The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-09
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CARDS AS SPIRITUAL GUIDE.
Curious Book Describes How "A Sol
dicr Emphasized Truth of Religion.


dier Emphasized Truth of Religion.
From the Galveston Daily News.
Joseph Dewey of No. Floral court
has in his possession a book about two
inches square which he brought from
England many years ago and has car
ried in his pocket twenty years. TIE
work is entitled Soldiers Prayer
Book, or Pack of Cards Spiritualized;
Also the Railway to Perdition and the
Remedy. T. Good, 80 Aylesbury Street,
Clerkenwell."
The booklet is illustrated on the left
hand pages with pictures of soldiers
playing cards and railway trains. The
preface is as follows:
1.-The Soldiers Prayer Book: Show
ing how one Richard Middleton was
taken before the Mayor of the City he
was in for using Cards in Church dur
ing Divine Service; being droll, mer-
ry and humorous account of an odd
affair that happened to Private Sol
der in the Sixty-Sixth Regiment of
Foot" The story runs thus:
THE sergeant commanded his party
to the church, and when the parson
had ended his prayer he took his text,
and all of them that had Bible pulled
it out to find the text. but this SOL
dier had neither Bible. almanack nor
common prayer book, but he put his
hand in his pocket and pulled out a
pack of cards and spread them before
him. So he set and while the parson
was preaching he first kept looking
at one card and then at another. The
sergeant of the company saw him and
said: Richard, put up your cards, for
this is no place for them Never mind
that said the soldier, for you have
no business with me here
Now the parson had ended his SER
mon and all was over, the soldiers re-
paired to the church yard, and the
commanding officer gave the word of
command to fall in. which they did.
The sergeant of the city came and
took the man prisoner. Man, you are
my prisoner said he.
Sir said the soldier, what have
done that l am your prisoner2'
You have played game of cards
in the church.
=" No. said the soldier, have not
played game, for I only looked at
the pack
"'No matter for that. you are my
prisoner
Where must we go? said the SOL
der.
You must go before the, Mayor
said the sergeant.
g So he took him before the Mayor.
and when they came to the Mayors
house he was at dinner. When he had
dined he came to them and said;
Well, sergeant, what do YOU wan,
with me?'
81 have brought a soldier before
your honor for playing at cards in
the church.
What That soldier?
Yes
Well, soldier. what have you to
say for yourself?
Much, sir. hope
Well and good; but If you have
not, you shall be punished the worst
that ever man was
Sir said the soldier, I have been
five weeks upon the march, and have
but little to subsist upon, and am
without either Bible, almanack or
Common, Prayer Book. or anything
but a pack Of cards. hope to salts
fy your honor OF the purity of my in
tention.'
, when the soldier pulled out of his
pocket the pack of cards, which he
spread before the Mayor, and then be-
gan with the ace.
When l see the ace,' said he. II
puts me in mind that there is one
God only; when I see the deuce II
puts me In mind of the Father and
the son. WHeH see the trey IL puts
me I'm mind of the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost; when I see the four II
puts me in mind Of the four evange-
lists that preached the gospel viz,
Matthew Mark, Luke and John: when
see the five II puts me in mind OF
the five. wise virgins that trimmed
their lamps; there were ten. but five
were foolish. who were shut out: when
see the six II puts me I'm mind that
In six days the Lord made heaven and
earth; when ] see the seven IL puts
me IN mind that on the seventh day
God rested from all the works which
he had created wherefore the Lord
blessed the seventh day and hallowed
II. when ! see the eight II puts men
IN mind OF the eight righteous persons
that were saved when God drowned
the world, viz. Noah, his wife, his
three sons and their wives; when I
see the nine It puts me IN mind OF
the nine lepards Oepers) that were
cleansed by our Saviour. there were
ten. but nine never returned God
thanks. when ! see the ten n puts me
in mind Of the Ten Commandments
that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai
on the tables OF stone