Charlevoix county herald., 1906-02-17
The Mystery of a Pack of
Cards.
From the 'TalI-mud." I"

John OrtoD was taken before magls
trate recently, for playing cards dur
ing divine service. IL appears that
a sergeant commanded the soldiers at
the church, and when the parson had
read the priyers he took the text.
Those who had bible took 1t out,
but this soldier had neither bible
nor common prayer book; but pulling
out pack of cards, he spread them be-
foIs him. lie looked at one card and
then at another The sergeant of the
company saw him and said. John,
put up the cards, this Is no place for
them"
Never mind that" said John.
When the service was over the con-
stable took John before the mayor
"Well," said the mayor. what have
you brought this soldier here for?"
"For play ing cards In church."
"Well, soldier, what have you to say
for yourself?"
"Much, sir, hope"
Very good. II not. / will punish
you more than man was ever punish
ed"
II have been," said the soldier,
"about six weeks on the march. l
have neither bible nor common prayer
book l have nothing bat pack Of
cards, and I'll satisfy your worship of
the purity Of my Intention" aud,
spreading the cards before the mayor,
he began with theg.ace: "When l
see the ace, it reminds me there 10 but
one God; when see the deuce, 1t re-
minds me of father and son; when 1.
See the trey, 1t reminds me Of the
Father, Son and Holy Ghost; when l
see the four spot, 1t reminds me OF the
four Eyangelsts that preached
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; when
| meet the five IL reminds me OF the
five wise virgins that trimmed their
lamps-there were ten, but five were
wise and five were foolish, aud were
shut out; when / see the six IL reminds
me that in six days the Lord made
heaven and earbh: when | see the
: seven 1t reminds me that on the seven
tn day lie rested after the great work
He had created and hallOwed it; when
| see the eight. it reminds me of the
eight righteous persons that were saw
ed when God destroyed the world, viz:
Noah and his wife with their three
sons aud their wives; when I1iee the
nine, II reminds me of the hIne lepers
that we're cleansed by our Saviour
there were niue out of ten who never
returned thanks; when i see the ten,
IL reminds me Of the ten command
ments which God handed down TO
Moses OH tables of stone; when / see
the king. IT reminds me of King of
Heaven, which is God Almighty; when
fee the queen, 1t reminds me Uf the
Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon,
for she was as wise woman as he was
man. She brought with her fifty
boys and fifty girls, all dressed In boys
apparel, for the King Solomon to tell
which were boys and which were girls.
King solomon sent for water for them
TO wash. The girls washed to the
elbow and the Toys to the wrist, so
King Solomon told by that"
WELL" said the mayor, "you have
given a good description OF all the
cards but one. :"
What is that?"
"The knave," said the mayor.
"I will give your honor description
Of that TOO, If you will not be angry"
IL will not" said the mayor "if you
do not term me to be the Knavs."
We'll, said the soldier, 1.-THE great
est knave that l know of Is the con-
stable that brought me here"
II do not know" said the mayor, "if
he is the greatest knave, but l know
he issthe greatest foel."
when l count how many spots In a
pack Of cards, find three hundred
and sixty. FIVE, as many as there are
days I'm a year; when count the num-
ber Of cards In pack, find there are
fifty-two, the number OF weeks IN
year; and find four suits, the number
of weeks In month; ind there are
twelve picture cards In pack, repre-
senting the number of months in
year; and on counting the tricks,
find thirteen, the number of weeks Ia
a quarter. So you see, sir, pack OF
cards serves for bible, almanac and