PRACTICAL JOKING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1391, 12 September 1885, Page 3

PRACTICAL JOKING.

The predicament of Mr John Lytton, a farmer, near Auckland, says an exchange, furnishes ground for another protest against the baleful habit of practical joking. Thera is every reason to suppose thrt up to two years ago Mr Lytton was a .prosperous, jovial husbandman, who labored merrily week in week out, and on the Sabbath morning bestrode his nag and rode to the nearest chnrch to lay in his periodical supply of spiritual provender. But one Sunday certain individuals whom the Auckland paper describes as “ local young bloods,” either hid or stole the farmer’s saddle while he was engaged upon his orisons within the church. The primary consequence of 1 this jest was that Mr Lytton did not I again show face within the sacred edifice for two years. Ho utterly failed to recognise in bis loss the chastising hand of Providence. He simply came to the conclusion that going to church didn’t pay and acted upon it. When, a week or so ago ho broke the ice and again entered a place of worship, he carried his saddle and bridle into the church, and placed them upon a seat, looked wildly round and sat upon them, or rather tried to nit upon them, for, to quote the Auckland paper “ First his bridle slipped on to the floor with a crash, and then the saddle canted over to one side. At last the noise became so groat that the officiating pastor felt constrained to address the intruder, and request him to sit still, at the same time suggesting that the harness ■hould have been left outside. The man at once rose to his feet, and replied that he was afraid to leave it outside, as on the last occasion he attended church he had done so, and it was stolen. After some further discussion he regained his balance (not in the head, but the saddle), and remained fairly quiet until the service concluded.” This is not all we learn about Mr Lytton, for, on August 29, a telegram from Auckland tells how he forced his way into a doctor’s house, threatening to murder the inmates, discharged a revolver promiscuously about the streets, and was finally lodged in the public asylum as a dangerous lunatic. It is pathetically added ; “ Lytton became insane through having a saddle stolen some time ago.” If this indictment be true, the local “young bloods " have reason to stand aghast at their work.