Arizona citizen., 1877-09-29
EccIesiastIcaI whiss.


 Tie New York Times says the Rev
 David Swing, independent Presbyte rian of Chicago, urges that parents should teach their children the game of whist. The Times does not object to such teaching, but is fearfat that il
 would be imperfect, and in :his con neciion says:
 Where there is one father who has a full perception of the true nature of the game, there are scores who habit Hally lead from their short suit, and who, when hofding four trUmps and an honor, are joined to them as hope. lessly as Ephraim was joined to his particular idols. As to the mothers of America, it is melancholy fact that those few among them who prefer a knowledge of whist, play as though their only object in life was to rid themselves as soon as possible of the responsibility of leading. There could not be a more beautiful sight than a group of young children gathered abo1t the table on Saturday night, cheerfully preparing their Sunday
 whist lesson, assisted by really com petent father When such a father should test their knowledge by such questions as James, when you have ace and king which should be led ?" or, Mary Jane, in what cIrcumstan- ces would you always lead the ten ?' the answers would always be right, and the young scholars would acquire fund of noble principles which would be of inestimable benefit to them. But what could be more mel ancholy than the spectacle of a care less and ignorant father filling his in nocelt children's minds with false theories, and even instilling into them the revolting doctrine-bOrn of ignOr- ance and misanthropY-that to cling to trumps is a wise and noble act? Ii we admit that to substitute cards for the catechism should be the object of every intelligent and devout parent, the admission must be understood to involve the corollary that the use of cards is to be properly taught. In his ardent love for truth and whist, MT. Swing has probably overlooke the fact that home instruction Tn whist would, in the vast majority of cases, be nothing less than the medication of ignorant heresies. Can he deliberate ly advocate the transmission from fath- CT to son of the worst errors known to selfstyled independent whist-players ? If the rIsult of the promulgation of his new whist dogma should be that seventy-five out of every hundred of the children of his congregation should habItuaIly trump second hand wISh a low card, would he feel that he had been a really faithful Christian minister?
 The Times then gravely tenders the reverend gentleman some advice and offers a timely suggestion, as follows:
 It is hardly the province of a news paper to deal with religious questions, but in this case the importance of the affair will justify few words of earn est advice to MT. Swing. Let him abandon the idea of home instruction Tn Whlst; OOtaln corps or sunday school teachers who are eminent tor their knowledge of the game, and sub stitute the textbooks of Cavendish or Pole for the present Biblical question books. The children of his congrega- -ioh will thus be taught the pure doc .rine of whist uncOntaminated by the errors of weak or wicked men At he same time he should ask himself a child can be fitted for true usefulness in a Western State with put knowledge of poker. Of course, whist is by far the more important study, but poker undoubtedly strength ens the character, and is almost essen- .ial to a symmetrical and we'll bal inced Western mind. However, it night be we'll to consult Mir. Stanley Matthews as to the wisdom Of intro iucing poker into Sunday-schOols.