I was fond of reading out of doors in fine weather, and, one bright afternoon, taking a book, I set off to a secluded part of the grounds where there was a little pond full of beautiful water-lilies and surrounded by flowering shrubs of various sorts.
On the bank of the pond was a creeper-covered summer house, furnished with a couple of long, softly-cushioned chairs and a small, round table. The floor was covered with Chinese matting. It was a comfortable little place and a favourite resort of mine.
On approaching the pond, I saw two Younger ones busily engaged in throwing stones at something struggling in the water. I knew the Younger ones ; they lived in the house; they were brother and sister, their mother being a fine mulatto woman named Margaret, who was one of the kitchen maids, and, since both the boy and the girl were quadroons, their father, whoever he was, must have been a white man.
The Younger ones had no business at the pond at all, and I expected to see them run away when they caught sight of me, but they were so absorbed in what they were doing that they did not notice my approach.
When I had got closer to the pond, I saw that the object which they were stoning was a kitten, which, as soon as it had managed to struggle to the shore, they threw back into the water again to be a target for their stones.
I am very fond of all animals, especially cats, and any cruelty to a dumb creature always makes my blood boil. So, feeling very angry, I rushed down to the edge of the water and, picking up the half-drowned kitten when it had again managed to reach the shore, I placed it on the bank, hoping that the poor thing would recover. But the creature had been injured by the stones; it was at its last gasp, and in a few seconds it was dead.
I now was more angry than ever, and, going to the two Younger ones , who had not attempted to run away – not that flight would have saved them – I took them by the hand and led them into the summer house, intending to give them both a good spanking.
They were slaves and belonged to the house. Therefore they were under my authority. In my opinion, the two Younger ones who had stoned the kitten to death richly deserved a whipping for their gross cruelty – the girl especially, for she was old enough to have known better, and it was she who had led her little brother into mischief.
I scolded the young wretches heartily, winding up by telling them that I was going to give them both a good spanking. They did not appear to be very much frightened, but stood staring at me with their large brown eyes without saying a word. I suppose both often had been spanked before, and I knew that, three weeks before, the girl had been well beaten by Dinah, by order of Randolph, for pilfering.
Sitting down upon a chair, I took off my slippers, then told the boy to come to me. He at once obeyed my order. I never had spanked anyone before but I remembered
the position in which my father used to place me for punishment, so, seizing the boy I laid him across my knees.
Having satisfied my curiosity, I proceeded to business. Holding him down with my left arm over his loins, I applied the slipper smartly to his bottom, each, smack extracting a howl from him.
He kicked up his heels and wriggled about, squealing lustily and trying to roll off my lap. But, holding him tightly, I spanked away steadily until the whole surface of his bottom was red. Then I stopped and placed him kneeling on the floor, with his trousers down and his bottom turned towards me, telling him not to move till I gave him permission. He did not attempt to stir but remained where I had put him, crying loudly, his fists in his eyes. His little red buttocks shook with the sobs.
While I had been spanking the boy, his sister had looked on with a perfectly unmoved countenance, and when I told her to come to me she did so without hesitation. Taking hold of her, I placed her in position, saying to myself that I would make her show some signs of feeling before I was done with her.
I began to spank her, laying the slipper with considerable force, making her wince and writhe. She bore several smacks in silence, then bursting into tears, she began to squeal and kick, at the same time putting both hands behind her to shield her bottom from the hot slaps.
Catching hold of her wrists, I held them tightly with my left hand and went on spanking her. She wriggled and twisted, while the summer house echoed with her shrill squeals and with the smacking noise made by the slipper as it struck her bottom.
I felt no pity for the cruel little girl. Quite oblivious to her cries and entreaties for mercy, I gave her the soundest spanking she ever had had.
Then I put on my slipper and leaned back in the chair, taking breath after my exertions, which had been considerable
After a short time, I told them that they might go. they slunk out of the summer house and went off home.
Feeling quite a glow of satisfaction at having punished the naughty youngsters I
made myself comfortable, with my legs up on the chair, and began to read the novel which I had brought with me.
