Quite a number of ladies have written to you, gloatingly telling how, for some imagined offence or other, they have punished their husbands in nappies and baby dresses, and even, in some cases, exposed them dressed like this to other women. And I wonder if these women, as they describe the pretty baby frocks and frilly undies that their unfortunate spouses are made to wear, ever stop to think of the agonies of shame and humiliation that any man must feel in such a terrible position.

As one who has been, and still is, frequently subjected to such cruel humiliations, I can assure them that it is harder to bear than physical pain, and that the mere thought of being put into my nappies, and my ridiculous hated baby dress makes me feel ill with disgust and shame.

Yet, through my foolishness in borrowing money from my landlady without her knowledge, I have put myself in a position where I must give in to her demands or face prison, and she has chosen this awful way of punishing me just because of the satisfaction and pleasure it gives her to see me quite literally squirming with humiliation.

I have been provided with a full baby outfit, which I must wear whenever my merciless tyrant landlady decides that I am in need of what she chooses to call 'correction'. Like a small child, I have to allow her to dress me, and, to increase my shame, I am made to stand facing a full length mirror while she fastens me up into my little frilly lace-trimmed petticoats and short baby dress. In the mirror I can see on her face the look of gloating delight as she imprisons me in my humiliating attire, and she loves to mock me and jeer at me whilst she is dressing me, telling me over and over again how stupid and ridiculous I look, until I beg for mercy.

Once my frock and petticoats are on, I must submit to being tied up. There is no real need for this, for she is well aware that I cannot possibly escape, but to have me completely helpless seems to give her great pleasure, and, if I protest, she tells me that small babies are not able to use their 'handies' anyway. My arms are bound in the small of my back with a sort of leather baby harness, with straps at the back for my wrists. Once all the straps have been fastened I am utterly helpless, and like this I am stood in front of the mirror again so that I can 'enjoy' the spectacle of my nappies being put on. My frock and petticoats are tucked out of the way, and the whole shameful and humiliating business is carried out to a patter of teasing and mocking remarks which make me wish the floor could swallow me up.

She is a widow with a married daughter who comes frequently to visit her, and who is not only aware of how I am dressed and treated, but who is encouraged by her mother to join in the fun of teasing and ridiculing me. The daughter is quite a smart, good-looking young woman, and you can imagine how the misery and humiliation of my position is made even worse, carried out in this way in front of a woman of my own age who lets me see very clearly how much she despises me for submitting. At least my landlady is an older woman, so that when she is dressing me or putting my nappies on, the shame is not quite so great, but to be handled like this by a young, attractive woman is so shamefully embarrassing that I have come to dread her visits. And the awful thing is that she obviously enjoys it just as much as her mother does, and now comes to the house three or four times a week. If, for any reason, I have been spared that evening by my landlady, and I am not in my petticoats and nappies, then I am promptly put into them for her benefit, and there have been some occasions when the daughter herself has dressed me.

Of course 'Baby' must use a dummy and have a feeding bottle, and since I cannot resist at all, I have to let them nurse me and feed me, and woe betide if I struggle at all, or do not take my bottle properly. Actual baby formula is used, which is so sweet and sickly that it is almost undrinkable, and, to prolong the misery for me, the teat has only a very tiny hole, so feeding can take half an hour or more. I have to wear a bib so that I shan't dribble on my frilly frock, and when they are feeding me they usually wear large rubber aprons themselves.

The minute the feed has been finished, my dummy is pushed back into my mouth and, because at times in sheer frustration I have refused to take it, it is now tied in place with a ribbon threaded through the ring, and tied in a bow at the back of my neck. 'Baby would cwy ', they tell me, 'if he didn't have his dummy teat!' And I can do nothing to stop them.

So, you dominating wives who get so much pleasure from putting your unfortunate husbands into nappies and baby clothes, please listen to one who knows just what the misery and humiliation of such treatment is like, and set them free from their shameful babydom. No woman could know, or possibly imagine for one moment, what it feels like to lie helpless in nappies, and to be subjected to all the miseries and indignities of being a baby again, and it is a fate which no man should have to suffer if you have the least regard for him at all.
Yours sincerely,

J.L.
Bath.

Well if it was really as bad as the writer describes in the first two paragraphs, then surely prison would be prefereable. But of course things are not so bad, and I am certain that the writer gets a lot of pleasure from it. During the play scene (Act 3 Scene 2), Hamlet asks his mother what she thinks of the play. I am sure - I certainly hope - that my readers recall what her reply was.

This letter was, in fact, followed by an answer in a future edition, in which it was pointed out that the feel of soft, cuddly nappies around your middle, especially if pinned on by a rather superior young lady, would be an almost unbearable pleasure for many.

I cringe at the writer's ghastly euphemism telling us that his only miscreance was 'borrowing' money from his landlady. When did he plan to pay it back, one wonders? If he had any sense he would get down on his knees and thank his landlady - if he had gone to gaol, it might have led to a lifetime of crime. But prolonged and very strict nursery punishments would, no doubt, ensure he was a very law-abiding citizen in the future. Petticoat punishment has been used by courts at different times, always with excellent results.
Susan