[Sidenote: Morbid Sex-consciousness]
Pearl Goodwin’s mother was a widow of ill-repute in the village. The
eighth grade girls slighted Pearl hourly. They avoided sitting with her
whenever possible; they gave her too wide a space at the blackboard
while the rest of them stood so close together as to crowd their work;
she went sadly to and from school, walking alone, for none of the others
would walk with her.
The teacher, Miss Terman, herself a native of the village, understood,
and made no effort to change the situation.
One day Pearl brought a shameful note to Miss Terman, saying that she
found it on her desk. Miss Terman was shocked and made public inquiry as
to where the note came from. Some of the girls felt sorry for Pearl and
showed it by their attitude toward her. The writer was not discovered.
Every day, thereafter, for a week, Pearl showed a similar note to Miss
Terman, and the mystery grew and with it sympathy for Pearl. Daily Miss
Terman made a speech about the notes and asked help in finding out the
writer.
Finally, in despair, she consulted the superintendent of the school.
When he heard the history of the case he said:
“I believe that Pearl herself is the writer of those notes. Her mind has
been poisoned on the sex subject by taunts. I believe she is the only
one in your room who would write such notes.”
With this thought in mind, Miss Terman sought evidence of Pearl’s guilt.
She was not long in finding the half leaves in Pearl’s tablet from which
the paper for the notes had been torn. She even found Pearl writing a
note, and got her pitiful confession of taking this way to call
attention and sympathy to herself.
Miss Terman sentenced Pearl to isolation for the remainder of the school
year (about two months). She was compelled to take her seat as soon as
she arrived at school in the morning and at noon, to have a separate
recess from the others, and remain in her seat after school closed until
the other children had time to reach their homes.