The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-12-08
A RELIGIOUS PACK OF CARDS.
How They Served as Bible, Almanac and
Book of Common Prayer to n Soldier-An
Ingenious Plea.


Book of Common Prayer to n Soldier-An
Ingenious Plea.
A soldier by the name of Richard Lee
was taken before the Magistrates of Glasgow
for playing cards during Divine service.
The account OF il is thus given:
Sergeant commanded the soldiers of the
church, and when the parSOn had read the
prayers. he took the text. Those who had a
Bible took it out; but this soldier had
neither Bible nor Common Prayer Book /;
but, pulling out pack of cards, he spread
them out before him. He looked first at
one card and then at another. The Sergeant
saw him and said:
Richard. put up the cards; this is no
place for them."
Never mind that" said Richard.
When the service was over the Constable
took Richard prisoner and brought him
before the Mayor.
"Well. what have you brought the soldier
here for?' says the Mayor.
For playing cards in church.
well. soldier, what have you to say for
YOURSELF"
Much, sir, l hope"
VERY good; if not, l will punish you
more than ever man was punished
al have BEEN" said the soldier, ''about
six weeks on the march. / have no Bible
or Common Prayer Book; have nothing
but a pack of cards. and hope to satisfy
your worship of the purity of my inten-
tons"
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 see the duce,
il reminds me of Father and Son. When
see the three, ii reminds me of Father, Son
and Holy Ghost. When | see the four, it
reminds me of the four evan
gelists that Observation-Disclosures, Mark,
Luke and John. When / see the
five, il reminds me of the five wise virgins
that trimmed the lamps. There were ten,
were shut out When see the six, ii re-
minds 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 He had made.
and hallowed ii. When l see the eight it
reminds me of the eight righteous persons
that were saved when God destroyed the
world. viz: Noah and his wife. his three
sons and their wives. When see the nine,
it reminds me of the nine lepers that
were cleansed by our Savior. There
were nine out of the ten that never
returned thanks. When | see the
ten, it reminds me of ten commandments
which God handed down to Moses on the
tables of stone. When 1 see the king, it re
minds me OF the Great King of Heaven,
which is God Almighty When see the
queen. ii reminds me of the Queen of Sheba,
who visited Solomon, for she was as wise a
woman as he was q man. She brought with
her fifty boys and fifty girls, all dressed i'm
boys apparel. for King Solomon to tell
which were boys and which were girls.
King Solomon sent for water for them TO
wash; the girls washed to the elbows, and
the boys to the wrists, so he told by that"
"Well," said the Mayor, 'you have given
a description of all the cards in the pack ex-
cept one"
What is that?"
''The knave," said the Mayor
IL will give your Honor a description of
that, too, if you will not be angry"
II will not" said the Mayor, "if you do
not term me to be the knave"
well" said the soldier, "the greatest
knave l know of is the Constable that
brought me here"
~ don't know" said the Mayor, eff he is
the greatest knave, but know he is the
greatest fool"
"When count how many spots in pack
of cards | find 365-as many as there are
days in the year. When | count the num-
Der of cards in pack | find there are fifty
twO-the number of weeks in year; and
find four suits--the number of weeks in
month. 1 find there are twelve picture
cards in pack. representing the number of
months in year; and on counting the
number of tricks l find thi. teen, the num-
Der of weeks in a quarter So you see sir,
a pack of cards serves for Bible, almanac
and Common PRAYER Book