measured across the shoulders; from the mid-back shoulders to the mid front diagonally my across each shoulder; I was measured round my chest, round my waist, round my hips, and around each thigh. Particular attention was paid to measuring from where the bottom of the corset crotch to would come in through the front of my where the corset would come at the back. I did not understand the significance of this then, but did later!

Even the armpits were measured, and an even stranger measurement was from back of the neck over my head to under my chin, and the tape measure was put around my head also, as if I were being measured for a hat!

After being measured, life went on as usual, we four children being treated childishly and not as teenagers, but Carol and I as boys, being dealt with much more strictly. There were the childish punishments; we were childishly dressed and when the holidays came were closely watched by either Martha or Aunt Louise, as if we could not be left alone.

I had almost forgotten the embarrassing exaunt's perience of being measured by my corsetiere, when one afternoon I was called in from the back garden to find the corsetiere with my aunt in the 54

sitting room. Aunty Louise asked me to carry upstairs the parcel which Miss Bound had brought with her, and to undress completely and wait for them to come up.

It came to me that the parcel contained my new corset, and while I was apprehensive about wearing one, there was a certain thrill of the unknown and I wished I could peek in the parcel. But I did not dare. It is quite an experience to be told to undress, which was not easy the darn pinafore, etc., buttoning down the back, but I managed it, and to stand naked, knowing that two women would be in to see my nudity.

with

In a while the ladies entered and instinctively I moved my hands to cover my privates, only to be nebuked at once by my aunt for false modesty. I moved my hands, but secretly thought they had no right to view me nude at my age. Miss Bound went to the parcel and opened it, and took out the corset she had made with obvious pride. "If I do say so myself, Madam," she said, "this is the finest corset I have ever made. It is made of the finest kid, and can be used as either a somewhat severe lacing corset alone, or can be combined with a number of disciplinary and corrective items, which used to be worn by