The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-07-18
The Yellow Garter.


tauqus hill.
The Yellow Garter.
The knitting of yellow gsrters will
doubtless be the popular fancy work
among girls this summer, for the craze
has spread from occident to orient, and
fresh reports of its never failing efficacy,
even in the most hopeless cases, are being
received. From Newark comes most
encouraging account of seven girls who
put on the yellow garter at Easter, relates
the New York Sun, and all but one are
married or engaged already, and the one
exception, which only proves the yellow
garter's potency, is an unfortunate girl,
who not only wore the garter on the
wrong leg, but lost off the true lovers knot
which adorned it, the latter being oonsid
cred most fatal i'll omen.
Now, there are certain rules and condi-
tions governing the making and wearing
of the yellow token which must be needed
or it may be worn, as one recently was,
until there was nothing left of it but two
strings of rubber and few yellow rags
dangling forlornly from them with no re-
suit. The prettiest carriers are knitted Of
yellow elk in fancy open-work design,
in which yellow elastic cord is run, and are
adorned with bow or rosette formed of
two true lovers knots of yellow
ribbon. One should be very
careful to sew the bow firmly, as
most disastrous results follow 1t If II ia
lost. Osher carriers are made of yellow
silk rubber tape, with buckle of silver
engraved with the monogram of the lady
to whom it is presented. The buckle
must be double one, and one side is the
vacant space for the initials Of the pros
pective sutton. These carriers are shown
IN every variety in jewelry stores, though
previous to the inauguration of the pres
eat practice girl would as soon think OF
buying yellow slipper as yellow garter.
/ ~
The garter must be presented by some
one who gives 1t without your previous
knowledge and not at your suggestion,
and il the giver's name be withheld the
charm is more potent. If more than one
be received at the same time, authorities
disagree as to whether all be worn at once
or one be selected from the number while
the eyes are blindfolded. In either case
it must be put on for the first time on
Easter Sunday morning and worn on the
left leg through the entire day. Again,
authorities disagree as to whether IL
should be removed Easter night
: or worn through the year, as IL
=, must be If it is worn more than one day
to be taken off the next Easter eve. Many
! girls continue to wear IL even after the en-
gagement is announced, lest the charm be
! broken, but of all tho successful wearers
so far reported, none has been found who
D did not remove the charm during the night,
though some of the anxious ones who
: have been "M4riannas" a long time insist
q on wearing the blessed, brilliant talisman
! constantly, night and day, for year, but
its exorcism vanishes.
wv
A yellow garter presented by girl who
;. has been engaged while wearing 1t posses
" SEES double charm, and ii is quite the
II proper thing for bride to present to her
y tavorite bridesmaid the garter she herself
has worn At recent wedding the bride
used herbouqust of white roses to the
first bridesmaid as she entered her car
riage after the ceremony, and the stems
were found to be tied with yellow ear-
ter clasped with silver. IL is said that the
charm of the yellow garter Is revival
of an ancient tradition, and that tn prac-
4 tice OF wearing it originated among the
A. early Norman pirates, who varied the mode
"a of procedure very materially by inst tuting
"a the proviso that when the mystic symbol
a. il worn it must not be taken off until after
n the wedding ceremony has been per-
Ia formed and then the best man shall
"a transfer it from the brides lower left ex-
tremity to her first bridesmaids.
"a **&
4 The bride must never, under any cir
" oumstances, remove it herself, as that
% would destroy ita mystic virtue. However,
x in the modern yellow garter societies, sev
h. eral of which have been organized and are
"a in a fourishiog condition, the superstition
n is that the girl who receives brides yell
,s low garter will be the next to marry,
4. though the bride removes IL herself imme-
~ diately after the ceremony and kneeling in
"a all her bridal white with the bridal pearls
"A cleaning against her throat, the fragrance
"a of the wedding flowers fresh upon her
, brow, and the sweetness of her bridal kiss
II still warm upon her lips, she fastens the
a. yellow band above her bridesmaids knee
A. with some mystic touching rites that only
g. the initiated may witness, as the ceremony
IA lie strictly private. One Of the most active
yellow garter societies is in New Haven,
v where people of widely diverging ages,
"a religious tasted and habits sucoumb to the
ID witchery Of the tslIsmsn In spite Of all re-
Of sistsnce, and wedding follows Wedding with
r. startling rapidity. Next Easter day will
a. doubtless be the opening of yellow garter
e. campaign that will extinguish forever the
We species OF bachelor, for It is probable that
ne every unmarried girl from Maine to Cali
al fornia, who has single woman friend or
,ir according to the pessimistis believers 10
a the marriage is failure" theory, single
,r. enemy, will have sent to her all the way
Of from one TO twenty yellow garsers with
he which she will arm herself aud 60 forth ia
Iis conquer.
Sold to q Syndicate
40 CLEVELAND, July 13.-The Otis Iron and
=, Steel company, the greatest manufacture
ID ing concern Of the kind in Cleveland, hal