Explanation.—Having forced a particular card upon a lady or gentleman, you take care to put this card only between the boy’s teeth, and the rest you can easily jerk away.
Variation.—You may put the cards into the boy’s pocket, and ask the lady or gentleman whether you shall draw that card out, or leave it by itself. Whichever is desired, you can easily do, having already separated the card from the pack while putting them into the pocket.
Improvement.—Your confederate is prepared by filling his pockets with cards. On his being called in, you send him among the audience to let several cards be selected. You pretend then to shuffle the selected cards into the pack but you (knowing them from the first, though even this is not necessary) really place them in order at the top or bottom of the pack. The whole pack is then placed in the confederate’s breast coat-pocket. He is then asked to draw the cards out one at a time, and show them to the audience, who recognize their selection. This being done, you ask your man to hand you the pack. He does so.
You tap the outside of the pocket, and say, “You have not given me all.” He denies that he omitted to empty his pocket, but on trial, discovers another entire pack. This can go on as long as his supply lasts, and you conclude by inserting your left hand in the man’s pocket (up the sleeve of your left arm are several packs) as if merely to keep it open, while with your right hand you shower out several hundreds of the cards.
JACK TAR’S PRAYER-BOOK, OR THE COMPREHENSIVE CARDS.
A nobleman, who kept a great number of servants, had employed as a confidential servant an old superannuated Jack Tar. Jack soon became the decided favourite, and upon him did he place all of his most important services. This excited great jealousy among the others, who, in order to prejudice their master, put into his pocket a pack of cards, and then accused Jack in broad terms of being a gambler. Jack was called up, and closely interrogated, but he denied the fact, at the same time declaring he never played a card in his life. To be more fully convinced, the gentleman ordered him to be searched, when behold a pack of cards was found in his pocket. Highly incensed at Jack’s want of veracity, the nobleman demanded, in a rage, how he dared persist in an untruth?
“My lord,” replied he, “I certainly do not know the meaning of a card: the bundle in my pocket is my almanac.”
“Your almanac, indeed? then I desire you to prove it.”
“Well, sir, I will begin. There are four suits in the pack, that intimate the four quarters in the year. There are thirteen cards in a suit: so there are thirteen weeks in a quarter. There are also the same number of lunations; twelve signs of the zodiac, through which the sun steers his diurnal course in one year. There are fifty-two cards in a pack; that directly answers to the number of weeks in a year. Examine them more minutely, and you will find three hundred and sixty-five spots, as many as there are days in a year; these multiplied by twenty-four and sixty, and you have the exact number of hours and minutes in a year. Thus, sir, I hope I have convinced you it is my almanac; and by your lordship’s permission, I will prove it my prayer-book also. I look upon the four suits as representing the four prevailing religions, Christianity, Judaism, Mahometism and Paganism; the twelve court cards remind me of the twelve patriarchs, from whom sprang the twelve tribes of Israel; the twelve Apostles; the twelve Articles of the Christian faith.
“The queen reminds me of the allegiance due to her Majesty. The ten brings to my recollection the ten cities in the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven; the ten plagues of Egypt; the ten commandments; the ten tribes cut off for their vice. The nine remind me of the nine Muses; the nine noble orders among men. The eight reminds me of the eight beatitudes; the eight persons saved in Noah’s ark; also the eight persons mentioned in the Scripture to be released from death to life. The seven reminds me of the seven ministering spirits that stand before the holy throne; the seven seals wherewith the book of life is sealed; the seven liberal arts and sciences given for the instruction of man; the seven wonders of the world. The six reminds me of the six petitions contained in the Lord’s Prayer. The five reminds me of the senses—hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, and smelling. The four puts me in mind of the four evangelists; the four seasons of the year. The three reminds me of the Trinity: the three hours of agony on the cross; the three days in the Holy Sepulchre. The two reminds me of the two Testaments; the two contrary principles struggling in man, virtue and vice. The ace reminds me of the only true God to adore, to worship, to serve; one faith to believe; one truth to practise, and one good master to serve and to obey.”