The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-10-17
What "a Pack of Cards Served
For

A private soldier by the name of Rich
ard Lee was taken before the Magistrate
Of Glasgow for playing cards during
divine service. The accOuntOf it is thus
given in the English journals:
Sergeants commanded the soldiers in
the church, and when the paster had
read the prayers he took o text.
Those who had Bible took it out, the
soldier having neither q Bible nor a
common prayer book took out pack of
cards; he laid them out before him; he
first looked at one card and then at an
other. The Sergeant of the company
saw him and said to Richard, "put up
the cards; this is no place for them.1'
"Neyer mind" said Richard.
When the service was over the Con-
stable took Richard prisoner and brought
him before the Mayor.
"Well," said the Mayor, what have
you brought the soldier here for for ~
For playing cards in church."
say for yOurself?"
Much, sir, I hope"
Every good; if not, I will punish you
more than ever man was punished"
"Ihave been," said said the soldier.
! "abOut six weeks on the march. have
| neither Bible nor a common PRAYER
book have nothing but pack ofcards,
and hope to satisfy your worship of the
purity of my intentions"
Then spreading the cards before the
Mayor, he began with the ace.
when see the ace, it reminds me
that there is but one God.
"When | see the deuce, it reminds me
of the Father and Son.
"When see the tray, it reminds me Of
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
"When see the four, it reminds me-
of the four evangelists that preached
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
"When see the five, it reminds me of
the five wise virgins that trimmed their
lamps. There were ten, but five were
foolish; they were shut out.
"When | see the six, it reminds me
| that in six days the Lord made heaven
and earth.
"When l see the seven, it reminds me
of the eight righteous persons that were
saved when God destroyed the world,
and their wives.
"When | see the nine, it reminds me of
the nine lepers that we're cleansed by our
Saviour. There were nine out of the ten
who 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
'sWhen Hook at the queen, it reminds
me of the Queen of Sheba, who visited
Solomon, for she was as wise a women
as he was man. She brought with her
fifty boys and fifty girls, for King Solo
mon to tell which were boys and which
were girls. King Solomon sent for wa
ter for them to wash. The girls washed
to the elbows and the boys to the wrists.
So King Solomon told by that"
"Well," said the Mayor, ''yOu have Civ
en- description Of all the cards but one"
'What is that 7"
"The knave," said the Mayor.
'I will give you description of that,
too, if you will not be angry
81 will not" said the Mayor, eff you do
not term me to be the knave."
The greatest knave that IknOw of is
the Constable that brought me here"
II don't know" said the Mayor, "if he
is the greatest knave, but he is the great
est fool"
"When count how many spots are in
a pack of cards, find three hundred and
sixty-fve, as many days as there are in
year.
"When count the number of cards in
a pack, l find fifty y-two, the number of
weeks in a year; and I find four suits,
the number Of weeks in n month.
81 find there are twelve pictures in a
pack, representing the number of months
in year; and in counting the tricks I
find thirteen, the number of weeks in q
quarter.
$50, you see, sir, a pack of cards serve
for o Bible, almanac and common
| nraYe1, hn0k y