We re come to see Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Come to see Jenny Jones, how is she now? Jenny is a-washing, a-washing, a-washing, Jenny is a-washing, you can t see her now. Very well, ladies, very well, ladies, Very well, ladies, we can t see her now. [Then follow the same verses for-- (1) ironing, (2) badly, (3) dead; And the singing proceeds with--] Please, will white do, white do, white do? Please, will white do, please, will it do? White s for the weddingers, the weddingers, White s for the weddingers, that won t do. Please, will blue do, blue do, blue do? Please, will blue do, please will it do? [Then follow verses as before, beginning-- Blue s for the sailors, the sailors, the sailors. Please, will red do, red do? Red s for the soldiers. Then--] Please, will black do, black do, black do? Black s for the funeral, black will do. --Northamptonshire (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
_=A SOLO.=_ Vorhand has refused a bid of 18, and announces spade Solo with the following cards:-- [Illustration: 🂫 🂡 🂪 🂩 🂨 🂱 🂺 🃑 🃈 🃇 ] A SOLO. +---+-------+-------+-------+-----+ | | A | B | C | A | | | | | |wins.| +---+-------+-------+-------+-----+ | 1 | 8♠ | K♠ | _♡J_ | - | | 2 | _♣A_ | ♣K | ♣7 | 15 | | 3 | 9♠ | _Q♠_ | 10♢ | - | | 4 | 7♢ | _A♢_ | Q♢ | - | | 5 | 8♢ | _K♢_ | ♣Q | - | | 6 | _♡A_ | ♡K | ♡8 | 15 | | 7 | _♡10_ | ♡7 | ♡9 | 10 | | 8 | _10♠_ | 7♠ | ♣8 | 10 | | 9 | J♠ | _♣J_ | ♡Q | - | |10 | A♠ | _J♢_ | ♣9 | - | +---+-------+-------+-------+ + | ♢9 and ♣10 in the Scat. | 10 | +---------------------------+-----+ | A wins 60 | +---------------------------------+ He has the lead for the first trick, and of course begins with the trumps. The play is given in the margin. C wins the first trick, and leads his long suit through the player. In the last three tricks A coaxes B to win the Ten of trumps; but if B does so he gives up the advantage of his tenace over the player, which is now the only chance to defeat him. B knows that if he wins the Ten of trumps, B and C can make only 59 points, because A will save his trump Ace. A, having failed to reach 61, loses a spade Solo without one; twice 11, or 22 points, which was the game he must have won to be as good as the offer of 18 which he refused.
” _=STAKES.=_ The losses and gains of the players are in proportion to the difficulties of the tasks they set themselves. The most popular method of settling is to pay or take red counters for the various calls, and white counters for the tricks under or over the exact number proposed. If the callers succeed in their undertakings, their adversaries pay them; if they fail, they pay their adversaries. A red counter is worth five white ones. Proposal and Acceptance wins or loses 1 red counter. Solo wins or loses 2 red counters. Misère, or Nullo, wins or loses 3 red counters. Abundance, of any kind, wins or loses 4 red counters. Open Misère, or Spread, wins or loses 6 red counters.
.. But first let it be noted in passing that there were prehistoric Little Wars. This is no new thing, no crude novelty; but a thing tested by time, ancient and ripe in its essentials for all its perennial freshness--like spring. There was a Someone who fought Little Wars in the days of Queen Anne; a garden Napoleon. His game was inaccurately observed and insufficiently recorded by Laurence Sterne. It is clear that Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim were playing Little Wars on a scale and with an elaboration exceeding even the richness and beauty of the contemporary game. But the curtain is drawn back only to tantalise us. It is scarcely conceivable that anywhere now on earth the Shandean Rules remain on record. Perhaps they were never committed to paper.