The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-04-01
MRS. WHISTLER.


| 44H 41bSeaf-lNiHded Roman Makes IfOubf
in the Church.
The facts in Mrs. Whistler's case seen
to have been these: Mrs. Whistler hal
singular absence of mind, and on the
last Sunday that she attended her own
church DIR. Bunderby began to read
from the Scriptures the account of the
deluge. Mrs. Whistler was deeply at
tentive and when the doctor came to the
story of how it rained for so many days
and nights, she was so much absorbed in
the narrative and SO strongly impressed
with it that she inyoluntarily put up her
umbrella and held it over her head az
she sat in the pew. 1t appears that Mrs.
Moody, who sits in the next pew in front,
frequently brings her lap-dog to church
with her, and when Mrs. Whistler raised
her umbrella suddenly, the action af-
fected the sensibilities of Mrs. Moody's
dog in such a manner that he began to
bark furiously. Of course, the sexton
came in for the purpose of removing the
animal, but it lodged into vacant pew
upon the other side of the aisle and de-
fed him, barking veciferously all the
time. Then the sexton became warm
and indignant, and he flung hymn
book at the dog, whereupon the dog flew
out and bit his leg. The excitement in
the church by this time, of course, was
simply dreadful. Not only was the story
of the deluge interrupted, but the unre-
generate Sunday-school scholars in the
gallery actually Missed the dog at the
sexton, and seemed to enjoy the contest
exceedingly. Then Elder McGinn came
after the dog with his cane, and as he
pursued the animal it dashed towards the
pulpit and ran up the steps in such
fierce manner that the doctor quickly
mounted a chair, and remarked, with
anger flashing through his spectacles, that
if this digraceful scene did not soon come
to an end he should dismiss the con-
gregation. Then the elder crept softly
up the stairs, and after a short struggle
he succeeded in grasping the dog by one
of its hind legs. Then he walked down
the aisle with it, the dog meantime yell
ing with supernatural energy, and the
Sunday-school boys making acetious
remarks. Mrs. Whistler turned around,
with other members of the congregation,
to watch the retreating elder, and as she
did so she permitted her unconscious
umbrella to drop over SO that the end of
the ribs caught Mrs. Moody's bonnet.
A moment later, when she was straight
ening up the umbrella, the bonnet was
wrenched off and hung dangling from
the umbrella. Mrs Moody had become
exceedingly warm, at any rate, over the
onslaught made upon her dog, but when
Mrs. Whistler removed her bonnet she
fairly boiled over, and, turning around
white with rage, she screamed: "What'd
you grab that bonnet for, you cata-
mount? Haven't you made enough
fuss in this sanctuary to-day, skeering a
poor, innocent dog, without ,snatching
can't afford to wear, no matter how
mean you live at home, you .red-headed |
lunatic you! You let my bonnet alone,
or Ell warm you with this parasol, if it /
is in meeting, now mind mel" Then !
Mrs. Whistler first seemed to realize |
that her umbrella made her conspic-
uous; so she furled it and concluded
to escape from an embarrassing position
by going home. And as she stepped
into the aisle her enemy gave her a part
ing salute: "Sneaking off before the
too! You'd better spend less
for brestpins and give more to the poor
heather if you don't want to ketch it
hereafter" Then she began to fan her.
self furiously, and as Mrs. Whistler
emerged from the front door and things
became ca!mer, the doctor resumed the
story of the food. But Mrs. Whistler
mas given up her pew and gone over to
The Presbyterians, and there are rumors
hat Mrs. Moody is going to secede also,
because Elder McGinn insists that she
hall leave her dog at home.