Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-03
FINGER RING LORE.
Why Matrons and Maids wear
them on Certain Fingers.
THEIR DIFFERENT MEANINGS.
The First is "Wanted," the Second
Engaged" the Third Married"
and the Last "Old Maid"


s'Wanted; engaged; married. old
maid y dronaa Miss GLADYS. aged 9. as
~ H., -, ~ ,,a,rt,, rng bold;rg aloft
sue ny ou 'l,o ''o''. w ius - =
one aimpleo manu. from .le uis'es u
which depended by sllken threads an as
sortment of her mammals rings, which
she told off one nv one "a above.
n aor,t 900 Low ,,,vhodv 10, tall
uon %. p ~. ~" ' ~ w y,
winch you a.c Il 'iie'o a'e iins7 % AZ
your fingers, quotn she, gathering up
the lot and piling them on the chubby
little thumb.
Mius cladvs voc pndo,,htedlv r;obt IN
.s,.,...,. Y -. /, !,
niui'ieuuo Vi iinss Viieio ooi'ainiy 40 :
confusion OF signihcance= one cannot
classify by any such token either the
young woman in the nursery rhyme who
has been immortalized with rings on
her fingers and bells oil her toes the
Egyptian lady whose portrait on her
mummy case represents her two hands
covered, thumbs and all, with rings, or
tho lady OF the present day with Jewels
flashing on each OF her white fingers.
This rinp-lore is a curious subject, and
leads one into all sorts of historical high
WAYS and byways searching for informa-
ton
In former times. according to an old
writer. n was esteemed highly inn
proper for single or unmarried per-
cons TO wear rings. "unless thew
were iudges doctors or Senators. .
For ali but these dignitaries such
an ,nwarranted ornament was con
side,ed an evidence OF VANITY. lascivi-
business and pride !" and was looked upon
as a great piece Of presumption on the
part Of the wearer.
Another authority dwells upon the fact
Of affianced persons being allowed this
honorable decoration. and cites it as an
evidence of tile HIGH honor in which the
estate Of wedlock was then held. that
those about to enter it might be SO hon
ored.
But while finger rings have figured SO
couspicuously ia the political court and
accles;asticai history Of all timer. Il is
their record as loye-tokens and marriage
enblems which lends the greatest inter
eat 70 these pretty or priceless as the
case NAV he) bal1bles of mankind.
Tradition tells that the first OF these
mystic circles was invented by Prone
tbeus and forged by Tubal Cain. An
Arabian legend relates how King Solo
mon possessed a magic ring that he once
lpon d time dropped inadvertently into
the sen. whereupon his wisdom irnmedi-
ately abated, so that for forty DAYS he
abstained from administering Justice.
Az the end Of that time the missing
level was found in fish and restored to
The monarch who straighfwav became
WIG iiioiiaion, Wy oo, aAe..s"~' 80
OlCt UlOIt GAC6tQlukll NloCy hlQ IOn-
'ip T ~ un.,i .to gnu =. n.s 20 T.
my nis.oly ing supsae sa -. -
t nosap,y ln ,.aaa aoss v~oos' 49,
siglinsa i: anu sn:ui .n at ,,,,
h All - soHe Pn, Put achsyn riIos
poi, 3. s ~ 49, ,rsas IA ~
wese aapr,caseu ~ sa ah;a was h aGa u
ulneich h,. sups'anos mn,eu "e'0 Do'io' ou
~ el Asn ~ s pop. :..s
sqpe,S, nnn;or s;ivar was sure crs f for
q. COMM ., siase ~ so AZ. &C. ~
nus ana convusipns, Ing same di ~ ssa
MSre a,so eu,e ~ oy ,i Il ~, e. fr .sn m,e
pacneloas' wn ~ inu ',s raso 49, ,.,,;ob az
Ignorance Of tne PURPOSE lor wnicn .n me
oon ,sii ~ $500, ~as ,J'i00' o''' '''
T. t.<.x I.
nnSS .a1ioeu gu soa t.n 80 ~ we .'a
looked upon as : specl1c io OF c ;i,u p,
anu % ~, icy - ,' a,.s
ll NY .Ie ing nas .ons. puu'
pu T hoi wa ;;u,1 s;no'i' ~ r;o;nasIr
ane lnlnai i'n Was u,isaaa w.
ioserOoAon lne,eis na' ".i..s ~, ~ y
Pasr5sd sin NJ ~ ~ ,mn
Thy love had one knot, mine triple tye.
Later this became the ring OF the es-
pousal and was intended to typify com.
munity OF interest. mutual forbearance
endless devotion, and all the other attri,
butes OF the estate Of matrimony in its
most ideal perfection. The photography
changed SLIGHTLY also and IL was written
| with q.
One OF these gimmal rings, supposed
TO belong to the time OF Queen Elizabeth
| was found at Horsleydown. in Surrey
| II il preserved in the British Museum
collection and it has been described as
| follows:
ssThe ring is formed of twin, or double
hoops. which play within one another
| like the links Of a chain. Each hoop
| has one OF its aides fat. the other convex
and each il twisted once around. and
surmounted by hand issuing from an
embossed fancy-work wrist or sleeve
rising somewhat above the circle ana ex,
tending in tile same direction. The
course Of the twist IN each hoop is made
to correspond with that OF its counter.
part. 90 that on bringing together the ia,
surfaces Of the hoops thew Immediately
| unite IN one ring. On that hand q,
which the palm "a slppernlost ia repre-.
sented 4 heart. and as the hoops close
the hands slide into contact. The whole
device thus presents a triple emblem Of
love. fidelity and union--the whole being
Of fine gold and weighing two penny.
weights.n
The writer saw in England a ring made
like this described above. The gentle
man who was wearing it on his little
finger had originally given it to his sweet.