Middletown transcript., 1910-10-29
PLAYING CARDS

a private soldier named Richard Lei
was taken before the magistrate at Glas
gow, Scotland, for playing cards durin,
divine service. A sergeant commanded
the soldiers ct the church, and when thc
parson had read che prayers he took the
text. Those who bad Bibles took them
out but this particular soldier had neither
Bible nor pral er book, but pulled out 8
pack Ofcards and spread them before him,
Seeing this, the sergeant told him to puI
up the cards, as 8 place of worship vas
no place for them. The remark attracted
the attention Of the constable, and az
Richard Lee did not put up the cards
when told to do SO be was taken before
the beak.
"Whas is the charge ~ asked the mag
istrate.
Playing cards in church.
"Can you offer any excuse for your con.
ductP" demanded the magistrate. .sWhat
have you to say for yourselff'
Il have been." answered the soldier,
Habout six weeks on the march, and hay.
ing neither Bible nor Common Prayer
book, have been amusing myself with
tracing some resemblance in q pack Of
cards, and have fonnd in them an almanac
also" ''IndeedP' exclaimed the maeis-
trate. Explain yourself"
Spreading ont the cards before him, the
soldier began:
" When I see the ace it reminds me that
there is but one God. The deuce reminds
me of the Father and the Son. The
trey recalls Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. When see she four il reminds
me Of the four eyangelisss, Matthew,
Marx, Luke and John. When see the
five it reminds me Of the wise virgins
that trimmed their lamps. There we're
ten in oil, but the five foolish ones were
shut out, leaving only the Eve. When I
see the six it recalls the six days in which
were made heaven and earth, and the
seven reminds me Of She seventh day, on
which God rested from His work and hal.
lowed il. When I see the eight It re.
minds me Of the eight righteous persons
who we're saved when God destroyed the
world: Noah and bis wife, bis three sons
and their wives. The nine reminds me
OF the nine lepers that we're cleansed by
our Saviour, there being nine out Of ten
that never returned thanks. When /
see the ten it reminds me of the Ten
Commandments which God handed down
to Moses on tables of stone. When see
the king it reminds me Of King Solomon,
the wisest man that ever lived. The
queen reminds me of the Queen of Shsba,
who visited him and who brought with
her fifty boys and fifty girls all dressed as
boys, to see if King Solomon could tell
which were which. Solomon sent for
water for them to wash with after their
journey and girls washed to the elbows,
the boys to the wrists, so that was easy"
'Yery good indeed for the Bible" re-
marked the magistrate. What resem.
blance have you traced to the aImanac2"
''The four suits are four seasons. The
thirteen cards in each suit are the weeks
in quarter. The fifty-two cards in the
pack are the weeks in year. The twelve
picture cards are the twelve months, and
the total number of pips on the cards in
the pack are 1856, which is the number of
days in year."
Every good" observed the magistrate.
81 perceive that there is one card you
have overlooked, and that is the knaye.
OF whom or what does that remind your"
"At present of the constable that
brought me here," was the prompt reply,
and the prisoner was Immediately dis
charged.