A Spider in Church.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 44, 5 April 1884, Page 5

A Spider in Church.

Old Collamore is veiy deaf. The other Sunday, in the midst of the services, Mr Hoff, who sits immediately behind Mr Collamore, saw a spider crawling over the latter's bald head. His first impulse was to nudge him to tell him about it ; but he remembered that Mr Collamore was deaf, so he lifted up his hand and brushed the spider off. Hoff didn't aim quite high enough, and, in his nervousness, he hit Old Collamore quite a severe blow. The old gentleman turned around in a rage to see who had dared to take such a liberty with him, and Hoff began to explain with gestures. But Collarmore in a loud voice demanded what he meant. It was very painful to Hoff. The eyes of the congregation were upon him, and he grew red in the face. "There svas a spider on your head. " "Am hitc place on my head, hey? S'posc there is, what's that to you ? you'll known what it is to be bald-headed yourself some day."] "It was a spider," .shrieked iloil, Mhile the perspiration began to roll oil' his face. "Certainly it's wider," said Collamore, "and got more in it than yours But let it alone — do you mind ? You may let my head alone in church." "Mr Collamore," shrieked Hoff, "There was a spider on your head, and I brushed him off —this >\ay," and Hoff made another gesture at Collamore's head. The old man thought he was going to fight him then and there, and hurling a hymn-book at EToif, he seized the kneeling t«tool on the floor of the pew and was about to bang Mr Hoff, when the sexton interfered. An explanation m as written on the fly-leaf of the hymn-book, m hereupon Mr Collamore apologised in a boisterous voice and resumed his seat. Then the service proceeded. They think of asking Mr Collamore to worship elsewhere.