A STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY.

Evening Star, Issue 4897, 11 November 1878, Page 3

A STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY.

St. Peter's Church in Wellington was lately, according to the ' Post,' the scene of singular developments. A lady brought both a cat and a dog to church, the two moreover being in the same kit, which she placed under the seat. It was not in canine or feline nature, under the circumstances of such enforced proximity and the absence of any other occupation, to do otherwise than exchange mutual declaration of war, of a somewhat energetio character and less subdued in pitch than was quite suited to the sanctity of the oocasion. Thus the dog barked and. growled—the cat swore and caterwauled. The combination was striking, but not altogether pleasing—th 9 "combination " being still more " striking " after a time, for the cat and dog proceeded to vigorous hostilities and wofully disturbed the peace of the church. The girl at length intervened, and taking the part of the cat, began to whack the dog. The latter at first filled the church with his remonstrances, but soon growing tired of this passive resistance, resorted to more active measures, and after effecting a forcible exit from bis kit, first attacked a neighboring hassock and tore it to pieces. Next he seized a lady's dress aud made a good square meal of the crape wherewith it was trimmed. Then for a change he seized the foot of another lady and began slowly to masticate it. The lamentations of his victims produced a second intervention on the part of his owner, who again whacked him earnestly, and detaching from her neck a stout fur boa transferred it to the neck of her unfaithful hound. The spirited animal, however, had tasted blood, and was not thus mildly to be restrained. He again rushed wildly into an adjoining seat (accompanied by the boa —which did not prove a constrictor) and seized the foot of another lady, biting right through the foot, and drawing blood freely. The lady shrieked loudly, and kicked out savagely, but the intelligent dog kept his i weather eye open and avoided these reprisals. But his owner for the third time intervened, and on this occasion, to make assurance doubly sure, Bhe not only collared the dog but sat upon him (in theliteral sense), and the dog, thus forcibly suppressed, subsided for the time. The cat meanwhile disappeared from this "strange eventful history." The congregation now endeavored to settle down again to their devotions, but only to meet with another interruption, for two females of distinctive, if not distinguished appearance, entered the church, and a new series of disturbances set in. First they obtained sittings by the simple process of turning out'the regular occupants. Next they indulged in very audible, not to say loud, conversation during the prayers; but to show that they did not wholly ignore the service, they occasionally bellowed " Amen " in strident and derisive tones, taking care never to come in at the same time as the congregation. They did not seem altogether satisfied with the singing of the hymns which, apparently, they thought was too unornate, so at the encl of each verse they appended an cut libitum embellishment in the shape of a frightful and unearthly yell. By this time, however, the patience of the congregation was exaueted, and the verger managed with great difficulty to turn out one of these female blackguards.