The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-04-20
MRS. WHISTLER.
az AbseHf- Minded WoDlqH Mgkes TiossBte
~ the Church.

The facts in Mrs WhistleFs 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.. 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 il rained for 50 many days
and nights, she was 50 much absorbed in
the narrative and so strongly impressed
with it that she invoIuntarily put up her
umbrella and held it over her head as
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 ysCiferously all the
time. Then the sexton became warm
and indignant, and he flung a hymn
book at the dog, whereupon the dog few
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 Kissed 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 a
fierce manner that the doctor quickly
mounted a chair, and remarked, with
anger flashing through hisspectacles, 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 it's hind legs. Then he walked down
the aisle with it, the dog meantime yell
ing with supernatural energy, and the
Sunday-schOOl boys making facetiOus
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 Tage, she screamed: "What'd
you grab that bonnet for, you oata-
mount? Haven't you made enough
fuss in this sanctuary to-day, skeering a
poor, innocent dog, without snatching
off 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 parasOl, if il
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 part
ing salute: "Sneaking off before the
collection, too! You'd better spend less
for brestpins and give more to the poor
heather if you don't want to keteh il
hereafter Then she began to fan her,
self furiously, and as Mrs. Whistler
emerged from the front door and thing;
became calmer, the doctor resumed the
story Of the food. But Mrs. Whistles
has given up her pew and gone over t.
the Presbyterians, and there are rumOr'
that Mrs. Moody is going to seeede also
because Elder McGinn insists that she
shall leave her dog at home,