Monday 23 June 2014

Monday, June 23, 2014 -

The Whippings of Miss Elizabeth Caldwell

by Katie Bradford
Published: May 29, 2014
Words: 24,346
Category: general
Orientation: M/F
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OPENING EXTRACT
The Whippings of Miss Elizabeth Caldwell

Listed below are just a few of the rules for women teachers in the year 1915:

- You are not to keep company with men.

- You must be home between 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM unless attending a school function.

- You may not loiter downtown in the ice-cream store.

- You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless it is your father or brother.

- You may not dress in bright colors.

There are several other rules that applied to the women teachers but they don't apply to this story. They are all interesting, especially since they didn't apply to the male teachers!

---oOo---

"Miss Elizabeth Caldwell you have been found guilty by the school board of Glenview of breaking five rules in your teaching contract and are hereby sentenced to a whipping this Saturday at noon in the old school house. The punishment will be carried out by Mr. James A. Parker, head of the School Board. Do you have anything to say for yourself, young woman?" Judge Harris asked as he looked down at the pretty little schoolmarm standing in front of him.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No Sir."

Frowning, the judge continued, "Well then, you are remanded into your Uncle's custody until your sentence has been carried out on Saturday, Miss Caldwell."

She could still hardly believe this was all happening. All she had done was to accompany Carson Hooper to that little ice cream shop in his new automobile. There they had shared delightful conversation as well as an ice cream sundae together. The next thing she knew she had been brought up on five different charges of breaking her teacher's contract. The whole thing was ludicrous!

But the worst thing of all was the fact that she was to spend the rest of the week with her Uncle Luther. He was her father's older brother and a stickler for the rules. Elizabeth hardly ever even saw her Uncle and his family as they lived out on a farm miles away from Glenview. She herself lived in a small room in the back of Tom Willowby's Boarding House right there in town.

Her Uncle was none too thrilled about housing his niece for the week either. He let her know that right from the beginning. While they were driving back to his farm after the hearing, he'd told her she wasn't just going to be just sitting around doing nothing while she was staying with them. Elizabeth had assured her Uncle that she was a hard worker and had no intention of just sitting around.

He'd also told her she wasn't allowed to see the young man that had gotten her in this mess she was in. She had argued with him a little on this matter but after being threatened with her Uncle's belt, decided to let the matter drop for the time being. The rest of the ride was fairly quiet.