SCENES IN ST. PETER'S CHURCH.

Waipawa Mail, Volume I, Issue 17, 9 November 1878, Page 2

SCENES IN ST. PETER'S CHURCH.

j (From the Wellington Post.) I The order and decorum which usually r mark the services in St Peters Church Te I Aro, underwent a series of singular and unt fortunate interuptions last evening. In the r first place, an unfortunate half witted gi'l, e who, being considered quite harmless, is y allowed to attend service, was afficted J with more than her usual eccentricity. The q chief objection entertained to herprescnce in e a place of worship is, that she is generally Y accompanied by a familiar in the shape of, _ cat or dog, of which she retains control by e keeping it in a Maori kit. Last evening however, she brought a cat and dog to .> ; Church, the two moreover being in the 3 ! same kit, which she placed under the seat. 3 j It was not in canine or feline nature, under c j the dircumstanees of such enforced proxi i iniity aud the absence of any other occu. ] ; pation, to do otherwise than exchange / J mutual declaration of war, of a somewhat ? I energetic character and less srC-dued in - ' pitch than was quite suited to the cinctity 3 | of the occasion. Thus the dog barked and , j growled—the cat swore and catawauled i j The combination was striking, but not als i together pleasing—the “combination” i i being still more “striking” after, a time f ! for the eat and dog. proceeded to vigorous b* hostilities and wo fully disturbed the peace 1 of the church. The girl at length inter- • ' veiled, and taking the part of the cat, be- • gm to whack the dog. The latter at first i tilled the church \v\th his remonstrances, • but soon growing tired of this passive rc- . si stance, resorted to more active measures , and after effecting a forcible exit from thb

kit, fir*t attacked a neighbouring hassock nil tor** it to pieces. Next he seized a - .vly's dre*s and made a good square meal nf 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 rriildv to he restrained. He again rusher! wildv into an adjoining scat (accompanied by the bo-i—which did not prove a constrictor) an 1 seized the foot of another lady, biting right through the boot, and drawing blood freely. The lady shrieked loudly, and kicked out savagely, but the intelligent dog kept his weather eye open an*) avoided these reprisals But his owner for the third time intervened on this occasion, to make assurance doubly sure, she not only collared the dog but sat upon him (in Hie literal sense, ) and the dog thus forcibly suppressed, subsided for the time. The cat meanwhile disappears from this “ strange eventful history.” Toe 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 w *cri**'. of disturbances set in. First they obtained sittings by the simple process of turning out the regular occupants, j Next they indulged in very audible, not to sav loud, conversation during prayers ; to show that they did not wholly ignore j the service, they occasionally bellowed | 4 ‘ Aiuen ” in strident and derisive tones, taking care never to come in at the same I tune as tin* congregation. They did not se in altogetii r satisfied with the singing of the hymns, which, apparently, they thought was too unornate, so ut the end of each verse they appended an adlihitiim emb •llisliinent in the-shape of a frightful and unearthly yell. By this time, how v.-r, the patience of the congr *gati«»n was exhausted, and the verger managed with great difficulty to turn out one of these female blackguards. The other resisted all efforts at extrusion, and was permitted to remain on condition that she created no further disturbance. All this occurred during the prayers. There was in* interruption while the sermon was b ing deliv r ■*!. We hope the police will instilute prompt steps to punish the two women last alluded to, ami that they will take care that a constable shall be in the neighborhood of the church during the service. It is disgraceful to the - city that the congregation of one of the principal churches should be annoyed and scandalised in this way.