baby girl and expose him to the taunts and ridicule of the girls. The main problem was getting him dressed. No easy task with a healthy, protesting male.

The previous evening I kept him up very late to make him tired, and gave him a hot drink with one of my sleeping powders in it to make sure. The result was that when four of the mothers arrived next morning to help me dress him he was still very sleepy, which made our task easier. While they held him I removed his pyjamas and put him in a pair of white silk knickers, which I had trimmed with Broderie Anglaise lace. Next came his dress in pretty baby pink, with lace trimmed puff sleeves and smocked bodice. One of the mothers had brought a twin push chair in which we now put him and securely tied his wrists and ankles to the arms and footrest. I tied a huge pink ribbon in his hair, and one of the mothers produced a dummy, which she secured with a piece of twine tied behind his neck so it was impossible for him to eject it. We stood back and surveyed our efforts, and we all agreed he looked a perfect doll. By this time he was full awake, and when we told him what was going to happen to him he showed such distress and panic that I nearly gave in. But the others were unyielding.

So at noon he was wheeled, crying and protesting, to the bottom of the garden where a huge crowd of giggling schoolgirls had gathered to enjoy the humiliation of their 'enemy'. The mothers had told their daughters what we intended to do, and it seemed that the whole school had turned up to see the fun. We opened the gate and let them into the garden, and he was quickly surrounded by a sea of jeering girls. Almost at once someone lifted his dress and his face went scarlet as the girls roared with laughter at his frilly knickers. We left them to it and returned to the house for a well-earned cup of coffee.

What happened during that lunch time I do not know for certain. Occasionally it would go quiet and I looked anxiously out of the window, but he was completely hidden by a circle of gymslips. Then there would be a sudden roar of girlish laughter, and I thought I heard him scream several times but I could not be sure.

He must have uttered a profound sigh of relief when the assembly bell finally summoned his tormentresses to afternoon school. When we went to collect him I was aghast at the ordeals must have suffered. His dress was torn and soaking wet. Tufts of his hair had been tied pieces of string which had been drawn tight and secured to the handle of the push chair. Making it impossible to move his head without pulling his hair painfully. His dummy had vanished and his face was heavily made up with lipstick and mascara, and the word 'Sissy' daubed across his forehead in lipstick. He told me later that two of the senior girls had made him up and then tormented him with a feather until he confessed each of his 'crimes'. Then the girl in question would come forward and pinch him viciously until she was satisfied with his whining apologies. His thighs and bottom were certainly covered with small bruises.

Needless to say, he was very subdued and chastened after that, and dreaded having to pass the school. For weeks afterwards he would be followed by a pack of girls chanting 'Where is your dress, sissy boy?' or 'Cry baby!' until driven nearly mad. He would chase them squealing to the safety of the school gates. There he would be forced to stop while they laughed at him. Wild horses wouldn't have dragged him through those gates, and they knew it. But the experience proved very effective, and he has always shown the utmost respect for girls and women since. He is now happily married and his wife has told me that she couldn't wish for a kinder, and more considerate husband.

I shall look forward to future editions of your wonderful magazine and wish you every success in promoting the superiority of women.
Yours sincerely,
 
Mrs B.D.

Helena, who has been a very active supporter of 'Petticoat Discipline Monthly' from its inception, sent in this letter which describes petticoat punishment at its most triumphant and overpowering.

For any young male who is getting arrogant and too big for his boots, a single devastating episode of petticoat punishment such as described here can change things around in an hour. Being helplessly petticoated, piched and prodded by a circle of jeering and teasing girls has obviously had a very beneficial life long effect on Mrs B.D.'s nephew, while it is worth noting that corporal punishment was totally unsuccessful, as it generally is.

A similar case to this one has already been presented in these pages: the first letter in the March edition. One would love to know how the boy (and the girls' brother) turned out in that case.
Susan