Manawatu River Levels

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 2, 3 January 1940, Page 8

Manawatu River Levels

FITZHERBERT BRIDGE Midnight: 2ft. A Pack of Cards BIBLE, COMMON PRAYER BOOK AND ALMANAC “ OF CARDS,” says a reader, “here is a curious yarn, the origin of which Ido not know. A company of Belgian soldiers was once upon a march, and having reached a town on Saturday, duly attended Divine service on the Sunday. When the minister took the text, the soldiers, with one exception, took from their pockets their Bibles, but one by the name of Richard Lee took from his pocket a pack of cards and spread them in front of him. The sergeant commanding the company at once ordered him to take up the cards, but Richard took no notice, and continued to look first at one card and then at another. Directly after Divine, service the man was taken prisoner, and the following day was charged before the major with “playing cards” during Divine service. The major demanded, “What have you to say for yourself?” The prisoner then replied: “Much, Sir.” Richard then said: “Sir, I have been for six months upon the march and I have neither Bible nor Common Prayer Book; in fact, I have nothing but a pack of cards, and I hope to satisfy you, sir, with the piety of my intentions.”

He then started with the ace and said: ‘“When I see the ace it reminds me of one God: when I see the deuce it reminds me of the Father and Son, and when I see the three it reminds me of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. When I see the four it reminms me of the four evangelists who preached— Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and When I see the four it reminds me of the five wise virgins—there were ten, but five were wise and five foolish. When I see the six it reminds me that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and all that therein is; and the seven reminds me that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, and in it thou shalt do no manner or work. The eight reminds me of the eight righteous persons who were saved in the Ark—Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives; and the nine reminds me of the nine lepers who were cleansed by our Lord. There were ten, but nine never returned thanks. And the ten reminds me of the Ten Commandments that were handed to Moses. The queen reminds me of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and the king reminds me of the great Architect of the Universe.” “Well,” said the major, “you havo described every card in the pack except one.” To which Richard replied: “I will give you, sir, a description of that as well if you will not be too angry.” “Well,” said the major, “I will not be angry so long as you do not term me to be the knave.” “The knave,” said the prisoner, “is to me the only black card in the pack, and reminds me of the Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, and when he is gone that card will remind me of the devil.” “Then,” said the soldier, “if you count the number of spots on a pack of cards you will find in all 365, representing 365 days in a year. Then If you count the number of cards in the pack you will find 52, representing the 52 weeks in a year, while if you count the number of suits in a pack you will find four, representing the four seasons in a year. If you count the number of picture cards in the pack you will find three of each of the four suits, making 12, which represents the number of months in a year, and if you count the number of tricks in a pack you will find thirteen, which represents the thirteen weeks in a quarter. So you see a pack of cards is Bible, Common Prayer Book and almanac.” The prisoner was discharged.