The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-11-21

Hoods Practical Jokes.
As fond of practical jokes IS even Thee
dore Hood himself, Tom Hood was OTTER
caught in his own net but usually gave Il
quid pro quo. His daughter thus chroni-
cles one:
ION another occasion two OF thrcs
friends came down for days shooting, an's
a. they often did in the evening, rowed out
into the middle of the lake in an old punt.
They were full Of spirits, and had played
off one or two practical JOKES on their host.
till on getting out Of the boat, leaving hnt
last, one of them gave il 4 push. and ou:
went my father into the water. Fortunate,
ly, it was the landing place, and the watrr
was not deep, but he was wet through. 1.
was playing with edged tools to venture or
such tricks with him, and he quietly deter
mined to turn the tables. Accordingly hc
presently began to complain Of cramps
and stitches, and at last went In DOORS.
His friends getting rather ashamed Of their
rough fun, persuaded him to 60 to bed,
which he Immediately did. His groans and
complaints increased so alarrningly that
they were almost at their wits ends what
to do. My mother had received quiet
hint, and was therefore not alarmed, thouel,
much amused at the terrified efforts AMI
prescriptions of the repentant jokcrs.-t :
There was no doctor to be had for miles.
and all sorts of queer remedies were sug.
gestcd and administered, my father shaking
with laughter, while they supposed he had
got ague or fever. One rushed up with d
tea kettle of boiling water hanging on his
arm, another tottered under tin bath, and
a third brought the mustard. IT, :.
"My father at length, as we'll as he coul,!
speak, gave out in sepulchral voice that
he was sure he was dying, and detailed
some most absurd directions for his will,
which they were all to frightened to see tho
fun Of At last he could not stand it any
longer, and, after hearing the penitcnt Of
tenders beg him to forgive them for their
unfortunate joke, and beseech him to believe
in their rcmorse, he burst into a perfect
shout of laughing, which they thought at
first was delirious frenzy, but which ulti-
mately betrayed the joke"
Another Of his jokes on his wife, as rc.
corded by herself, in a letter to England, is
capital. She says:
81 must tell you my story about tho
Christmas pudding. The Lieutenant was
with US on Christmas day, and enjoyed my
piuA puOuilIS 81 tuuCl tildl l u
make one for him. Hood threatened to
play some tricks with it either to pop in
bullets or tenpenny nails; and watched
over my work with great vigilance, so that
it was put in to boil without any mistor.
tune.
81 went to bed carly, telling Cradle to
put it, when done, into the drawing room
till the morning. Hood was writing, and
says, it was put down smoking under his
very nose, and the mischief was Irresistible.
I had bought groschcn's worth of new
white wooden skewers that very morning.
He cut them little shorter than the puI.
ding's diameter, and pokcd them in across
and across in all directions, so neatly, that
never perceived any sign of them when
packed and sealed it up next day for De
Franck's man to carry over to Ehrenbrct-
stein. He came to thank me, and praised
it highly. And that while was out Of
the room, Hood asked him if it was not
well trussed, and he answered Eyes" so
gravely that Hood thought he meditatcd
some joke In retaliation, and was on his
guard. At the ball the truth came out;
he actually thought it was some new method
of making plum puddings, and gave me
credit for the woodwork He had invited
two Of his brother officers to lunch upon it,
and Hood wanted to persuade me that the
Cardinal officer had swallowed one of the
skewers! Now, was not this an abomira.
bic trick p