MYSTERY OF A PACK OF CARDS

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1933, Page 6

MYSTERY OF A PACK OF CARDS

CHURCH SERVICE SEQUEL. A soldier, taken before a, magistrate for displaying a. pack of ■ cards during a church service, gave the following explanation “I have been,” said the soldier, “six weeksr on the march. I have neither Bible nor Common Prayer Book. I. have nothing but a pack of cards, but I’ll satisfy your worship of the purity of my intentions,” and, spreading the cards before the magistrate, he began with the ace.

“When I sec the ace, it reminds me there is but one God; when I see the deuce it reminds me of the Father ahd Son; when I see the three, it reminds me of Father, Sou, and Holy Ghost; when I see the four spots, it reminds me of the four Evangelists— Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; when I meet the five, it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps —there were ten, but five were foolish, and were shut out; when I sec the six, it reminds me that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth; when I see the seven, it reminds me that on the seventh day He rested from the great work, and hallowed it; when I see the eight it reminds me of the eight righteous persons who were saved when God destroyed the world; when I see the nine it reminds me of the nine lepers who were cleansed by our Saviour; when I see the ten, it reminds me of the Ten Commandments which God handed to Moses in tablets of stone; when I see the King, it reminds me of the King of Heaven, who is God Almighty; when I see the Queen, it reminds me of the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, for she was as wise a woman as he was a man.”

‘•‘Well, Avliat about the knaA r e,” asked the magistrate. “I Avill give your Avorship a description of that, too, if you Avill not get angry.” “I Avill not,” said the magistrate.

“Well," said the soldier, “the greatest knave that I know is the man who brought mo here.” “He certainly is the greatest fool,” said the magistrate. The soldier continued: “When I count how many spots there are on a pack of cards, I find 365—as many as there are days in the year; when I count 'the number of cards in a pack I find there are 52 —the number of weeks in a year; I find four suits — the number of weeks in a. month'; and I find 12 picture cards in the pack — the number of months in a year; and on counting the tricks I find 13 —the number of weeks in a quarter.”

“8o you see, sir, a pack of cards serves me for a Bible, a Common Braver Book, and an almanac.”