Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-02
TIE CARD TABLE.
A Collection Interesting Stories and Scot
t!sh Legends.
CHASTITY TALES OF DEiTH-BfN
GAMES \ PRIESTS WIT.

Many strange stories are tod Of
card playing. Hone. in his Every
Day Book. gives an account Of a
child being played for at cards at
Durham in 1873. The parent
wagered il against the modest stake
of four shillings. and it was Won 10y
the opposite side. \ quaint little
book. published in las. and entitled
The Amusement Of tl"r%ymcn."
h as d good deal to say alour cards
The title of this work Is omewhat
misleading. as it allude- to most
"amu,ements" only to prove them
unlawful. at least for th, ideal pas
tor Not only are cards. hunting ami
theatcr going prohibited, but the
generally considered innocent recre-
ations of fishing. chess and music are
equally interdicted. In fact the
"amusements behtting a pious
Clergyman resolve themselves into
gardening for an outdoor. and shut
tie cock for an indoor amusement;
the worthy author strongly com
mending this childish game As one
that gives us good exercise. makes
us cheerful. does not empty our
pockets. and requires little skill to
learn. Respect the man who i'll
vented shuttle cock" As might he
expected. this writer is very severe
on cards. He denies their utility.
even as a means of amusement for
the sick or aged. enforcing this
opinion by the anecdote Of an old
lady. who, having lost the use of
her speech and both of her hands by
a paralytic affection WAS advised
by her doctor to play whist for her
amusement. 4 friend sorted and
held the cards before her. and the
patient nodded at the one she wished
to play: but it unfortunately hap
pened that these signals were
occasionally misunderstood. which
threw the old lady into such fits OF
fury that she derived injury rather
than good from this prescription
Dean Ramsay, III his "reminiscences
tells CHASTITY story of another old
lady whose passion for cards WAS
such that she played them even on
her death bed; and. expiring before
the conclusion of the game. her
partner took her cards, and the
players finished the rubber before
calling for assistance.
According to Scottish supersti
ton, CLAIMS Castle incloses Il band
of yet more inveterate gamesters Il
certain wicked earl and his associates
who, four centuries ago, being re
monstrated with by pious chaplain,
swore that they would continue
card playing to the end of the world
The legend states that the room in
which they sat Immediately sank I'M
der the castle. and there the gamblers
play still, the rattle of the dice and
the voices of the gamesters being
audible ON stormy nights.
The love of cards still exists in
Russia. An old number of All The
Year Round gives an amusing an
ecdote of Il Russian priest who was
SO devoted 10 the amusement that he
played up to the last moment before
commencing the church services On
one occasion, having particularly
good hand dealt him, he thrust the
cards into his pocket. intending to
return and finish the game after the
service. Unluckily the cards fell
out on the church floor. to the ex-
treme scandal of the congregation.
The witty priest, however, was fully
equal to the occasion. At the con
clusion of the service he beckoned up
one of the chorister5 and asked him
the names of several of the cards,
which the boy knew correctly. He
then suddenly asked the lad the
name of the next saints day, which
the child could not tell. See" cried
the priest, turning to the congrega
ton, ''you teach your children the
names of every card in the pack and
leave them ignorant of their religion
Let this be the last time | am com
PEELED to bring playing cards into
the church to shame YOU" and pick
ing up his hand he made an honor
able retreat.