Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-19
CARD PLAYERS
At Royal TabIes-Everett's First Game
with the Mother Of Queen Vic
tOria-BeacOnsfield's Game
With the Prince OF WaIes-Gen. For
rests Game of Poker-H0Hdin and
the Greek Gamester.

on Que occasion, when Washington Irving,
Bancroft and Everett we're chatting over
diplomatic "reminiscences, the last-named
told how, after be and the NeapolitaD am
bassador had been presented to her majesty
Queen Victoris, Lord Melbourne intiD ated
that they would be expected to join in
game at whist with the Duchess OF Kent.
Il play but very poor game myself" said
Melbourne; ain fact, / scarcely understand II;
but the duchess is very fond of it." Sand ]"
said the Neapolitan to Everett, sam very
bad player, and should chance to be your
excellency's partner, l invoke your for
bearance in advance" To which the
American envoy replied that he knew
very little of the game himself. As he
put it. three digni6ed personzges, clad in
gorgeous attire, were solemnly going 10
play a game they imperfectly understood,
and for which none of them cared in the
least. Upon reaching the Duchess apart
ments the ambassadors were formally pre-
sented, and then, at her invitation, sat down
to play. As soon as the cards were dealt, a
lzdy-in-waiting placed herself at the back of
the duchess, and the latter said: "Your ex-
cellencies will excuse me II rely upon the
ad rice of my friend here, for must confess
1 am really very poor player" This was
| almost too much for Everetts gravity-a
gravity undistur5ed for the rest of the even
ing, since he found playing whist under such
conditions inexpressibly dull work
Bold as he could be when the game was
worth the candle, Lord Beaconsfeld would
never have been tempted to risk SO much on
| the cards; for, knowing the weakness of his
play, he carefully eschewed anything like
high stakes. One evening at the time when
Parliament was agitating itself about the
empresship OF India, Lord Beaconsheld sat
down to whist with the Prince of Wales, and
asked the latter: "What points, sir?" sob,
sovereign, If you please" was the answer.
Seeing the premier's look annoy ance, Mr.
Bernal Osborne observed: 81 think, sir, the
premier would rather have crown points r'
| The prince, taking the joke and the hint,
altered the stakes accordingly.
Marlborough was not above playing for
| smaller stakes, though perhaps the great
captain did not play high out of fear of his
| loving Sarah, who had a tongue and knew
how to use it; like the lady whose liege lord
| contrived that she should not more than sus-
pect the secret of his bad hours, until COM
| ing home at 6 o'clock in the morning tired
| out with attending on a sick friend,n he
| dozed at the breakfast table, and, solemnly
| passing the bread, said, "CutP' "That's your
sick friend, is it?' exclaimed the wife, and
| what followed may be imagined.
A card. atiDg wife can, upon occasion, set
| her scruples aside. Soon after the close OF
| the secession war, Gen. Forrest and his wife
| stopped at a hotel in Memphis and, upon
l examiniBg their purses found the sum teta
1 of their wealth amounted to 81 80. Tue
| general being due that evening at q house
1 where poker was sure to be played, proposed
that he should tempt fortune to the full ex-
1 tent of his means, and asked his wife 70 pray
1 for his success. She would not promise, bul
he felt she was with him, and knew how il
| would be. Let him tell the rest himself.
"Tbey had three tables-one was a quarter
| dollar table, one half and one a dollar and q
half. 1 wanted to make nay 81 last as long
| as could make it, SO sat down to the qua
ter table. By dinner-time had won enough
| to do better, and after we had eaten, sS
down to the dollar-and-a-half table. Some
times won, and then again lost, until nigh
/ upon midnight, when / had better luck.
knew Mary was sitting up anxious, and i
made me cool. / set my hat upon the floor
and every time I'd win I'd drop the none,
in the hat. 1 sat there until day broke, anc
then took my hat up in both hands, snassh
ed il on my head and went home. When
got to my room there sat Mary in her gown
She seemed tired and anxious, and though
she looked mighty hard at me, she didn'
say a word. / walked right up to her
emptied my hat right into the lap of he
gown and then we sat down and counted il
Just $500 even, and that gave me a start
The wife of Bishop Beadon loved whist s.
we'll that when the prelate told one OF hi
clergy if he was able to sit up half The nigh
playing whist at the bathrooms, be must b
we'll enough TO do duty at home, the invzl
| ided one sileuced him with: "My lord, Mrs
Beadon would tell you that late whist act
as tonic or restorative to dyspeptic peopl
| with weak nerves. The bishops better hal
would have sympathized with Goldsmith
old lady, who, lying sick unto death, playei
cards with the curate to pass the time away
and, after winning all his money, had jus
| proposed TO plsy him for her funeral charge
| when she expired.
There have been stranger stakes still. L
1875, Henry and James Trotter sat down q
the Salmon Inn, Chester-le street, TO play
! | game of cards against Robert Thomas an
| Thomas Ellison, the latter pair stalking fv
shiliings, and the former child, the son Q
Mr.. and Mrs. Leesb, VINO gave up thei
boy 10 the winners. A traveller in New Zss
land, spending a night in a squatter's hut
|, wss invited 10 cut in for a rubber of whis
} As he took his seat he inquired, "Whs
points% His partner responded in 8 ton
| significant of surprise at such question
"Why, the usual game, of course-shee
points, and bullock on the rubber"
Even the sharpest of sharpers may NOR
than meet his match. Robert Houdin, haE
Dening to saunter into continental casin
where Greek was reaping rare harvest a
ecdrte looked on quietly until seat becsm
vacant, and then dropped into it. lib
Greek, dealing dextereusly, turned Kin
from the bottom of the pack. When the dea
came TO Houdip, he observed: when
. turn kings from the bottom of the pack
: always do il with one hand instead OF i've
it il quite as easy and much more elegant
! Seei here comes his majesty of diamonds;
and up came the card. The cheat Stared
} the coDjuror for moment and then rushe
from the place, without waiting to posses
: himself OF his hat, coat or stakes.
Another OF the fraternity, after winnin
ten games at ecarte in succession, tried hi
fortune against new opponent, and still hi
luck held. He had made four points, AM
, dealing, turned up king and won. an
. luck is wonderfully SAID he. eyes," sal
: his adversary, "and all the more wonderfr
: since l have the four kings OF the pack i
. nay pocketw and the professor OF legerd,
main laid them on the table.
t II remember" said gentleman who ba
| Travelled in Russia, "being at ball given b
} the Empress to the late Emperor, on hi
birthday. L was playing at eedte, whe
: the Emperor, who had been wanderin
, about, came behind me 10 watch the gam
, My adversary and were both at four, an
it was my deal. Now said the En-
peror, let US zee whether you ca
turn up the king I dealt, and the
held up the turn-up card, observing: 'Yot
: orders, sir, have been obeyed' A doze
times afterward the Emperor asked me ho
l managed it, and he never would belle,
; that it was 4 mere hazard, and that | hs
4 taken the chance OF the card being king
"The Car was ss much astonshed at Il
result oil his remark as he young gentl
man who, looking over pretty girls chou
der while she was playing csrds, observe,
:, What a lovely handp you may have il
e you want ~ nurmured she, and the rest
the evening he was wondering what her i