Wichita eagle., 1889-08-16

MY LADY'S RING.
FACTS AND FANCIES CONCERNING
MANY HOOPS or GOLD.
The Engagement and Wedding Rings ana


The Engagement and Wedding Rings anu
- --.----~ -.ey 1.l,.,.- 81 ,,ars:i..io..s
and Omens Connected With Them-The
Posy Eins of the Sixteenth Century.
The origin of the circlet that adorns my
lady's hand is obscure, though very ancient.
There Is a tradition which assigns the inven-
ton of the ring to Tubal Cain, and the old
Latin author who gives circulation to the
story, in speaking of the wedding circlet,
says: 1.-THE form Of the ring being circular
that is TO say, round and without end-in1-
parteth this much, that mutual love and
hearty affection should ronndly flow from
one TO the other, as in the circle, and that
continually forever"
The hands of female mummies found in
the tombs of Egypt are prcfusely decorated
with rings, thus proving that ring wearing
was an established custom at very early
day. The wealthy ladies of Egypt wore
rings on nearly every finger-and costly rings
they were, too. Their poorer sisters used
less costly circlets, and rings formed Of
bronze, glass and pottery with suitable mot
toes were their finger friends.
BETRcTHAL AND MARRIAGE RINGS.
Marriage by the ring is common in many
countries besides our own. The Russians
have two rings, which are changed three
times. In the first place, the man places the
ring on the woman's finger, then the priest
changes the mans ring and puts 1t on her
finger, and then priest and man join and give
her the ring for life When Henry VIII es-
poused Anne of Cleves he sent her ring
which bore the inscription, God send me
well to keep" 1t was a fatal motto, as we
know, for bluff King Hal" ere long grew
tired of her and began to look around for
another pretty victim
Wedding rings have not always been made
of metal Necessity has caused the invention
of some singular ones On several occasions
q piece cut from the finger Of a hd glove has
answered for the wedding Circlet When the
gallant Duke of Hamilton married Miss Gun
ming almost on the spur OF the moment, one
might say, for the courtship was OF but two
DAYS duration, l believe, no proper cere-
rnonial ring was at hand. The archbishop
refused to act without a ring. and the lord
and his lady were for q while distracted.
But at length the knot was cut in an ingen-
ious manner and the young couple were mar
ried by the ring of the bed curtain, which no
doubt cut "a curious figure on the white hand
of the fair damseL
Among the ArmeniaDs children are sub
iected 20 early betrothal by ring ceremony.
This is done by the mothers, who make the
occasion a very solemn one, and at any time
years afterward the man can claim his bride.
But once year from the 1ate Of the be-
trothal the prospective bride is entitled 10
receive an Easter dress from the hands of the
future husband. Customs similar TO TINS one
prevail in various countries Of the east, and
the ring is made TO play very important
part in the woman's life.
In Roman espousals, mentions Macrollus,
the man gave the woman q ring by way of
pledge, and the woman put 1t on the third
finger of her left hand, because it was be-
heved that nerve ran from that finger to
the heart. The Egyptians ascribed the
possession of this important nerve to
the sfourth finger OF the same hand Com
ing down to later belief and usage, we
find that Madame de la Tour, writing of my
lady's ring, says that If the lady is willing TO
marry. the circlet should be worn on the in
dex finger of the left hand; if engaged, on
the second finger; if married, on the third /;
but if she has no desire to wed, then on the
little finger.
The sign language of the ring is varied and
quaint. For instance. we are told that a
ring on the foreingsE indicates a naughty,
bold and overbearing spirit; on the long
finger, prudence, dignity and discretion; on
the marriage finger, love and affection; on
the little finger, masterful spirit
One would not think that rings were once
worn on tho thumb, but such vas one OF the
customs that prevailed from the Fourteenth
to the Seventeenth CENTURY. We are quite
familiar with FalsteffS eItravsgant boast
that, when young, ha WIGS slim enough to
''creep into any alGnrman's thumb ring. n
But thumb rings never came into general use
among the ladies' They preferred TO keep
the ring on the tapering fingers, where it
could be worn with more ease and to better
advantage.
Wedding rings in all ages have been re-
garded sacred. When Mary of Modena, one
of the beautiful and unfortunate heroines of
history, was forced TO dispose of her jewels
she kept as most precious to her her wedding
ring. Dr.. Samuel johnson kept his wife's
ring as a sacred treasure, and the keepsake
most valued by Victoria is known to be the
ring placed on her finger By Albecs on their
wedding day. There is a story told of a Pms
sian prince who, on being searched previous
to life long exile in Siberia, begged to be al
lowed 10 retain plain gold ring which kept
alive the memory of happy marriage. And
the story goes, l am glad to say, that he
went to the mines with the treasure next to
his heart.
PoSY AND MOTTO RINGS.
PosY rings came into vogue with the Six
tenth century. These were motto rings, and
they form one of the most interesting chap
tiers of ring loro. 1t is said that the famous
ring which Essex sent to Queen Elizabeth by
the Countess OF Nottingham, but which the
willful woman did not deliver until after the
dukes death, was posy. These rings Were
common between lovers and friends all over
Europe. They bore rhyning notices and af-
fectionate sentiment, and the lady without a
posy ring was looked upon IS forlorn and
with but few hopes Of marriage ahead
Shakespeare knew the posy ring, for in the
Merchant az Venice no makes Gratiano and
NcriSsa say:
Graiisno-Ahout hoop of gold, pa,try ring,
That she did give me, whose posy was
For all the world Ike cutters poetry
Upon = knife, Love ne, love me not "
NerlSSa-N haS TAX you or The IoSy, or the Ville!
You sr ore 20 ne when did give it yo1,
That You would wear it I'll your hour
OF death.
Some of the notices on the old posy rings
are beautifully quaint The list Of them is
entirely too long 10 be embodied IN this arti-
Gle, but cannot refrain from giving few;
I'm thee nay choice, DO rejoioe"
May God above increase our love"
''Not two but one till LIE is done
''Alv heart and until die"