Show OUR PLAYING CARDS conclusion that the suits baits originated in arrow shaped ch characters meters 1 I 1 have it exclaimed an enthusiastic whist player who was ezi engaged in a rubber at a madison avenue whist club relates thelner the new york herald no you answered his partner it was trumped 1 I dont mean the trick replied the first 1 I refer to the origin of the characters on the cards they have always puzzled me I 1 have studied the matter read all that has been written on the subject and have never until this moment been satisfied as to how the cards came to bear the shapes we call hearts diamonds clubs and spades just now as those spots representing the four suits lay there together the signification of their forms flashed on me well what is it asked his partner simple as can be answered the other look at those four suits suite and see how much alike they are in form cant you see they are all arrows cuneiform and no mistake they quite evidently originated with the old ass assyrian arian inscriptions I 1 have no doubt th that at these figures originally represented arrowheads R when rhen hen the germans adopt adopted ed the heart bell leaf and acorn acom on their cards they preserved the he ancient lent form here are four varying sha shapes pes of the arrowhead likely coming from four different and opposing tribes hence conflict between the suits suite as we play the game today to day |