Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-22

years imprisonment for attempt
ing suicide.
MTs. WhIatIer's Case why She
Changed Her Church.
Philadelphia Bulletin.l
The facts in Mrs. Whistler's case
seem to have been these: Mrs.
Whistler has singular absence of
mind, and on the last Sunday that
she attended her own church DR..
punderby began to read from the
scriptures the account of the del
uge. 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 involuntarily put up her UNI
brella and held it over her head as
she sat in herpew. Itappears that
Mrs. Moody, who sits in the next
pew in front, frequently brings her
Iap-dog to church with her, and
when Mrs. Whistler raised her UNI
brella suddenly, the action affected
The sensibilities Of Mrs. Moody's
dog in such manner that he be.
gan to bark furiously.
OF course the sexton came in for
the purpose of removing the ami
NAL, but it lodged into a vacant
pew on the other side Of the aisle
and defied him, barking vociferous-
ly all the time. Then the sexton
became warm and indignant, and
he flung a 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
dreadful. Not only was the story
of the deluge interrupted, but the
unregenerate Sunday-school schol.
ars 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 to.
ward the pulpit and ran mp the
steps in such a fierce manner that
the doctor quickly mounted a chair
and remarked, with anger flashing
through his spectacles, that if this
disgraceful scene did not come To
an end he should dismiss the con-
gregation. Then the elder crept
softly up the stairs, and after 0
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
yelling with supernatural energy,
and the Sunday school boys max
ing facetiouS remarks.
Mrs. Whistler turned around,
with other members of the congre,
cation, to watch the retreating
elder, and asshe did SO she permitted
her unconscious umbrella to drop
over so that the end of one of the
ribs caught Mrs. Moody's bonnet
A moment later, when she was
Strengthening 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 on.
Slaught 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 catamount2 Haven't you
made enough fuss in this Sanctu-
airy to-day, Skeering a poor, limo.
cent dog, without snstching of
such bonnets as the likes Of you
can't afford to wear, no matter how
mean you live at home, you red
headed lunatic you! You let my
bonnet alone, or I'll warm you
with this psrasOl, if it is in meet
ing; now mind me %
Then Mrs. Whistler first seemed
to realize that her umbrella made
her conspicuous; SO she furled il
and concluded to escape from ar
embarrassing position by going
home. And as she stepped into thu
aisle, her enemy gave her q parting
salute:
DSneaking off before the collec.
tion, too! You'd better spend lesi
for breastpins and give more to The
poor heathen if you don't want t
! Iketch it hereafter
Then she began to fan hersel
furiously, and as Mrs. Whistler
emerged from the front door anC
things became calmer, the docto
resumed the story of the flood. Bu
Mrs. Whistler has given up he
pew and gone over to the Presbyte
rians, and there are rumors tina
Mrs. Moody is going to secede also
because Elder McGinn insists tina
she shall leave her dog at home.
!. Vrench Household EeonOmy.