A SOLDIER'S STORY.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 2 October 1917, Page 1

A SOLDIER'S STORY.

THE MYSTERIES OF A PACK OF PLAYING OAEDS. A private soldier by the name of .Richard Lee was taken before a Glasgow magistrate for playing cards during service. It appears that a sergeant commanded tho soldiers at the church, and when the parson had read the prayers he took the text. Those who had a Bible took it out, but this soldier had neither Bible nor common prayerbook, but pulling out a pack of cards ho spread them beforo him. Ho just looked at one card and then at another. The sergeant of the company saw him, aiid said, "Richard, put ijp the cards; this is no place for thom." "Never mind that," said Richard. When the service was over the constable took Richard before tho Mayor. '' Well,'' said the mayor, " what have you brought the soldier here for?" "For playing cards in church." "Well, soldier, what have you to say for yourself?" "Much, sir, I hope." "Very good; if not, I will punish you more than man was ever punished." "I have been," says tho soldier '' about six weeks on the march. I have neither Bible nor common prayer-book. I have nothing but a pack of cards, and I can satisfy your worship of the purity of my intentions." And spreading the cards before the mayor, he began with the ace. '' When I sec the ace it reminds me that there is but one God. 'When I see the deuce it reminds me of Father and Son. When I see the tray, it reminds me of the Father, Son, ancl Holy Ghost. When I see the four spot, it reminds me of the four evangelists that preached—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When I meet the five, it reminds me of the five wise virgins that trimmed their lamps—there were ten, but five were wise and live were foolish, and were shut out. When I see the six. it reminds mo 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 Ho had created and hallowed it. When I sec the eight it reminds me of the eight righteous persons that were saved when God destroyed the world— viz., Noah and his wife, with three sons and their wives. When I see the nine, it reminds mc of tho nine lepers that were cleansed by our Saviour; there were nine out of ten who never returned thanks. When I see the ton, it reminds mc of tho ten commandments, which God handed down to Moses on tablets of stone. When I sec the King it reminds mc of the King of Heaven, which 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 ho was a man. She brought with her fifty boys and fifty girls, all dressed in boys' apparel, for King Solomon to tell which wore 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 told by that." "Well," said the mayor, "you have 1 given a good description of all the cards but one." "What is that?" "The knave," said the mayor. "I will give your honour a description of that, too, if you will not be angry.'' "I will not," said the mayor, "if you do not term me to be tho knave." "Well," said the soldier, "the greatest knave I know of is the constable that brought me here.'' "I do not know," said the mayor, "if he is the greatest knave, but J know he is tho greatest fool." "When I count how many spots the^r

are in a pack of cards I find three hundred and sixty-five, as many days as there are in a year. When I count the number of cards in a pack I find there arc fifty-two, the number of weeks in a year, and I find four suits, the number of weeks_ in a month. I find there are twelve picture cards in a pack, representing the number of months in a year, and on counting the tricks I find thirteen, the number of weeks in a quarter. So you see a pack of cards servos for a Bible, almanac, and common prayerbook."