54--MAID UP
behavior, manners, dressmaking, as well as many other subjects a girl must know.
After Miss Betty had outlined the program she remarked that today John would begin with some easy embroidery. John was given a fine linen tablecloth which had a beautiful design imprinted on it to be embroidered in all kinds of different and attractive colors. John had some trouble threading the needle but soon started, under the direction of Miss Betty. He found it very difficult at first and his tongue continued slipping out of his mouth trying hard to master this new activity.
After a little Miss Betty remarked, "There, you are getting the hang of it. It will be slow at first, but soon you will enjoy this." And she was right. As John improved he thoroughly began to enjoy this placid girlish work and his fingers became quite adept as he mastered this activity.
After an hour Miss Betty gave him the sewing implements and cloth and told him to work on this whenever he had a free moment to increase his skill quickly.
Next Miss Betty took him on a tour through the house showing him what had to be done and how to do it. John already was good in making beds as his wife had made him do it often before. The easy work such as dusting and tidying up also came naturally; he had done it often as a boy. Miss Betty was quite pleased with the efficient way he went about it. When he was put to work mopping the hallway and corridor floors, however, he realized that he had a lot to learn. It was a tiring chore. During the morning hours he was interrupted only a few times by the doorbell. He was beginning to be so at home in his new role that he had no compunction whatsoever in opening the door in his maid's uniform.
And the callers did not notice the real gender of the attractive servant who opened the door.
Soon it was lunch time and as John changed into his green uniform Miss Betty called him to hurry up.
John never seemed to have a spare moment to reflect on his new position and status. This helped him tremendously in going about his feminine work in a proper girlish way. He never had time to reflect or think about himself.
The course was evidently cunningly laid out, so that the pupils had no opportunity to think about themselves other than in terms of what the next feminine chore was that had to be done.
After lunch John spent his free time tiding up his room and studying his schedule.
He next reported again to Miss Betty, and this time was given lessons in sewing, maintenance and repair of lingerie, and other clothes. First John had to mend some of William's socks and this he found very hard to do at first. It took almost a whole hour to do
TV FICTION CLASSICS -55
only 2 socks. But gradually he was getting used to his thimble and Miss Betty did not seem to expect too much initially. Apparently she had been through this before with other "pupils."
The rest of the day went the same as yesterday and it was a very tired "girl" who reported to his teachers for the evening conference. Fortunately, everyone seemed pleased with his behavior and he received nothing but praise and encouragement.
After he finally managed to untie his corset, John fell into bed and had no trouble falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next day went much the same as the previous, except that at nine o'clock he reported to Dr. Hepstein instead of Miss Betty. Dr. Hepstein received him in the usual condescending manner. After giving John his hormone injection he was asked to sit down and had to answer many questions. Dr. Hepstein apparently was probing to learn his emotional progress as a girl and to determine the degree of adjustment John was making.
For more than an hour they discussed the transformation from a psychological as well as emotional angle. By forcing John to answer from a feminine view point, Dr. Hepstein succeeded in reinforcing the mental change which already was taking place through all his feminine activities and of course his girlish clothes.
Many weeks passed with John becoming daily more feminized. He did not even think about himself anymore as a man. His actions, movements, and thoughts became thoroughly female. Dr. Hepstein was quite pleased when John, after completing a test, showed that he was almost completely thinking as a girl.
He became used to his daily routine and never felt strange or uncomfortable in doing his work. He was becoming quite good at needlepoint and sewing. He had progressed to dressmaking and his first project had been a frilly, white feminine pinafore to wear when he did his sewing. After it was completed, Miss Betty praised him highly. After that he wore it with the great pleasure of accomplishment enjoying the excellent fit of the attractive apron. Even more so since he had made it himself.
He looked forward to his Sundays when he could go to church with his teachers dressed in a simple, but smart black dress and cute little hat, which he also had made himself. In the afternoon he walked in the garden enjoying the perfectly kept flower beds and gravel walkways, getting a chance to wear his flowery skirt he made in sewing class.
On Sundays, when he had at least a few hours for himself to read, he found that his taste in literature was also changing to the more romantic books and tearjerkers which women seem to prefer. In the Sunday paper he completely skipped the news and business sections, which he used to focus on in his former days as breadwinner. Now he studied all the advertisements with fashions and read