Mr.Potts, perfectly frantic with rage, forgot where he was; and holding his clinched fist under Smiley's nose, he shrieked, "I've half a mind to brain you, you scoundrel!" Then he flung down his hymn-book and rushed from the church.

He went home bareheaded, and the sexton brought his humiliating hat around after dinner.

After that Mr.
Potts expressed a purpose to go habitually to Quaker meeting, where he could say his prayers with his hat on his head, and where the skirts of female worshippers are smaller.
* * * * * Upon a subsequent occasion Mrs.Whistler had even a greater occasion for dissatisfaction with the sanctuary.
The facts in Mrs.Whistler's case were these: Mrs.Whistler has singular absence of mind, and on the last Sunday she attended church Dr.Dox began to read from the Scriptures the account of the Deluge.
Mrs.Whistler was deeply attentive; and when the doctor came to the story of how it rained for so many days and nights, she was so much absorbed in the narrative and so strongly impressed with it that she involuntarily put up her umbrella and held it over her head as she sat in the pew.

It 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 affected 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 dodged into a vacant pew upon the other side of the aisle and defied him, barking vociferously all the time.

Then the sexton became warm and indignant, and he flung a cane at the dog, whereupon the dog flew out and bit his leg.