classified in three groups. Those of the first
group are perfectly harmless (in appearance). To this class belong
advertisements in which a teacher offers instruction to children. Since
this is the ordinary form of serious advertisement, it attracts no
special attention; there is nothing suspicious about it, and it is
merely intended to lead to correspondence with those who have boys or
girls to place as pupils. The advertiser hopes that in the course of
instruction he will find opportunity for inflicting chastisement without
giving rise to any suspicion. The second group has a definitely
suspicious air, some catch-word being employed to manifest to initiates
the existence of a perverse tendency; but there is nothing more than
this to excite suspicion. Among such catch-words, are the words
"energetic", "severe", "English instruction." In some cases an energetic
governess desires children to instruct; in others it is some one else
who desires an energetic instructress. It may be that the actual
advertiser is on the lookout for the energetic instructress; here we
have to do with masochism. But in other instances, the advertiser wants
the energetic instructress for children, and the wording of the
advertisement sometimes indicates that the advertiser's aim is to
experience sexual excitement in watching the instructress chastise the
children. Since these advertisements are intelligible only to initiates,
they naturally receive answers from persons who have failed to
understand their purport; but the sadist (male or female) and the
masochist (male or female) is aware that the use of the word "energetic"
refers to this sexual perversion. Of course, however, an advertisement
in which an energetic tutor or governess is asked for, may he perfectly
innocent. If an advertisement inserted in all good faith has really been
open to a double meaning, the advertiser will sometimes be greatly
astonished by the receipt of all sorts of perverse offers. A married
woman of my acquaintance advertised for energetic supplementary
instruction for her son, a rather naughty boy of ten; and received, in
addition to many serious answers several answers from perverts, who
stated that they would be delighted to be able to handle a boy in the
sense she mentioned. In many cases, notwithstanding the use of the words
"energetic" or "severe," we recognise from the general wording of the
advertisement that it is seriously intended, and not issued with a
pe