A. finds the darnedest things while websurfing. Like this list of rules from a nineteenth-century American school -- along with the number of lashes delivered should the rule be broken -- in a manifesto about what's wrong with public education.
"We're going to play a game," he said when he first told me about the table below. "You'll have to memorize each of the rules and number of lashes. And if you get the number of lashes wrong, you will, of course, receive that number of lashes."
He's not kidding either. Once he gets here next week, he's planning a session with these rules, a cane, and me in my school uniform. I can't wait.
Except I don't know which will part of me will win out -- the Lisa Simpson in me or my spankophilia. Indeed that's always my problem when playing a schoolgirl: I can never decide if I want the "A" more or the spanking. However A. assured me this afternoon that there are always plenty of spankings for being a smarty-pants.
"We're going to play a game," he said when he first told me about the table below. "You'll have to memorize each of the rules and number of lashes. And if you get the number of lashes wrong, you will, of course, receive that number of lashes."
He's not kidding either. Once he gets here next week, he's planning a session with these rules, a cane, and me in my school uniform. I can't wait.
Except I don't know which will part of me will win out -- the Lisa Simpson in me or my spankophilia. Indeed that's always my problem when playing a schoolgirl: I can never decide if I want the "A" more or the spanking. However A. assured me this afternoon that there are always plenty of spankings for being a smarty-pants.
I wonder how many lashes Wm A. Chaffin would ascribe to that misdemeanor?
oOo
Rules of the Stokes County School, November 10, 1848
Wm A. Chaffin, Master (click on the table to see it in full)
I think the biggest shocker in this list was the penalty for playing cards. I mean, why the hell is playing cards worse than betting in any other form?
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8 comments:
Perhaps you can get your A and get spanked for failing to make a bow at the requisite times in your role play. That should give you ample opportunity.
I believe part of the reason playing cards was such a punishable offense was because of its connection with gambling. At least, that's what the dredges of my brain are telling me. I may have to look into that more.
Oh, playing cards was also seen as a distraction from religious practices and in early America it was seen as a bit of a problem considering how puritanical (pun intended) some of the early arrivals to the country were.
Found a decent link that seems to back up most of what I've looked at so far. I wouldn't cite it in an official paper but it's at least a starting place: http://www.cardboardillusions.com/card_history_of_cards.php
Wow, this list is amazing! Loads of inspiration here for scenes... I'm similarly confused about the cards one, but I think my favourite is the one about climbing trees!
Look forward to hearing about your test - I hear ya on the intellectual pride warring with the desire to be spanked. Pass or fail, I hope you do so with flying colours ;)
Playing card are still considered to be evil in some very strict fundementalist Christian sects. They are seen as an offshoot of the Tarot deck, which is used for divining the future, which is witchcraft, which is evil....etc ad nasuem. (Sorry--grew up part of my life in such a sect. So needless to say...know wayyyyy too much about such stupid thought processes.) That would be my thoughts on why card playing earns more lashes than say gambling with dice.
I grew up Baptist and remember the asinine discussions about whether or not Bridge and Pinochle were sins. Poker, of course, was up there with dancing, pool (billiards), and Rock & Roll -- i.e. activities sending you straight to Hell. Indeed my mom risked expulsion -- yep expulsion -- from her fundamentalist high school (the one I also attended in first grade) should she be found to have merely gone to the movies.
I'm inclined to go with the Tarot card connection (A. had that assumption too) as that explains why cards -- as opposed to other forms of gambling in this list -- merits especially harsh punishment.
LOL--I grew up in an "Independant, Fundemental, Bible Believing Baptist" church. My dad was kicked off the deacon board because he let his mother-in-law take me to see Sleeping Beauty. I remember those conversations about card playing too. :)
thanks for the inspiration
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