Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-10-31
The Religious Card Player.

ing divine services. The account is Civ
en- in an English journal
The Sergeant commanded the soldiers
at the church, and when the parson had
read the prayer he took the text. Those
who had bibles took them out but the
soldier had neither bible nor prayer
book but pulling out pack of cards,
he spread them before him. He first
looked at one and then another. The
sergeant of the company saw him and
said
Richard, put up the cards, this is no
place for them"
"Never mind that" said Richard
coolly.
When the services were over, the
constable took Richard prisoner, and
brought him before the Mayor.
"Well, what have you brought the
soldier here for RI" said the mayor.
"For playing cards in the church"
well, soldier, what have you to say
for YOURSELF"
"Much, sir, | have"
Every good but if not | will punish
you severely.
81 have been, said the soldier, "about
six weeks on the march. ! have nei-
Their bible nor prayer-book. | have
nothing but pack Of cards, and hope
to satisfy your worship of the purity Of
my intention
Then spreading the cards before the
Mayor, he began with the ace.
When | see the ace it reminds me
there is but one God When / see the
duce it reminds me Of Father and Son.
When | see the trey it reminds me of
the Father Son and Holy Ghost. When
see the four it reminds me of the four
Evangelists that preached Matthew,
Marx, Luke and John. When | see
the five it reminds me of the five virgins
that trimmed their lamps. There were
ten, but five of them were wise, and five
of them were foolish and were shut out
| When | see the six it reminds me that
in six days the Lord made heaven and
earth When | see the seven it reminds
me that on the seventh day God rested
from the great work which he made,
and hallowed it. When l see the eight
it reminds me of the eight righteous per-
sons who were saved when God destroy
the world, viz. Noah and his wife, his
three sons and three wives. When l
see the nine, it reminds me of the nine
lepers that were clensed by our Saviour.
There were nine Of the ten that never
returned thanks. When | see the ten
it reminds me of the ten commandments
which God handed down to Moses on
the tables Of stone. When | see the
king it reminds me of the Great King
of heaven which is God Almighty. When
see the queen, it reminds me of
the queen of Sheba who visited Sol
ONION, for she was wise woman and
he was man. She brought fifty boys
and fifty girls all dressed in boys appar-
Ell, for king Solomon to tell which were
boys and which were girls. The girls
washed to the elbows and the boys to
the wrists; so King Solomon told by
that"
Well, said the Mayor, "you have
described every card in the pack but
one"
"What is that ?"
"The knave," said the Mayor.
az will give you description if you
will not get very angry"
81 will not if you do not term me to
be the knave," said the Mayor.
The greatest knave that / know oil
is the constable who brought me down
here.
:" 90 not know that he is the great
est knave, but | know that he is the
greatest fool, said the Mayor.
When / count how many spots
there are in a pack of cards, find tire,
hundred and sixty-fve, as many as day!
in a year. When / count the number
of cards in a pack, ! count ffty-two
the number of weeks in year. / fine
there are twelve picture cards in a pack
representing the number of months in /
year, and in counting the tricks, | fine
thirteen, the numb Der OF weeks in quar-
ter. So you see pack of cards serve,
for bible, almanac and common prayer