The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-21
BRIDAL CUSTOMS.

mon in the early days of England, aud
the price of a manageable daughter,
agreed upon at betrothal, was called ''fos-
ter lean. Even in that primeval time
temptation sometimes proved too strong
for an inpecunious or unprincipled pa
rent took advantage of the profit TO be
desired from the charms Of q handsome
daughter, and contracted her to several
suitors. with one only OF whom it was
possible 10 keep faith.
In .eudal days, baron collected mon
ey from ali his dependents; etiquette re-
ouired from neighbors in good circum.
stances, presents of hard money; from
poor acquaintances, gifts of lace, toys,
cakes, etc were received as substitutes;
and among the common people, "sride
ale" was not unirequently given by
friends of the family-this being none
other than a public entertainment of
games and sports, by which money was
obtained for the bride.
Engagements were often contaminated
by the breaking OF the silver coin in two
pieces; oaths were sworn and prayers
were offered over the broken pi ces,
which were supposed to be endowed
with mystic virtues; safeguards against
death and devils, they were potent to cure
bodily disease and to charm evil spirits.
Often a hole was drilled in the broken
pieces OF money and attached to the neck,
il was allowed to hang near the heart,
and was regarded as bringing luck to, .
wesrer. The gift OF ring has been c."
sidered from time immemorial US yer:
important in the contamination OF mat
rimonial engagement: a quaint device
which at the present day has quite fallen
into disuse, was the gimmal ring, which,
Invented by the French, was composed OF
two circlets united. OF these, each wore
one; At the marriage ceremony they were
joined once more, and, placed on the
f.urth finger of the brides lett hand,
formi. the wedding ring.
Wedding rings, or more properly
speaking, rings used at weddings, have
been of various materials-silver, iron,
steel, copper, brass, leather, and even
sedge. On more than one occasion the
ring of the church key has been made use
of; wedding ring has been cut from the
brides glove, at runaway match; and
ru similar emergency brass curtain ring
has been pressed into service, and this, III
one instance, at least, NJ the turtlve bridal
OF one of the blood royal OF England. In
feudal times rings o! rush were often
used.
When few rings were worn, the rings
of marriage and betrothal were often very
rich. but when jeweled rings became
more common, marriage rings became
pain by way of distinction
In the former case many were adorned
with precious stones; metal was often
carved in sinllitude of two joined hands,
or two hearts pierced with an arrow; in
some, tho device OF a hand holding a
heart was employed, and others were en-
eraved with likenesses of male and female
saints.
An old idea of a peculiar intercourse
between the ring finger and the heart WAS
derived from Egyptian sources. An en-
inent physician OF the sixteenth century,
in a work entitled, Secret Miracles OF
Nature" had no donbt OF the existence of
a secret artery which connected the two.
According to him, Women in iaintins
hts were restored by punching the point
of the ring finger, and rubbing its gold
clrclet with saffron. The gold conveyed
the power of the saffron 10 the artery;
the heart sympsthized with the artery IN
the finger, and resumed its action
lie further states that the ring finger
WAS SO constituted that 70 venom could
enter 1t without instantly affecting the
heart in such Il manner a to warn the
poisoned person OF his danger, ere II was
TOO late to use an antidote Hence the
finger was termed "Medicus." The old
physicians used to ningle their potiors
with this finger, which, furthermore, was
never touched by gou. till near death.
In these DAYS Of yOr', the marriage
ceremony took place IN the church porch,
some few concluding and comparatively
unmportant rites only being celebrated
at the altar. The reason tor this was that
the wedding was regarded as more likely
to be made public, if it took place within
view OF passers-by.
From time immemorial the bridal cos
tune has been white, and If Occasional!
departures from such custom have taken
place, they have always been exceptional
and temporary Three distinctive orna'
ments were formerly regarded as pecu.i-
srly adapted 10 the bride; tie ring, the
brooch, and the CaylaLd. An old writer
thus discourses:
'Thre srnamentys lonce pryncypaly
to n wye: II rynge Oh hlr tynSer: u
brooch on mir brest: and garland on hir
I hede. The ringe hetokenethe true love,
as | have SAID; the brooch he;okenneth
| clenEesse in herte and chasiitye that she
7 oweth to have; the garlande betokeneth
the glsdnesse and the dignitye OF the
/ sacrament of wedlok'
In lands ab5unding with myrtle and
olive, the garland was composed of those
plants. mixed with white and purple
/ blossoms; white Signifying innocence; pur-
NE, symbolicsl of the Ssviour's blood. In
England. roses and sprigs of myrtle or
rosemary were employed; sometimes they
marc 6,;ed on n circle. of metal; some.