A Card Sense.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 6689, 16 August 1919, Page 3

A Card Sense.

WHy is it that the vast majority oi women aro entirely lacking.' in care sence ? says an English paper. Is it due to mental laziness, difficulty in con centration, or the insuperable obstacle of making easy logical deductions--and remembering them « I hesitate to ascribe any of those icasana, especially regarding the instances rocently forced on my notice. What is it then I The charge will oe vehemently dei nied, and incidentally I shall b'e accused of begging the question, of starting off with the assumption of guilt, I retort that the matter is boyond dispute. Wonderful bridge-playing women will I be hurled at my head. A sprinkling of i lea.ly good players is conceded: but 1' assort boldly that in bulk there is as difference between man and woman at the card table as there is be- ( Iween a professional and the best amateur at billiards. There is simply no comparison. Why is it ? Listen. My temporary abode is a convalescent'hospital, and once a fortnight there is a whist drive in which matron, sisters, ViA.D. 's, and we recuperating otlicers take part. There is therefore plenty of practice for the tender sex ; moreover, I elicited that various members play bridge among thomselves. Very well. then. At. the last tourney there were 36 entrants, 18 of each main division of humanity, and we played 24 games. It must be borne in mind that tho She group were all'keen, clever, in the heyday of their powers, splendid in all that makes for organisation and nursing—a lid here I stand to attention and salute them, but — Proof rapidly accumulated that the feminine mind often forgets when the king is the best remaining card of a suit, generally forgets when tho queen occupies this prominent position, and always forgets when the knave is dominant. That to the same mind all cards below a queen are entirely negligible—mere padding, like scenery in /a novel. On seven occasions—l speak only of my own experience—different Slies had to be informed, after n polite pause, that, having taken the last trick, it was their lead. Four sturdy specimens of She fourth in hand trumping her

partner's trick were collected. [ One trick I took, third hand, on the first round of clubs, with the seven, because the V.A.D. on my left was loth to part with either king, queen, or knave (she had all three) on so low a card 1 Only once had I a partner who, on discovering that I renounced a suit, led it to me to trump ; but this occasioned 110 loss on balance, for the suit was generally led as soon as possible by the other lady ' , Trumps were never led until the very end, and never returned if led earlier by a man ; the exception was a partner where three trumps, leading the king, and when next entitled to lead, boldly sending forth the kave ; her one remaining trump, the three of spades, was too precious to risk in ruffing the aee of hearts on the second round of that suit. "Enough. But why is it that the whole preponderating majority of women—our equals when not our superiors in all else—is absolutely deficient in the very elements of card sense I pause for a reply, ,