MATRIMONY.
Let three, five, or seven young women stand in a circle, and draw a card out of a bag. It is taken that she who gets the highest card will be the first married of the company, whether she be at the present time maid, wife, or widow, and she who has the lowest has the longest time to stay ere the sun shines on her wedding day; she who draws the ace of spades will never bear the name of wife; and she who has the nine of hearts in this trial will have one lover too many to her sorrow.
CUPID'S PASTIME.
Amusement may be caused by this game to all those playing, and at the same time it is supposed that some curious particulars may be learned concerning the future fates of the consultants.
Several may play at the game, it requiring no special number, only leaving out nine cards on the table not exposed to view; each person puts a trifling sum in the pool, and the dealer double. The ace of diamonds is made principal, and takes all the other aces, etc.; twos and threes in hand are said to show luck; fours, a continuance in the present state; fives, trouble; sixes, profit; sevens, worries; eights, disappointment; nines, surprises; tens, settlements; jacks, sweethearts; kings and queens, friends and acquaintances; ace of spades, death; ace of clubs, a letter; and the ace of diamonds with ten of hearts, marriage.
The ace of diamonds being played first, or should it be amongst the nine, the dealer calls for the queen of hearts, which takes next. If the ace be not out and the queen conquers, it is supposed that the person who played her will be married that year without a doubt, though it may perhaps seem unlikely at that time; but if she loses her queen, she must wait longer. The ace and queen being called, the rest go in rotation as at whist; kings taking queens, queens jacks, and so on, and the more tricks taken, the more money the winner gets off the board on the division; those who hold the nine of spades are to pay a penny to the board, and it is said they will have some trouble; but the fortunate fair one who holds the queen and jack of hearts in the same hand is supposed soon to be married, or if she is already within the pale of matrimony, a great rise in life by means of her husband; those who hold the ace of diamonds and queen of hearts clear the money off the board and end that game; it also professes to betoken great prosperity.
WEDDING BELLS.
You select the four kings from a pack, and lay them side by side in a row upon the table.
The lady who wishes to know her fortune gives to each of these cards the name of some gentleman of her acquaintance who might be likely to woo her in marriage. It is usual to pronounce these names aloud before the company. The name given to the king of hearts is, however, an exception. This secret the lady keeps to herself. To these four kings, you can also add a queen, which then denotes the old maid.
Now, take the rest of the pack, shuffle it thoroughly, let the person in question cut three times and commence. Under each of the above-named picture-cards you lay a card in turn, and as often as a spade is placed under a spade, a heart under a heart, et cetera, that is, as often as a card of the same suit is placed under one of these picture-cards, the picture-card is turned from its position.