during the North African campaign a
group of soldier boys had been on a long
hike they came to a town called buzzer T
the next day being Sunday some of the
boys went to church
a sergeant commanded the boys in church
and after the chaplain had read the
Prowse the text was taken up next those
of the boys who had prayer books took
them out but this one boy only had a
deck of cards so he spread Dimmick the
sergeant saw the cards and said soldier
put away those cards after the services
were over the boy was taken prisoner
brought before the Provo marshal the
marshal said sergeant why have you
brought this man here for playing cards
in church sir
what have you to say for yourself son
much sir replied the soldier the marshal
said I hope so because if not I shall
punish you more than any man was ever
punished the soldier boy said sir I had
been on a long march for six days I had
neither Bible nor prayer book but I hope
to satisfy you sir with the purity of my
intentions and with that the boy began
his story
you see sir when I look at the ace in my
deck of cards it reminds me there is but
one god the deuce tells me that the
Bible is divided into two parts the old
and the New Testaments when I see the
Trey I think of the Father the Son and
the Holy Ghost when I look at the four I
think of the four great evangelists who
preach the gospel
there were Matthew Mark Luke and John
when I see the five it reminds me of the
five wise virgins who trimmed their
lamps there were ten of them five were
wise and were saved five were foolish
and were shut up when I look at the six
I know that in six days God made this
great heaven on earth the seven tells me
that on the seventh day he rested from
his work and called it holy when I see
the eighth I think of the eight
righteous persons God saved when he
destroyed this earth was Noah his wife
there are three sons and their wives and
when I see the nine I think of the
lepers our Savior cleanse and nine out
of the ten didn't even think course when
I see the ten I always remember the ten
commandments the ten commandments that
God handed down to Moses on the tablets
of stone and when I see the King sir I
know there is but one king of heaven God
Almighty when I see the Queen I think of
the Blessed Virgin Mary the Queen of
Heaven and the jack
our name is the devil
when I count the spots on my deck of
cards I find 365 the number of days in a
year there are 52 cards the number of
weeks in a year there are 13 tricks the
number of weeks in a quarter there are
four suits the number of weeks in a
month and 12 picture cards the number of
months in a year so you see sir my deck
of cards serves me not only as a Bible
Almanac but also a prayer book
you