The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-01-11
Card Stories.

Neapolltan Ambassador had been pre-
sented to her Majesty Queen Victoria,
Lord Melbourne intimated that they
would be expected to join in a game at
whist with the Duchess of Kent. II play
but very poor game myself" said Mel
bourne, sin fact, scarcely understand
it; but the Duchess is very fond of it. y
"And |, said the Neapolitan to Everett,
sam very bad player, and should |
chance to be your Excellency's partner
invoke your forbearance in ADVANCE
to which the American Envoy replied
that he knew very little of the game HIM
sell. As he put it, three dignified per-
sonages, clad in gorgeous attire, were
solemnly going to play game they i'm
perfectly understood, and for which none
of them cared in the least, Upon reach
ing the Duchess apartment the Ambas-
sailors were formally presented, and
then, at her invitation, sat down to play
As soon as the cards were dealt, | dy-
ln-waiting placed herself at the Duchess
back, and the latter said: "Your excel
lencies will excuse me if 1 rely upon the
advice of my friend here, for | must
confess that | am a very poor player
This was almost too much for Everett S
gravity a gravity undisturbed for the
rest OF the evening, since he found play
ing whist under such conditions mex
pressibly dull work.
Bold as he could be when the game
was worth the candle, Lord BeaconsfielI
would never have been tempted to risk
much on the cards; for, knowing the
weakness of his play, he carefully es-
chewed anything like high stakes One
evening. at the time when Parliament
was agitating itself about the Empress
ship of India, Lord Beaconsfeld sat down
to whist with the Prince of Wales, and
asked the latter: .'What points, sir?''
40, sovereign, If you please" was the
answer. Seeing the Premier's look of
annoyance, Mr.. Bernal Osborne OBJ
served: II think, sir, the Premier would
rather have crooOn points The Prince,
taking the joke and the hint, altered the
stakes accordingly.
Marlborough was not above PLAYING
tor smaller stakes, though, perhaps, the
great Captain did not play high out of
fear for 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 suspect the secret
of his bad hours, until, coming home at
SIX In the morning tired out with sat
tending sick friend" he dozed at the
breakfast-table, and solemnly passing
the bread, said 'sCutn That's your
sick friend, is it?'' exclaimed the wife;
and what followed may be imagined.
A graduating wife can upon occasion
set her scruples aside. Soon after the
close of the secession war, General For
rest and his wife stopped at hotel in
Memphis, and upon examining their
purses found the sum total of their
wealth amounted to $3.50. The General,
being due that evening at house where
poker was sure to be played, proposed
that he should tempt Fortune to the full
extent of his means, and asked his wife
TO pray for his success. She would not
promise; but he felt that she was for
him and knew how it would be. Let
him tell the rest himself
They had three tables lone was a
luarter-dollar table, one a half, and
one dollar and half. | wanted
to make my seven dollars last as
long as [ could make it, so / sat down
to the quarter table. By dinner time I
had won enough to do better; and after
we had eaten, sat down to the dollar and
ahalf table. Sometimes won, and then
again I'd lose, until nigh upon midnight,
when had better luck. 1 knew Mary
was sitting up anxious and it made me
cool. | set my hat on the floor, and
every time I'd win L d drop the money
in the hat. sat there until day broke
and then | took my hat up in both
hands, smashed it 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't say a
word walked right up to her, emptied
! my hat right into the lap of her gown,
and then we sat down and counted it.
DUST 81 800 even, and that gave me a
START $50
The wife of Bishop Beadon loved
whist so well that when the ptelate told
one of his clery if she was able to sit up
half the night playing whist at the bath
rooms she must be well enough to do
duty at home, the invaded once ST.
fenced him with: ''My lord, Mrs. Bea-
don would tell you that late whist acts
as tonic or restorative to dyspeptie
people with weak nerves." The Bishops
better half would have sympathized with
Goldsmith's old lady, who, lying sick
unto death, played cards with the curate
to pass the time away, and, after winning
all his money, had just proposed to play
for her funeral charges when she ex-
pired
There have been stranger stakes still.
In 1875 Henry and James Trotter sat
down at the Salmon inn, Chesterle
Street. to play game of cards against
Robert Thoms and Thomas Ellison. the
latter pair stalking five shillings and the
former child, the son of a Mr.. and Mrs.
Leesh, who gave up their boy to the
winners. A traveller in New Zealand,
spending night in squatter's hut, was
invited to cut in for a rubber of whist.
As he took his seat he inquired: "What
pointsPn His partner responded in a
tone significant of surprise at such
question: 50 Why, the usual game, of
course--sheep points and bullock on
the rubber"
Even the sharpest of sharpers may
meet more than his match. Robert