The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-09-12
WORLDS OLDEST BOOK
SOME FACTS CONCERNING PACK
or PLAYING CARDS.
Have Been known as Far Back az
> History Reaches, and Their slanifs-
esnee has Seldom Been Thor
oughIy Appreciated.

"The oldest book in the world, said
the wise woman Of the party Of card
players, indicating the pack OF cards
held in her hands. It's leaves have
been called playing cards since the
fourteenth century, but they were
known as far back al history reaches,
by the Chinese, Persians and Egyp-
tians, not to name the anclents og
prehistoric tirpes. A pack Of cards
said to be thousand years old is
preserved in the museum OF the Roy
al Asiatic society.
The women who play bridge all
the morning aud then all the after
noon, and after that 20 to bridge par
ties In the evening said another Of
the party. little think what ancient
things they are playing With Bnt
what was the purpose Of this book
In the time before it became game n
The mystic book answered the
wise woman, held the hidden WIZ
dom Hf the ancient world IT was
used by the priests In their temples
when time was young Call its ori-
gin Egyptian or what you Will, It is
full OF astronomical symbolism. and
the wisdom Of numbers; such learn.
ing as men had OF old was carefully
concealed from the uninltiated But
to those who could read II the mys-
tic test book was veritabie book OF
fate.
The cards. for one thing, are all
symbols Of the astrological art Each
one Is an emblem II would tire you
II / would attempt to 20 into the sub
ject deeply | can only glance along
the top waves OF the deep ocean.
But notice a few particulars which
lie upon the surface
THE So emblems or pages of this
book represent the 81 weeks in the
year The IL court emblems are the
~ months, the 10 cards ia each suit
represent the sun and the ~ signs
Of the zodiac the four suit figures the
four seasons
'Further-but this you can easily
see--the heart is the emblem OF spring
and love, the trefoil or clover leaf
we callit club-of summer and knowl- |
edge, the diamond OF autumn and |
wealth, and the acorn or spade, Of
winter, labor and death.
The pages Of this book are IN red |
and black White was once used in
place of red These colors in the
cards symbolic night and day, astro-
nomically, and the lights and shades
Of life as applied to man.
Look closely at the court cards and
notice the emblems carried These
all survive from the ancient forms.
The queens hold the lotus flower
supplemented in the case OF the queen
OF spades by the distaff, emblem or
industry, kept through all the long
centuries. The king and queen OF
clubs bear symbols of wisdom. the
king still plainly showing the winged
globe.
Each suit has its mystic symbol
ism, corresponding to the planets. in
both suit and spots. Venus and Mer-
,ury rule hearts Mars and the earth
rule clubs, Jupiter and Neptune, dia-
nonds; Saturn and Uranus, spades.
But | am becoming too astronomical.
must close this fascinating book"
No, no, the others protested And
what about the joker?'
oh the joker is modern inven-
ion. lie does not count in any Sc
'ious game Of life or OF cards Yet
here was In the days Of old always a
'ourt Jester so this new card is not
eally out Of place among queens and
,ings"