San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-18
MY LADY'S RING.
FACTS AND FANClES CONCERNING
MANY HOOPS OF GOLD.
The Engagement and Wedding Rings anu
the Fingers They Adorn-Superstitions
and Omens Connected with Them-The
POsy Ring of the Sixteenth Century.

the ringers lhey Auoih-
and Omens Connected with Them-The
Posy Ring 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-im-
parteth this much, that mutual love and
hearty affection should roundly 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 profusely 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 fnger-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
BErRoTHAL AND MARRIAGE RINGS.
Marriage by the ring is common in many
countries besides our own. The Russians
times. In the first place, the man places the
ring on the woman's finger, then the priest
changes the mans ring and puts it 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 a 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
piece cut from the finger of a kid 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, | believe, no proper cere-
monial ring was at hand. The archbishop
refused to act without a ring, and the lord
and his lady were for a while distracted
But at length the knot was cut in an ingen
ious manner and the young couple were mar
rieI by the ring Of the bed curtain, which no
doubt cut a curious figure ON the white hand
of the fair damsel
Among the Armenians children are sub
iected to 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 a year from the date of the be
trothal the prospective bride is entitled 10
receive an Easter dress from the hands of the
future husband. Customs similar to this one
prevail in various countries of the east, and
the ring is made to play very important
part in the wOInans life.
In Roman espousals, mentions MaCrolius
the man gave the woman a ring by way of
pledge, and the woman put it ON the third
finger of her left hand, because it was be,
lieved that nerve ran from that finger to
the heart. The Egyptians ascribed the
possession of this important nerve to
the fourth 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 tn
little finger
The sign language Of the ring is varied and
quaint For instance. we are told that
ring on the forefinger indicates naughty,
bold and overbearing spirit; on the long
finger, prudence, dignity and discretion, on
the marriage finger, love and affection; on
the little finger, a masterful spirit.
One would not think that rings were once
worn on the thumb, but such was one Of the
customs that prevailed from the Fourteenth
to the Seventeenth century. We are quite
familiar with Falstaff's extravagant boast
that when young, he was slim enough to
creep into any alderman's thumb ring"
But thumb rings never came into general use
among the ladies. They preferred to keep
tho 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 wifef
ring as a sacred treasure. aEd thu ksansak.