The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-10
A WOMAN'S Wit.
How Ireland was Once Saved by 9
Pack of Cards-A Story of the Days
0f Oueen Mor 40 gatrsgts- 2

How Ireland was Once Saved by 9
Pack of Cards-A Story of the Days
ofQueen Mary.
In the year 1867 Queen Mary, ut the
instance Of DR.. Cole, issued commits
sion ordering immediate prosecution of
the Protestants Of ireland. says Lloyd's
Weekly Newspaper. The commission
duly signed by the queen. was to be
carried by DR.. Cole himself. and, over
joyed by his trust-for he was relent-
less prosecutor, hated by Catholics and
Protestants aiike-he set of on De-
cember Is. 1857. promising "a merry
Christmas to Irish heretIcs." On the
way he had to stop one night ut Chess
ter, where he found lodgings in the
house Of Mrs. Edmonds. As queens
messenger and churchman Of dis
tinction, he was visited by the mayor
OF the city. to whom he boastlngly
said: Here Is commission that shall
lash the heretlcs." at the same time
drawing box out of his cloak-bag and
displaying the small square parcel the
commission. formed.
Now. It CHANGED that the landlady
W
a Protestant. and had brother in Dub
lin. she was much alarmed and upset.
Not long before she had been rating her
son for gambling. and had taken from
him pack of cards OF which he was
the proud possessor. The size OF the
packet produced to the mayor by DIR.
Cole was exactly that OF pack OF
cards. and gave the good woman an
idea Of how she might render the pros,
I ccutors journey futile. Her chance
came when the mayor left. and DR..
Cole, with great ceremony. attended
him downstairs to the door to take
leave. She quickly seized the box,
which was left on the table, opened It,
took out the commission. slipped OFF
the oilcloth coverings and put them
over the pack Of cards. which she
placed In the box, while she put the
commission In her pocket.
When the doctor came back to the
room he, had no suspicion OF what had
happened, and put the box again into
S his cloakipgs. md next morning set
forth on hiB Journey He arrived In
Dublin on boxing day, and, having no.
titled his arrival at the castle. Lord
Deputy Fltz-Walters summoned tho
private council to hear DR.. Coles mis-
sion. The doctor made long speech,
in which lie explained the object OF his
coming, and then presented the leather
box with Its contents to the lord deputy.
When the deputy opened It for the Sec
retnry to rend the commission. his sur
prise and DR.. Coles confusion may be
imagined when nothing appeared but n
pack OF playing cards. with the knave
OF clubs uppermost. The doctor assured
the lord deputy and the counsel that
he had commission. but knew not how
or where 1t could be gone. Then"
said Fitz-Walters you go back for
another commission, and we will shut
fie the cards In the meanwhile The
! doctor withdrew In grnnt trouble OF
y mind, and eventually made his way
back to England. Here ne was soundly
rated and abused. and not until OctO-
Der. 1858, did he get his fresh commits
sion. With this. however. he dallied
some time before starting. md Just
rs he was about to sail Mary's death
made 1t null and void.
That Ia how, ut Christmas time. n
pack OF cards Baved Ireland from the
trouble OF persecution, and why the
knave OF clubs WAS for u long time