The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rubaiyat of Bridge, by Carolyn Wells

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Rubaiyat of Bridge

Author: Carolyn Wells

Illustrator: May Wilson Preston

Release Date: December 10, 2007 [EBook #23792]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RUBAIYAT OF BRIDGE ***

Produced by Geetu Melwani and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

The Rubaiyat of Bridge

by

CAROLYN WELLS

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
MAY WILSON PRESTON

[Illustration: ALL'S LOST SAVE HONOURS]

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

NEW YORK AND LONDON :: MCMIX

Copyright, 1909, by HARPER & BROTHERS.

* * * * *

_All rights reserved._

Published April, 1909.

_Printed in the United States of America._

The Rubaiyat of BRIDGE

[Illustration: ALL'S LOST SAVE HONORS]

Now the new Rubber rousing new Desires,
The Thoughtful Soul to Doubling Hearts aspires.
=When the Red Hand of Dummy is laid down,
And even Hope of the Odd Trick expires!

[Illustration]

Ah, make the Most of what We yet may Take,
Before we lose the Lead, and let Them make
=Trick after Trick! While we throw down High Cards,
Sans Lead, sans Score, sans Honor, and sans Stake!

[Illustration]

A Book of Bridge Rules underneath the Bough,
A Score Card, Two new Packs of Cards, and Thou
=With Two Good Players sitting opposite,
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

[Illustration]

The Card no Question makes of ayes or noes,
But High or Low, as suits the Player shows;
=But he who Stands Beside you, Looking On,--
He knows about it all! He Knows!! **He Knows!!!**

[Illustration]

I sometimes think there's never such Tirade
As where some Bridge Game has been badly Played.
=When Some One thinks you should have made no Trump,
And you have thriftily declared a Spade!

[Illustration]

Myself, when Young, did eagerly Frequent
Bridge Tournaments, and heard Great Argument
=About this Point and That. Yet, after all,
Came out no Better Player than I went.

[Illustr