Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-12-19
THE WEDDING RING.

The use Of the wedding ring in the marriage
ceremony appears to be Of very ancient date
/ and the following reasons have been given for
the proprieiy of the custom:
| /. That as by turning ring forever no end
/ can be found, SO the love cemented by mar
rage should be endless and perpetual. 2.
| That as the ring is made of pure gold, so
should it be symbolic of the purity of the mar
riaee onion g. That as god is esteemed the
most valuable of ell metals, so eonjugal love
is more valuable than any other earthly affac
ton. T. That as gold is the most compact Of
all metals, so should it sigLify the closeness Of
married love s. That as gold Is uBimpaired
in the fiery ordeal Of the cruci5le. aud loses
nothing Of its value, 90 love, hail0wed by mar
riage, need fear no trial however terrible. 6.
That as the marriage ring is perfectly plain
| that is, no chased, raised or artificial work
appears on its surface-so should it signify
! that the marriage Union was brought about 10y
| 40 aftiGee, but the plain result Of an honora
bic and religious affection. 7. That as gold
is incorruptible, 50 should be The halowed love
/ of man and wife 8. That as the marriage
ring exhibits nothing to imply pre-emineace
{ of the one party over another, nOtwithstand-
ing that the word ''obey" is applied to he la
! dy rather than the gentleman, yet the gentle
man should ever reeo!lect that, as in courts OF
equity, the plaintiff must appear with ''clean
! hands" so before he can lay any claim, any
/ right to command or the wife be under any
obligations to obey he must remember that
test of love and sincerity which is given in
! Holy Scripture (Eph. Y. z5-29).
| We may here, however, remark that the
Ting IS no longer 10 essential part Of the mar
! riage ceremony. The Act Of Parliament pass
ad in 1887, constitutes marriage civil con
tract, il does not, however, prohibit the use OF
the ring, and it is a custom the abrogation OF
which most people would naturally regret
OF course, when the marriage ceremony i,
performed in the church, The ring, or something
10 represent the ring, is essential. 1t is in the
marriage before the registrar (which do not
exceed 57th part Of the marriages in Eng
land aud Wales that it can be omitted; but
even in these MARI ages such omission is very
unusual. The superintendent registrar d
Bristol, in answer 10 Inquiry, states that he
always saw RIG used, but once" He ask
ed if the parties had bought one. The man
answered that it wos not necessary; but the
woman entreated to have one. The superin-
teudent took part with the woman, represent
ing that the absence of the ring might lead 10
scandal. The man yielded and fetched one
and the woman's gratitude brought tears into
her eyes
The fourth digit of the left hand is the
wedding finger, on account it was presumed, o
"a nerve, or artery converging thereto from
/ the heart ;" this, however, is anatomically in
correct Another suggestion is, that it wa:
chosen as the most convenient, the thumb be
ing too busy, the little finger too puny, th'
middle finger not sufficiently honorable th'
first finger, like the thumb, too busy; the foart
only being left sufficiently honorable and suf
: fciently at leisure-for the reception OF thi
nuptial ring. 1t seems probable, however
s that ii arose from the old Saxon custom of tn
bridegroom putting the ring upon each of th
brides left hand fingers, in turn pronouncing
the words-at the first, "In the name Of tn
Father ;, at the second, "In the name of tn
Son; = at the third, "In the name OF the Holy
= Ghost =" at the fourth, Amen there leavin
the ring.
R Many of our customs are derived from tn
Saxons our word "wedding" is Saxon, and ou
Saxon forefathers took their wives as we taxi
ours-"for fairer for fouler, for better for wors
for richer for poor"-and the wives duly prom
i ised to be Ebony and buxum."