The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-07-21


because IL Il an heirloom handed down
straight from the aforesaid Lady Bet
ty, who was Of the vintage Of l740, or
thereabout. | took the table 10 an
antique shop to be done over, and the
proprietor who is an authority on every
thing queer. told me that the table was
built specially to accommodate lovers OF
the card game called three-handed om-
bre, which was all the rage during the
reign Of the Georges +.
Not Overwhelmingly Harmless.
Poor old dears,' said compassionate
ly, Il suppose they did have to have
some harmless sort Of amusement to
while away the weary hours besides
knitting and needlework.'
WELL replied the proprietor, who
loves to air his knowledge. IF any Of
those poor old dears" could come back
to earth to SEQ their descendants
lending every energy TO win 25-cent
euchre prize, or tearing their hair be-
cause they were out few quarters on
bridge, they would ask to be trans
ported quick, lest they yielded to a
worldly impulse to take hand and
show you some"
The young matron's suggestion OF
gay times in "ye good old days filed
me with curiosity could not conquer
50 to the library / hied me and searched
through dusty, musty volumes Of mem
oirs, diaries, letters and histories, every
thing in 6act pertaining to the gentle
game Of cards. Who would have thought
/ that these ethereal looking periwigged
ladies', whose portraits ad0rn ancestral
halls and who lived when they boiled
witches and other annoying persons in
oil, would have had the gambling instinct
so finely developed. 1t gave me de-
lightful "hoIier than thou" shiver Of
surprise to read about their frailties that
| never even noticed my tumbling illu-
sions, aud even If | had | should not
have stopped the perusal-
Played On Hef Deathbed.
Goldsmith, in his Citizen of the
World" relates choice tidbit OF an old
lads who on her deathbed played cards
! with the curate OF the parish just to pass
away the irksome hours OF dying. The
poor curate's money passed away more
quickly than the time, and ere he was
aware the expiring dame had won at
his money. But her thoughts were ne
longer OF earthly dross, and gather
she had the true spirit besides, for sht
generously Offered to play all her win
nings against her funeral expenses t.
give the minister chance to recoup. HI
assented eagerly, But unfortunately,
Goldsmith says, s,.the lady expired just
as she had taken the dealt" Wasn't thai
too pathetic for both OF themf
A certain Mr. Prynne, whose youth
tul bringing up should have been better
does not hesitate to expose his mother
weakness for cards, and in volume o
"reminiscences says:
my mother went annually on a visi
10 lady in Nottingham. On one or tw'
occasions there were six ladies OF tn,
quadrille, commencing Immediately af
ter breakfast, without eeasing; fou
were occupied at the card table and wv
were at liberty, but they took turns t
90 in as the others came out. One 0
the ladies was singularly unfortunate
and was finally stripped of all her none.
| her kerchief, and even her lace cap"
Kept Bride From Altar.
Another chronicler of customs an
morals OF still earlier century relate
how 'faire young bryde on her wed
ding morn did play with her maide 0
honor. at brag until she became so dis
traught at her losses" that she forgo
all about her spouse-elect and his mer
who were in doublet and silken hose al
the church awaiting her coming. Now
don't know what doublets are, but il
sounds cold, doesn't it! and l do think
the morals OF the extremely young in tn,
seventeenth century should have been
better anyway, don't your
Miss Pelham, daughter of England's
prime minister, ruined herself at cards
sitting up at night, losing hundreds oil
pounds and her temper as we'll In a
letter to the Countess of 0ssory in l777
Horace Walpole writes:
"Lo.l Dillon told me that Lord Besbo-
rough and he weye playing at quinze the
other night with Miss Pelham, and hap
pening to laugh she flew into a passion
exclaiming, 1T is terrible to play cards
with boys And our ages together said
Lord Dillon, make over one hundred and
forty
Wapole adds that it was not infre-