On Saturday evening, inspired by the Victorian spirit of Beamish Museum, we girls found ourselves transforming into inhabitants of a strict workhouse.

Rapunzel became Rose, a poor orphan; Martha remained Martha, but became a young delinquent, caught pilfering biscuits from a shop, and I was Louise, and had had to be committed to the workhouse following my destitute mother (who had ended up in a different section).

All three of us had been chosen by the master of the workhouse Mr Jenkins to serve dinner to a visiting chairman of the governors, Sir Ashley Piers. We were supposed to make the best impression on the distinguished visitor, so that he continued to provide charitable support to our establishment, and perhaps even increased the funding. He was also looking to employ the best-behaved girl at his London residence. Although I felt a momentary wistful twinge, I could predict that by the end this would not be me.

Sir Ashley arrived just before the bathing hour, as we girls were lined up in front of the bathhouse, our modesty covered with nothing but the towels we were clutching. Mr Jenkins and Sir Ashley supervised our baths, making sure we cleaned ourselves properly with lukewarm water and carbolic soap, as we would be serving their food and joining them for dinner. Rose and I managed to get through the experience without invoking their wrath, but poor Martha had to endure a spanking when the gentlemen noticed her painted toenails. (A sign of bad character, I think.)

Although we were hoping to be allowed to dress right away, Sir Ashley had a surprise in store for us. He told Mr Jenkins about an interesting practice in other workhouses, where girls got a weekly dose of discipline after their baths. Apparently, a spanking a week improved overall behaviour, and made sure the girls didn’t misbehave at other times, thus earning harder punishments.

First of all, to demonstrate the technique and the necessary severity, Sir Ashley took me over his knee, and delivered a not-too-hard, but still quite stingy spanking. Although I’d done my best to dry off properly after my bath, my skin was still slightly moist, and quite cool from the chilly water, so I whimpered and wriggled quite a lot. That said, when Sir Ashley told me to stop carrying on so much, I tried hard to make a good impression and to take the discipline bravely.

Rose and Martha then received their own spankings. The girls who were not being spanked at the time had to stand in the corridor facing the wall, so I can’t say much about the severity of what they had to endure. I know, however, that Mr Jenkins tried his hand at this new style of discipline as well, and at some point a hairbrush was brought out when his palm began stinging too much to continue.

Finally, the gentlemen retreated, allowing us to dress in our workhouse uniforms. (Rapunzel had brought along three black dresses with white lacy cuffs, which looked like something Orphan Annie would wear.) We hurried downstairs to see to the meal (for the most part prepared in advance, with only some finishing touches and serving necessary).

The girls may wish to speak for themselves in the comments, but I for one went very deep into the head of Louise. She was a meek girl, deeply grateful for the chance to impress a visitor. Any sort of deliberate mischief was out of the question: I really wanted to show the workhouse in the best light, to earn the praise of the master, and to help secure the extra funding from the governor. Thus, any mistakes I made were entirely accidental, and I was genuinely grieved to have earned six strokes of the cane by the time the meal was over. To make my downfall slightly less crushing, the other two girls couldn’t help making mistakes either, so all three of us were due a caning by the end.

I was sent to fetch a cane, and to wait naked for my punishment while Martha received her own six strokes. Rose waited with me. She was visibly nervous: she hoped to be hired by Sir Ashley as a maid in his London residence, and she was worried that her mistake would hurt her chances. I was sure that this wouldn’t happen, as throughout the dinner Rose showed herself the best of the three of us, keeping up small-talk, and displaying impeccable manners, and Martha and I fumbled and stuttered. Surely, a caning wouldn’t imperil my friend’s chances.

I hated leaving her alone and shivering in the corridor, but Sir Ashley arrived to administer my punishment. He was not unduly harsh, as he must have recognised that any mistakes I’d made were not at all deliberate. The cane stung, but I was able to take it more or less bravely. Sir Ashley praised me for this, and promised that the workhouse would indeed not close, but would receive the extra funding we were all hoping for. I think, we girls had made the right impression.

We learned afterwards that Rose was indeed hired by Sir Ashley, and would be leaving with him for London the following day. This was just as well, really, as I don’t imagine Rapunzel would have wanted to stay in our house forever :)

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