Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1865-03-22
Seven-up For a wife
Or, Good ns Wheat.

In the State of Illinois there is a Ger
tain village boasting of tavern, three
stores, four groceries, where from morn
ing till night and from night till dawn. a
person entering the town may find in the
tavern, stores, and groceries aforesaid one
or more groops OF persons playing cards
Gambling here is reduced to a science
the history of the four kings is thor
oughly studied, and from the school boy
to the gray headed veteran, from the
miss in her teens to the mother of a large
family, they are initiated into the mystic
ries of high, low, jack, game, right and
left bowers, the honorS and the odd tricks.
One of the best players in the village
was Major Smith, the tavern keeper; or.
as he expressed il, the proprietor OF the
hotel-a wIdower who like
-'' Jeptha. Judge Of Israel.
uad a daughter, passing fair"
Fanny, the daughter, was ore Of the
prettiest girls in the village. The lover
OF 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 ulan was detained in the
village. and night found him as usual at
the hotel, seated between the Major and
his daughter. After desultary CONVEX
satlon betwheen the two gentlemen on the
state of the weather, the prospects of the
approaching harvest, important staples of
conversation, the Major. asked Bob how
his wheat crop promised to yield In re-
ply he was told that tile Young farmer
expected TO have at least five hundred
bushels The Major appeared to study
for a moment, then abruptly proposed n
game of - old sledge," or seven-up, thu
stake 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 sub
ject of a 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 there was strong probsbili-
ty of losing both wheat and wife.
1t was not until the Major, with his
usual obstancv, had sworn that unless he
won hcr he should never have her, that
the young man was forced reluctantly 10
TO play.
The table was placed, candles LIT, the
cards produced, a.rd the players took their
seats, with 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 bob made gift to
his opponents high, low, game Bob
dealt: the Major again made three to his
opponents one.
six to two,' said Miss Fanny, with
sigh.
The Major as he dealt the cards,
winked knowingly and said:
'Im good for the wheat, Master Bob
The old man turned up a trump-it
was a spade. Fanny glanced at her
fathers hand-h2r heart sank he held
the tray, eight-spot, and the king She
then looked at Roberts hand, and lo, he
had the ace, queen, duce and jack, or
knave. She whispered to Bob to beg
he did so.
Take L., said the Major
Robert led the duce, which the old
man took with his three spot; and he
,hc'l iOiAp"Cu OS pa Iil- inc h!'iS- ODD
putting his queen upon it, The Major,
it to be tie yonng mans last
rump, leaning over the table, and taprirg
he last trick with hts finger, said:
That's good aS wheat
Is it , aske! Bon, as he DISPLAYED 10
he as:onished Major the ace and jack
yet in his hands
High, low, jack, gift, and game
hoaled Bob.
Ont calculated Fanny
Good as wheat added Bob. as he
lung his arms around her, neck aud
kissed her.
In due time they were married, and
", after that, when anything occurred
IF plaasent nature TO the happy couple
hey would express their emphatic arpro-
patton of it by the phrase, Good as
wheat =
es- \ precocious young man, BLESSED
With the name uf Isaac, says shat & he
drafted, Abraham will be Offering up
saac a a sacrifice
So Il am like Balaam.' said dandy,
A mpfiinr "A Uretty uiri i'm n usrroyy ms