Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-02-10
"Seven-up for a Wife," or "Good
as Wheat.n

as Wheat"
In the State Of Tennessee there is
certain village Boosting Of tavern, three
stores, and four groceries, where, from
morning till night, and from night till
dawn, person entering the town may find
in the tavern, stores, groceries aforesaid
one OF more groups Of persons playing
cards. Gambling there is reduced to a
science--the history of four kings, is thor
oughly studied, and from the school boy
to the grey-headed veteran, from the miss
in her teens to the mother of large fam
lily, they are initiated into the mysteries of
high, low, jack, game, right and left bow
ers--the honors and the odd trick One
Of the best players in the village was Ma
jor Smith, the tavern keeper; or, as he ex-
pressed it, the proprietor Of the hotel a
widower, who, like
"Jeptha, Judge in Isreal
Had daughter passing fair"
Fanny, the daughter, was one of the
prettiest girls in Tennessee, and therefore
one of the prettiest in the world for we
here digress in order to lay down as ipse
di1it, that Tennessee women, in point of
beauty, are matchless. The sweetheart of
Fanny was young farmer, residing in the
neighborhood, whom we shall designate by
the name of Bob.
1t happened that one day before harvest
the young man was detained in the village,
and found him as usual at the hotel seated
between the Major and daughter. After
a desultory coversation between the two
gentlemen on the state of the weather the
prospects of approaching harvest and such
Important staples of conversation the Major
appeared to study for a moment, then
abruptly proposed game Of old sledge
or ''seven up" the stakes to be his Fanny
against the crop of wheat. This of course
the young man Indignantly refused, be-
cause 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
wife by gambling for her; and, perhaps be-
cause he knew the old man was "hard to
beat, and there was strong probability
of his losing 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 young
man was forced reluctantly to consent to
play.
The table was placed, the candle 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 shuffied 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
Robert then dealt, the Major begged ii
was given, and the Major again made three
to his opponents one.
"Six TO two," said Miss Fanny with
sigh.
The Major as he dealt the cards, wink
ed knowingly and said
"I'm good for the wheat, Master BOB.
The old man turned up a trump-it was
a spade. Fanny glanced at her fathers
hand-heart sank; he held the three, eight
spot, and the kingl She then looked at
Roberts hand and 10 he had the ace,
queen, duce, and jack or knave. She whis-
pered to Robert to beg--he did so.
''Take it," said the Major.
Robert led his duce, which the Major
took with his three spot, and followed by
playing the king. Robert put his queen
upon it. The Major, supposed it was the
young mans last trump, leaned over the
table, and tapping his last trick with with
his finger, said:
"That's good as wheat"
ais it?' asked Robert, as he displayed
to the astonshed Major the ace and jack,
yet in his hands.
High, low, jack, gift and game, shout
ed Robert.
"OutI calculated Fanny.
"Good as wheat" added Robert, as he
flung his arms around her neck and kiss
ed her.
In due time they were married, and ev-
er after that when anything occurred of a
pleasing nature to the happy couple, they
would express their emphatic appreciation
of it, by the phrase, Good as wheat"