84 About Betting and Gambling. 



When I was a boy, card-playing in private houses was 

 very common, and regular card-parties were common also, 

 especially in Cathedral towns — I know not why, — and the 

 seniors played whist, and the general company betook them- 

 selves to a round game ; '' Commerce," which Queen Char- 

 lotte played every evening in the days of our great grand- 

 mothers, was very fashionable, and Pope Joan, rather a 

 complicated game, which required a board with eight 

 divisions in it. The game is mentioned in " Pickwick," in 

 the Dingley Dell scene. '' Vingt-et-un," or " Yan Jon," as 

 it was commonly called, came in rather as an innovation 

 some half -century back, and there was a steady family game 

 called " Casino " much played, for love, in parsons' families. 

 In fact, in the Vicarage there was generally Backgammon, 

 and a game of cards for children every winter evening, but 

 all for love. At Christmas, sometimes, a sixpence or two 

 would be put in the pool, but it did more harm than good, 

 as I have seen little men and women with their eyes half 

 out of their heads with excitement as they got near to 

 winning a pool, and go away crying to bed. Card- parties 

 were a custom, and round games were in fashion, and at 

 round games in which ladies took part, the heaviest winners 

 or losers could count their gains or loses at a sovereign or so ; 

 but still money passed, and tempers were lost, and if the 

 truth was told, all did not play quite fair. There were 

 always one or two — even of the gentle sex — who were 

 suspected of having roving eyes over the hands of those 

 who did not hold their cards up. This card era was not 

 a good musical era. Songs were mild, and pianos milder. 

 ^^ I'd be a Butterfly " was a twittering sentiment at best, 

 and an invitation of '' Will you come to the bower ? " was 

 not attractive, and not much enthusiasm could be got out 

 of " Off, said the stranger ; off, off, and away — and away 

 flew the light bar-r-r-ark o'er the silvery spray." The fact 



