Our story begins in the early evening as you arrive at the imposing structure of the school. My personal secretary escorts you to my residence where I wait in my library. I am seated at a large, imposing desk, and soon the you are standing across the desk from me, waiting as quickly flip through the thick folder stamped "Permanent Record", and under that "Doe, John."

"Hello Sir" you say, dropping a quick curtsy. You are still dressed in your traveling clothes, a blue apron dress over a white blouse and full petticoat, white hose, and short, blue, buttoned boots.

You stand facing me across the expansive desk, worry building on your face as I read aloud a letter from your father entreating me to take you as students:

   My Dear Dr. Tarr

I am writing to ask that you accept my child, John Doe, as a student at your academy. While John is academically brilliant, or perhaps because of that brilliance, there have been, shall we say, difficulties in assimilating into traditional educational environments? It is my earnest hope that the rigorous environment at the academy will prove sufficiently challenging to engage fully the interest of my young genius.

In the unlikely event the problem lies not with their previous instruction, I pray that you employ the same effective measures that saved my good friend Mr. Charles Andrews' wife from a life of shame and prepared her for the life of domestic tranquility that Charles enjoys. He has sung the praises of your school, and explained the changes that occurred in Elizabeth during her short stay with you; it is my desire that any and all necessary measures be taken to ensure my child's integration into society.

With great respect, I remain sincerely yours

/signed/

Silas Doe, Esq.

I placed the a new folder labeled with your name on my desk, jotting a note for my secretary to copy the text of your father’s letter and place a copy in your record. I carefully close all of the files, stacking them neatly on the return of my desk, and finally turn my full attention to the you.

"Good evening," I begin, "My name is Doctor Emilious Tarr, and I am the Headmaster here at the Yorktown Academy. You have been through quite a lot on your journey to find me, but all of that is inconsequential to the path upon which you now embark. Having browsed your files, I see that there are many things lacking from your previous experience, and I intend to remedy that failing."

“From your files I see that you have been released from 4 schools in 6 years, and that you ‘voluntarily’ left others during the school term.

“You are a cheat, and as you got caught, an incompetent cheat at that. You are rude and insolent to your teachers and classmates. You are chronically tardy. Despite being intelligent, you fail your examinations. You cannot even seem to manage the simple task of dressing according to clearly defined standards. “What the records do not tell is why. This is merely a bit of academic curiosity on my part, why you have failed in the past is of no real importance. I have a carefully crafted curriculum designed to mold you into model citizens, and prepare you for your future.”

“You have been sent to this academy, which is something of a school of last resort for well-to-do parents of children who, for whatever reason, have not been successful in the schools where the privileged elite of society typically flourish. The very name of the institution, The Yorktown Academy of Deportment for Recalcitrant and Incorrigible Young Men and Women, tells of its purpose. We exist for two reasons: first, to mold and shape the spoiled offspring of the rich and famous into citizens who at the very least will not be an embarrassment to those same parents who created the problems in the first place. Second, we train those who, not having the advantages of position of birth, are in need of instruction in proper manners and behavior. It is amazing the number of young men who meet and even marry girls well below their class, and then bemoan their new bride’s uncouth manners.”

“So here it is, your opportunity to explain to me why one of this is your fault, why you should not be here, why I should return you to your parents demanding they apologize to you for their unkind characterization of you, their offspring. Let us begin by hearing what you have to say.”