The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-27
Humors of Soldier Life.

y private soldier by the name ol
Richard Lee was taken before the mag
istrate of Glasgow, for playing cards
during divine service. The account of
it is thus given in the English journals: !:
Sergeant commanded the soldiers at
the church, and when the parson had
read the prayers he took the text Those
who had bible took il out, but the
soldier had neither bible nor common
prayer book; but pulling out pack of
cards. he spread them out before him.
He first looked at one and then another.
The sergeant of the company saw him
and said:
"Richard, put up your cards, this is
no place for them"
"Ncver mind that, said Richard.
When the service was over, the con-
stable took Richard a prisoner and
brought him before the mayor.
"Wcll," said the mayor, "what have
you brought the soldier here for?'
"For playing cards in church,"
"Well, soldier, what have you to say
for yourself?"
| "Much, sir, hope
every good; if not, will punish you
more than ever man was punished"
81 have been.' said the soldier,
"about six weeks Oh the march. have
nothing but pack of cards, 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 il reminds me
| that there is but one God. : When l see
the deuce it reminds me of the Father
and Son. When l see the tray 1t re.
minds me of the Father, Son and the
Holy Ghost. When see the four it re.
minds me of the four evangelists that
John. When l see the five it reminds
me of the five wise virgins that trimmed
their lamps. There were ten, but five
were wise and five were foolish ant
were shut out. When | see the six i
reminds me that in six days the Lore
made heaven and earth. When | SEE
the seven it reminds me that on the sew
enth day God rested from the grea
work he had made, and hallowed it
When see the eight it reminds me o
the eight righteous persons that wer,
saved when God destroyed the world
viz: Noah and his wife, his three son
and their wives. When see the min,
it reminds me of the nine lcpers tha
were cleanseI by our Saviour. Their,
were nine out of ten that never rcturne,
thanks. When | see the ten ii remind
me of the ten commandments whicl
God handed down to Moses on the Ia
blcs of stone. When see the King,
reminds me of the Great King of Heav
en-, which is God Almighty. When
see the Queen, it reminds me of tn
Queen of Shcba, who visited Solomon
for she was as wise a woman AS he wa
Il man. She brought with her fifty boy
| and fifty girls, all dressed in boys ap
parel, for King Solomon to tell whic
were boys and which were girls. Kin,
Solomon sent for water for them t.
wash; the girls washed to the elbows
| and the boys TO the wrists; 50 King Sol
omOn told by that"
+ "Well,' said the Mayor, "you hav
given a description of all the cards i
the pack except one"
, What is that?"
THE knave," said the Mayor.
, IL will give your honor a descripiio
4 of that if you will not be angry
IL will not" said the mayor, ''if yo
do not term me to be the knavc.'
2 'Wcll, said the soldier. "the greal
= est knavc | know of is the constabl
that brought me here"
: II know not" said the mayor. ''if h
is the greatest knayc, but know he
1 the greatest fool
A "Whcn count the spots in II pack {
a cards, find there are three hundre
| and sixty-fve, as many as there are day
e in year. When | count the numbc
1 ,f null IN A x.arI- I Hn1 -