The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
A PACK 0fC
WAS Ills Bible

Al irregular intervals during the
past quarter Of . century there has
appeared in public prints the story OF
q soldier, who being caught prs-
sumably playing solitaire In church
with a pack o. cards. was arrested On
the charge of dasecrating the Sab
bath The offenss was all tie more
heinous as the alleged crime Was COM
mitted within a place OF worship.
The soldier however put up snch an
able defense that the magistrate not
only discharged him. but reprimanded
the constable who nade the arrest.
There are one or two minor defects
in the soldiers plea, vHaich the maSis-
. trate either overlooked or failed to
notice. being impressed with the s!o-
Guence Of the soldier. The store hsTe
reprinted goes us follows;
.Wha- have YOU TO suy for your
salf?" Numbered the magistrate.
only this. your honor" replied the
CuinTit Il nave been oE the march
for many weeks. Having no prayer
book. 7 used instead a pack o. cares.
which s4~yeS 10 awaken air devotional
instinct by suggestion. Whca ] sec the
ace il reminds me that there is but
one God: the deuce reminds me Of
the Fathcr and Son; the tray re-
minds me- OF the Father. Son and Holy
Ghost: the four spot reminds ne of
the four evangelsts, Matthew. Mark
Luke ar1 John When | see the five
ii reminds me OF the five wise vir-
gins who trimmed their lamps-there
were ten. but five were wise and five
were fooling and were shut out. the
six reminds me that in six days God
made heaven and earth: the seven re-
minded me that on the seventh day
he rested from the great work he had
created and hallowed it. The eight
reminds me Of the eight righteous per-
sons who were saved when God de-
stroyed the world-Noah, his wife,
with three sons and their wives. The
nine reminds me OF the nine iepers
who were" ceansed by our Saviour
there were nine of ten who never re-
turned thanks. The ten reminds me
+ of the Ten Commandments, which
God handed down to Moses on tables
of stone. The king reminds me OF
the King Of heaven; the queen remir ds
me OF the Queen of Sheba, who Wis
tied Solomon for she was Us wise
woman as he was a man. She brought
with her so girls. all dressed In boys
apparel, for 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
elbows and the boys to the wrists
so King Solomon knew by that how
to distinguish them. When | count
the spots in a pack find 3G5, as many
days as there are in year. The num-
Der of cards In a pack-fifty-two-
the number of weeks in a year.
find four suits the number OF weeks
in a month. There 1re twelve picture
cards representing the months IN
year, and on counting the tricks
find thirteen the number OF weeks ar
a quarter, SO you see, sir a pack o.
cards serves Tor a bible, almanac anc
common prayer book"
"Wen,' said the magistrate, yor
have given 4 good description OF al
the cards but one"
What Is that"
The knave," said the magistrate
Well" said the soldier. "the great
est knave know is the constable who
brought me here
"I do not Know II he Is the great
est khave. but I know that he is the
biggest fool" said the n5agistrate
as he told the soldier to go.-New
York Press.