by Anthony Alba
My Dear Mr Cooper,
I was pleasantly surprised to receive your invitation to become one of the 'Lady Visitors' at the reformatory of which you have the honour to be Master. I had not thought that the passing comment I made to you at Lord Winter's recent gala would weigh so heavily on your mind that you would be moved to act as you did. I understand of course that having a person of my position and connections affiliated with your institution would be of great benefit to the prestige of Grimplace Reformatory, especially considering your own modest lineage. It behoves those of us of gentle birth to lend the weight of our titles and influence to worthy causes, and I can think of no greater cause than reforming the guttersnipes and scallywags that infest the streets in order that they become useful and productive servants of our great Empire. With this in mind, I am happy to accept your most generous invitation, and you might advise when would be convenient for me to visit.
Yours most sincerely,
Lady Virginia Mainwaring
Lady Mainwaring,
My Lady, I received your note recently with great joy, for I am indeed delighted that one of your lofty station would agree to grace the reformatory as a 'Lady Visitor'. My memory of Lord Winter's gala, however, is somewhat different from your own, for I recall that you spent a considerable portion of the night questioning me as to the conduct and customs of the reformatory. Perhaps my memory of the evening is in error, as I confess I had more of Lord Winter's excellent brandy than I had intended.
I have made arrangements with the front gate that you may be admitted at any time from Monday to Friday between the hours of nine in the morning to five in the evening. It may interest you to note that we are due to receive a new batch of delinquents Monday next, and, if you wish to learn how new arrivals are admitted you might honour us with your presence on that day.
Your most faithful servant,
Stephen Cooper
Dear Mr Cooper
After receiving your note, I made my way to Grimplace and have just recently returned. I had it in mind to reply to you without delay, but of course you will understand that, before I could put pen to paper, I had to have my personal maid run a hot bath, and, after half an hour soaking in the warm, scented water, I was finally able to rid myself of the stench of the delinquents and order my thoughts so that I was fit to reply to you.
When first I ventured within the walls of the reformatory, I feared that it would be a ramshackle affair. Few commoners have the aptitude for command, and, for that reason, it is usually safer to leave those of noble birth holding the levers of power. In your case, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find for the most part a well-ordered and strictly run institution.
At the cost of rising well before is my habit, I arrived in time to witness the newest prisoners consigned to reformatory discipline. I must say the viewing gallery is an ingenious idea, allowing as it does official witnesses to view the goings on below through one-way glass while enjoying every comfort. The snivelling wretches probably never realised their every movement was under observation.
The prisoners were a dishevelled lot. At a glance, one could tell that they were of the lowest sort, most in rough woollens and not a trace of silk or lace to be had among them. As shabbily dressed as most were, they did not care to surrender their rags however.
For the first time I saw the leather straps that each of the matrons carry being put to good use. Oh how the inmates squealed and jumped about when some choice red welts were raised on their bare thighs and bottoms. The razor strap might not have the power or reputation of the rattan cane but I can see I was wrong to dismiss it as lacking. After a quick taste of the leather they were soon stripped to the skin and herded into the group showers where they were given carbolic soap and stiff brushes and ordered to scrub themselves clean.
To hear their squeals when the first jets of cold water descended upon them, one might think they were being murdered. The effrontery of this riff-raff knows no bounds, for it seemed that they expected warm water. They are delinquents, convicted and certified, and should be grateful for whatever scraps that fall from their betters' table.
There was some amusement from the gentlemen who watched alongside me as the delinquents were washed. Men, even gentlemen, are so easily excited by the sight of young women stripped to the skin, with their bodies slick and wet. The cold water set them to dancing from one foot to the other, and this in turn caused many a breast to bounce, much to the satisfaction of the gentlemen. We ladies looked on in disapproving silence. Any woman of proper breeding would never make such a show of herself. Truly these harlots know no shame.
There was no escape for the delinquents, and if any girl tried to flee from the cold water descending from overhead, she quickly ran into the line of matrons who guarded all the exits. A few pleaded that they were cold, and more than one made a show of shivering. If they had cried before, the feel of the strap against cold wet skin set them to yelling at the top of their lungs. Such a racket they made, so undignified. The way the leather curved around their soft flesh was a delight to behold. Be it rump or thigh, the strap catered for all. And it left the most delicious of red stripes that I judged would be days before they faded. Why, so hot did some of those stripes look one might almost boil an egg on them. Thus warmed up, they felt able to brave the icy water once more.
When at last they were deemed to be clean enough, they were lined up and commanded to place their hands on their heads and spread their legs for inspection. Such a stance left them unable to shield their private places, and instead they had to endure the shame of a full inspection of their most intimate regions.
No corner was left untouched and I must give credit to the diligence of your staff. One might almost think they took a personal delight or pleasure in carrying out their duties. As for the gentlemen with me in the viewing gallery, needless to say they approved wholeheartedly. My fears that some would rebel proved correct, though there were fewer than I had expected. Inside Grimplace for less than an hour, most of them had learned to fear the reformatory strap. As for the others, when the backs of their thighs and upturned bottom cheeks glowed scarlet they learned to obey with the rest. Commoners are so easily cowed; they lack the backbone that only proper breeding can give.
There were the usual comments from the men, and I did my best to ignore them as they compared one delinquent to another. It is perhaps understandable that men will upon such occasions as this, weigh and measure as they might at a horse fair, but I had no desire to hear who they thought had the better breasts or the finer rump. There were even wagers exchanged on whether any of the bedraggled and dripping group was a virgin. Some chance of that.
I could understand the need to have the delinquents scrubbed clean, but little did I know how seriously your reformatory takes the fight against disease and infection. One by one, the women were shorn of their hair... both above the neck and below.
Still wet and naked, they were forced to advance in single file to the waiting matron who took the shears to their heads until their hair fell like leaves in autumn, leaving little but short, stiff bristles behind. Then attention was turned between their legs, and the shears were replaced by a shaving razor.
Any man who received such a close shave would be happy indeed, and I can only commend you on the skill and diligence the matrons on duty showed. When they were done, not a delinquent had a single hair left between her legs. Thus doubly naked and bemoaning the loss of their hair, they were ordered to wait against a nearby wall.
Some of the creatures seemed inconsolable, but their appearance certainly worked to instil the proper air of submission into those left in line. Not a girl waiting her turn failed to shudder and sob when she looked upon her fellows already attended to. A quick application of the strap had any troublemakers back in line. Silent or with loud tears it mattered not as each went like sheep to the shearing.
I am given to understand that the hair on their head will be allowed to grow out somewhat, though it may be removed in response to any grave offence committed by the delinquent. As for the other hair I heard from the chuckles of the viewing gentlemen that once a week each delinquent must present herself to be freshly shaved down below.
It was only then, when all had been property shorn, that they were allowed to dress and head into the reformatory proper.
Others moved to follow their progress, but I confess the events had left me feeling quite fatigued, yet strangely excited, and I made my way back to my carriage and my home. I must thank you again for your invitation, for the sight of this scum stripped and scrubbed of all their filth, warms the heart and other regions as I contemplate retiring to my bed once this letter is done.
I remain,
Lady Virginia
Dear Mr Cooper,
After my visit to Grimplace, when I saw how newly-arrived delinquents are greeted, I have resolved to return to learn more of the workings of your reformatory. The thin grey dress each delinquent wears does appear rough, perhaps woven from sackcloth, but they can hardly expect to be given silk. When I commented on it one of your wardens advised me that the women are kept at labour from sunrise to sunset, and so that their attire may not be dirtied unnecessarily, the sleeves are cut off above the elbow and the hemline above the knee. Some might say this is scandalous, especially in light of the fact that they have no undergarments, but I for one can see no fault with it. If the natural shame any woman would feel being dressed so draws her back to the path of obedience all the faster then you have done the state some service, I say.
Likewise I can see no reason why there should be any difficulty with them being barefoot. I expect that such scallywags are well accustomed to going without shoes or stockings in the gutter where they reside, and surely it only encourages proper humility for them to be unshod.
It was most kind of you to assign a guide in the person of Miss Maxine Grey to show me around the reformatory. You have no way of knowing this, but Miss Grey is known to me. When I was attending Chesterfield Finishing School for Young Ladies, Miss Grey was placed in charge of the physical education of the students. She was without question the youngest of the faculty, for I was sure she was but three or four years older than the oldest girls there, and I cannot say that we enjoyed an amicable relationship.
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