Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-04-28
mGooD AS MHEAT.n

"GOOD AS WHEAT"
In the State of Tennessee, there is
certain village, Boosting of its tavern,
three stores, and four groceries, where,
from morning till night, and from night
find, in the tavern, groceries or stores
aforesaid, one or more groups of persons
playing cards. Gambling there is redu-
ccd to a scicnce-the history of the four
kings is thoroughly studied. and from the
school-boy to the grey haired veteran
from the miss in her teens to the mother
of large family-they are all initiated
into the mysteries of high, low, jack,
game-right and left bowers-the honors
and the odd trick. One Of the best players
in the village was Major Smith, the tavern
keeper-or as he expressed it, the propri-
etor of the hotel-a widower who like
"Jeptha, Judge in Israel,
Had daughter passing fair"
Fanny, the daughter, WAS one of the
pretticst girls in Tennessee, and therefore
one of the prcttiest in the world-for we
here digress in order to lay down, as our
ipse DIRT, that Tennessee women in point
of beauty, are matchless. The sweet
heart of Miss Fanny was young farmer,
residing in the neighborhOod, whom we
shall designate by the name of Bob.
1t happened that, one day before har-
vest, the young man was detained in the
village, and night found him as usual at
the hotel, seated between the Major and
his charming daughter. After desulto-
ny conversation between the two gentle
men, on the state of the weather, the
prospects ofthe approaching harvest, and
such important staples of conversation,
the Major asked Robert how his wheat
crop promised to yield. Inreply, he was
told that the young farmer expected to
make at least hundred bushels. The
Major appeared to study for moment,
then abruptly proposed game of old
sledge or Seven up the stakes to be his
daughter Fanny against the crop of
wheat. This, of course, the young man
Indignantly refused, because he could not
bear the idea that the hand of her he
loved should be made the subject of bet,
or that he should win a wife by gambling
for her, and, perhaps because he knew
the old man was hard to beat and that
there was avery strong probability of To-
sing both wheat and wife.
1t was not until the Major with his usu-
al obstinacy, had sworn that unless he
won her, he should never have her, that
the young man was forced reluctantly to
consent to play.
The table was placed, the candles lit,
the cards produced, and the players took
their seats, with Miss Fanny between them
to watch the progress of the game. The
cards were regularly shuffled and cut,
and it fell to'the Majors lot to deal The
first hand was played, and Robert made
gift to his opponents high, low, game
Bob then dealt-the Major begged-it !
was given, and the Major again made
three to his opponents one
" Six to two, said Miss Fanny with a |
sigh. The Major as he again dealt the
cards, winkcd knowingly, and said, ''I'm
good for that wheat, Master Bob" The
old man turned up trump--it was
spade. Fanny glanced at her fathers
hand--her heart sank-he held the three
and eight spots and the king She then
looked at Roberts hand, and 10 he
held the ace, queen, deuce and lack or
knave. She whispered to Robert to bep
he did SO. "Take it," said the Ma.
jor, Three to SIX" said Miss Fanny
oAOuu' ANoOSII pIoleu MS deuce, which
the Major took with his three spot, and
followed by playing the king, Robert
put his queen on it. The Major supposinc
it was the young mans last trump, leaned
over the table, and tapping the last trick
with his finger said, "That's good as
wheat" " Is it % asked Robert as he
displayed to the eyes of the astonished
Major, the ace and jack yet in his hand.
p" High, low, jack, gift, and the game"
shouted Robert. "Out," senteniously |
calculated Miss Fanny. Good as
wheat" added Robert, as he flung his
arms around her neck and kissed her.
In, due time they were married, and
ever after that, when anything of plea
SAINT nature occurred to the happy couple,
they would express their emphatic appro-
baton of it by the phrase, +" Good as
wheat"
% Practice flows from principle; for