The card for them to play was 'the poor.' But here a serious difficulty arose.

There was only one poor person in the whole parish, a cantankerous old fellow who lived in a tumble-down cottage at the back of the church, and fifteen able-bodied women (eleven girls, three old maids, and a widow) wanted to be 'good' to him.
"Miss Simmonds, one of the old maids, got hold of him first, and commenced feeding him twice a day with beef-tea; and then the widow boarded him with port wine and oysters.

Later in the week others of the party drifted in upon him, and wanted to cram him with jelly and chickens.
"The old man couldn't understand it.

He was accustomed to a small sack of coals now and then, accompanied by a long lecture on his sins, and an occasional bottle of dandelion tea.

This sudden spurt on the part of Providence puzzled him.