Up to the age of sixteen I was educated at home, and I believe to a certain extent spoiled. On arriving at that age I was placed at a finishing school near Bath, in the charge of a lady who was dearly loved by all her pupils, but at the same time did not fail to punish them severely for their faults. At the same time I had a very bad habit of boastful fibbing—a habit which she reprimanded very sternly soon after I was placed there; this not having the desired effect, she one morning sent for me to her sitting-room, and there told me of her intention of endeavouring to effect a cure of this habit by inflicting a whipping. I was then sent to my bedroom in charge of a governess, to remove my underclothing, and on my return to the sitting-room, was obliged to lie across an ottoman, while the punishment was inflicted with a birchrod. I was somewhat resentful at the time, but have since had much cause to be grateful, for two or three similar applications completely cured me. This is now eight years ago, and should I ever have any daughters, I should not hesitate to treat them in a like manner.’ _The Husband of a Schoolmistress_ writes: ‘My wife keeps a boarding-school for little girls. The youngest is just turned six; the eldest about twelve. One of the pupils, just turned nine, was detected in a moral offence. My wife took her into a private room alone and chastised her with a rod. The mother called the following day, was indignant, and removed the child. I claimed a quarter’s payment, in lieu of notice. This was peremptorily refused. It was agreed that the question should be referred to a neighbouring magistrate, a retired barrister with a family of daughters. He heard the child’s statement and that of the mother as to the marks on the child’s person. When they had finished he asked my wife whether she had been in the habit of so punishing her scholars; to which she answered in the affirmative. He then said he did not wish to hear anything more from her, that his own children were so corrected, and that the quarter’s payment in lieu of notice must be paid.’