Even when one couldn’t hear any crying until the spanking, it was easy to imagine what was happening. Most of us had paid Mrs Wiseman a number of visits over the years. And she always followed the same routine. After a brief interrogation and a confession, she scolded us thoroghly for two or three minutes. She always used a firm voice as if aware she had a larger, captive audience in the next room. And she always scolded in the following manner.
“You have been very, very naughty, little boy. Do you know how Mrs Wiseman handles bad little boys? Do you? She gives them sound spankings. And that’s exactly what you’re going to get in a few minutes, young man, a sound spanking on your naughty fanny. Do you understand?”
No scolding ever lasted more than a few minutes. And toward the end, she would begin unfastening the boy’s belt and taking down his shorts (part of our Sunday School uniform). Once these were at his ankles, she would pull him over her lap and adjust him to the best position – something which took another thirty seconds or more. If a child wasn’t crying by the time his shorts were taken down or her dress raised, most began crying audibly when put over her lap.