The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-04-19

even q little feared, lOr his severity
and stricness. but the supreme pom
tiff that was to be had only the kind
Hest of smiles for the man who at
tempted to Danish dreaded ennui. Why
not?' he said. before anybody could
4 protest any amusement is preferable
! to idleness.' At that same time he
| looked nquiringly at the abbot, but
( the reverend gentleman shook his
head. 1t was against the regulations
! to keep playing cards or other games in
/ the monastery. But I will ask the lay
| brothers, he said, anxious to please his
eminence: one of them may know
where such an article might be OBJ
tained'
"A few minutes later he returned
with a novice, who said that a grocer
named Perdutto, living lower down the
mountain. and reputed to be a passion
ate gambler. could probably oblige the
distinguished party While the young
man went to see Perdutto, the cardinal
inquired of those present what games
they knew. AS it happened, the two
bishops and myself had repeatedly in
dulged in poker, at that time something
qnite new-in Italy at least The
American game cried Count Pecci. of
which 1 have heard so much. And.
addressing me, he added: You must
SApldIH II 10 InS-I hilON IHOSI OlieT
games and would like to try my hand
on this
Il taxed 'straights.' flushes,' full
hands, four of a-kind,' and four
straights. open at both ends for half
an hour and the cardinal paid as much
attention to me as if | had been eX-
planning some great scientific problem.
l didn't finish until our messenger was
back, who brought the most disreput-
able pack of cards that it is possible to
imagine. Zounds!' cried Cardinal
Pecci. whose good humor had returned,
if it was not dire blasphemy | should
imagine they had been in use since the
days of st. Francis.
Saying this, his eminence put on his
gloves. the rest of US making haste to
follow his example.
We'll. the cards were dirty, they
smelled rank but were servicea BILE. and
We got some good fun out of them.
With their aid we passed a most pleas
ant afternoon, and when night came
sat down to supper with keen appetites
and bright. wits. Cardinal Pecci espe-
cially was IN high glee-he had won al
most every game and talked about
value of hands, Jackpots, cutting
and fulls' like a veteran.
How he played ?" repeated his emil
nence, like he does everything, did
everything, throughout his long life. l.
his teacher in the poker game, became
his pupil almost the moment we took
up the cards Whether he always
played correctly | don't know never
was an expert-but / do remember
that, rightly or wrongly. he played
with such an air of mastery that all
submitted to his rulings without pro-
test.
His whole mind seemed to be in the
game, he never uttered an unnecessary
word while we were playing, and his !
suggestions and announcements were
almost like orders When we had fin |
shed he took a waste basket from un-
der the library table, emptied his pile |
in it and handed it to the abbot with |
the words, For your poor, Father An
yelino.'
Cardinal Paroccho concluded as fol- I
ows: ''All told the future pope won six |
games. but far from attracting him, |
his remarkable success induced him to
shun that sort of recreation ever after
wards. He played poker once and never
again, he told me so himself years after
lur meeting at the hospitable sanctu-
Try.
7 got too much Interested he said.
and there being so many useful things
o do, couldn't afford to let the thing
grow on me.
The busy man will do well to aban-
ION a sport that engrosses his mind
lfter he is through with it,"
P AUGUSTUS.