Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01

fire away, Thomas, let's see how Pole
manages"
'Tom swears by Cavendish, not Pole, u
Emmy hastens to say, to show that now she
really is attending to the game.
Pen Picture of a Family Game.
Mamma-What-oh, the eight of hearts,
it is spades you led. the nine of spades; i
always like to notice the numbers, third
hand high, isn't it? There is beautiful
high one, if only your father hasn't the
ace. (She plays the king, papa puts the
queen back in his hand and plays two
spot)
"Now, L suppose have to lead (Thomas,
the conventional, stirs in his chair; he has
observed Emmy's play of the eight spot);
lead back your partners suit, they used to
tell me; but 1 believe they don't do that
way now"
(She hesitates and finally plays the four
of spades.)
Pspa-Second hand low according to
Hoyle.
He drops three-spot. Thomas with a
scowl plays his ten-spot.
Thomas Gas Emmy trumps)-Of course!
Mamma-Why, Emmy's outi
Thomas with dignity)-Didn't you see
her eight-spot?
Mamma-Why, did you play an eight
spot? Well, if she did, there is the ten
and the jack and the queen
Thomas-There is only one card against
US as you ought to know, if you substract
nine from eleven; you had the king
Papa-That's all very we'll, but mamma
and 1 play the old way, Tom; and you will
have to humble your proud spirit and put
up with us. Your play, daughter, small
favors thankfully received.
l., L. - LII.
nine, four. Mamma has both king and queen,
but is afraid to play either and tries
Intellectually to subtract jack from
IL Emmy follows up with ace
and then nine, mamma uptting her
king on the ace and not venturing to meet
the lightnings that are flashing from the de-
ceived Thomas eyes; papa trumps gleefully
on the third round.
How Mamma Gets Mixed On,
Mamma (plaintively)-Oh what a pity!
Ought TO have played the king second
hand? You know, yesterday, when 1 played
the king second hand you said that ought
to have saved
Thomas (sternly)-Yesterday you had
five cards and made forced lead and you
know our only chance was your long suit;
can't you see the difference?
Mamma-Oh yes, of course, will try to
remember.
Papa-Thomas, stop badgering your
mother and play on that queen Of spades I
dare you to put your ace on it.
Thomas does not dare and the queen
makes Papa leads the seven spot, on
which, with rueiul face, Thomas deposits
his ace. Emmy trumps, unable to trump
higher, discards diamond.
Papa-Hoyle forever! You discard dia-
mond do you, my dear?
Thomas with the appearance of one bid
ing his time)-D you discard the nine of
diamonds, mamma?
Mamma (nervously)-Maybe I'd better
discard something else; what is the trump?
Oh. yes, hearts. don't believe it matters,
unless
Thomas (patiently)-You know you dis
card from your shortest suit if you are
strong in trumps, and from your longest
if
Papa-Come, now, young man, none of
your signal play! Your play, Emmy.
Emmy opens suit with an ace and then
q king of diamonds.
Thomas-Do you play your ace first and
then your king? That isn't the way to
OIL on the Troubled Water
Papa (dryly)-No, Emmy and I don't
know how to play; we only know how to
make tricks. take with the jack do 1?
Thomas-Since mamma wishes to make
you present of the trick; for some in
scrutable reason she is holding up the
queen.
Mammal was afraid they would trump;
they trump so much tonight.
Thomas-That is the very reason why
they shouldn't triumph If you had in
ferred-
Papa-Tom, stop bullying your mother.
Thomas 0ottily)-Of course if she doesn't
want to learn the game
Mamma do, Tom, but you see it is so
confusing, you told me one way yesterday
and to-day it is all different.
Papa-Play on heart, let's gee the color
of your money, Tom; how many trumps
have you got?
Papa exhausts trumps, works in his extra
spade remarking that he does not brag much
on nthese long suits but he hates to waste
and in spite of mamma and Tom
holding the four honors, papa and Emmy
take three tricks. Lucky for US we don't
count houors," says papa, "well, guess
you need not give me lessons in the new
way, yet; it is very pretty, but it doesn't
seem to win."
perhaps you will allow something to
the partner, sir" says Tom, and marches off
in huff.
A Pretty Faithful Picture
This is an imaginary sketch, you'wiIl saw.
but does not something very like it occur
often?
Suppose some of us do not understand the
trump signal and cannot remember whether
the five OF diamonds is the highest card left
of that ragged suit; suppose we trump the
trick that belongs to our partner and forget
to return him his suit, suppose we lose one,
two, even three tricks-well, what of it?
Shall we be belabored by our partners or
left to our own conscienees?. Will not the
partners in the latter case win the re-
spectfui sympathy of the family,
while when they avenge their wrongs on
the spot, the sympathy goes to the victim.
It is as we'll in domestic .whis" to con-
slider that even poor whist players have
feelings, and it is better to conquer ones
own spirit than to win the odd trick. 1t is
well for the young and superior to remem-
Der that the great Deschapelles was able to
win against his partners, which is far more
than winning with them; and there is
faint possibility to be weighed, also, that
they themselves may have made mistakes.
But is not the whole story in one SEN
tenee? A great statesman once said to me:
mo one can really bea boor who is not
bad hearted" And is not the essence of
boorishness disregard for the feelings Of
others? OCTAVE THANET.