Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-07-10
Iy Lady's Ring.

NV lady's hand Is obscure, tnouSn very
ancient. There is tradition which as
signs the invention OF the ring to Tubal
Cain. and the old Latin author who
gives circulation TO the story, in speak
ing of the wedding circlet, says: The
form of the ring being circular-that Is
TO saw, round and without end-lm-
parteth this much, that mutual love and
hearty affection should roundly flow
from one o 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 a 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 form
ed of bronze, glass and pottery with
suitable notices were their finger
friends.
BETROTHAL 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 espoused Anne of Cleves he sent
her a ring which bore the inscription,
God send me well to keep" 1t was
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 a piece cut from
the finger of n kid glove has answered
for the wedding circlet When the
gallant Dukeof Hamilton married Miss
Cunning almost on the spur of the mo-
ment, one might say, for the courtship
was of but two days duration, L be-
lieve, no proper ceremonial ring was at
hand. The archbishop refused to act
without a ring, and the lord and his
lady were for while distracted. But
at length the knot was cut in an ingen-
ious manner and the young couple were
married by the ring of the bed Gu: tain,
which no doubt cut curious figure on
the white hand of the fair damscl.
Among tho Armcnians children are
subjected 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 after
ward the man can claim his bride But
once year from the date of the be
trothal the prospective bride Is entitled
TO 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 woman's life
In Roman espousals, mentions Mac
rolius, the man gave the woman a ring
by way of pledge. and the woman put
il on the third finger of her left hand,
because II was believed that nerve ran
from that finger to the heart. The
ascribed the possession of
tins important nerve to the fourth finger
Of the same hand. Coming down to
later belief and usage, We find that
Madame de la Tour, writing of nv
lady's ring, saws that If the lady Is will
ing To marry, the circlet should be
worn on the index finger of the left
hand; If engaged, on the second finger;
f married, on the third; but if she has
no desire to wed, then on the little
finger.
The sign language of the ring is var
% and quaint. For instance, we are
old that a ring on the forefinger indi-
;ates n naughty, bold and oyerbearing
spirit; on the long finger, prudence,
lignity and discretion; on the marriage
niger, love and affection; on the little
inger, a masterful spirit.
One would not think that rings were
)nce worn on the thumb, but such was
- ha -
he Fourteenth to the Seventeenth CEN
Jury. We are quite familiar with Fal-
itaffs eXtravagant boast that, when
Young, he was slim enough to ''creep
nto any alderman's thumb ring" But
humb rings never came into general
'se among the ladies. They preferred
keep the ring on the tapering fing-
RS, where 1t could be worn with more
saSe and to better advantage.
Wedding rings in all ages have been
sacred. When Mary of Mo
lena, one of the beautiful and unfor-
innate heroines of history, was forced
20 disI oSe 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 keep
AXE most valued by Victoria is known
20 be the ring placed on her finger by
Albert on their wedding day. There
5 story told of Russian prince who,
IN being searched previous to a life
ong exile in Siberia, begged to be al
owed to return plain gold ring which
Kept alive the memory of a happy mar
-iage- And the story goes, am glad
% say, that he went to the mines with
he treasure next to his heart
PosY AND MOTTO RINGS.
Posy rings came into vogue with the |
century. These were motto
'ings, and they form one of the most
chapters of ring lore. IL is |
aid that the famous ring which Essex |
'ent to Queen Elizabeth by the Coun- |
ess of Nottingham, but which the will |
nj woman did not deliver until after |
he dukes death, was a posy. These |
'lngs were common between lovers and |
riends all over Europe They bore |
'hyming notices and affectionate senti- |
nent, and the lady without a posy ring |
vas looked upon as -forlorn and with |
'ut few hopes of marriage ahead.
Shakespeare knew the posy ring, for |
\ the Merchant of Venice" he makes |
iratiano and Nerissa say:
hoop Of gold. a paItry ring.
Ihat she did give me, whose p0sy was /
FOR all the world like cutters poetry
,.,s.-, UPON , knife, Love me, love me not"
>eiINS--N nat tax you Of the posy, or the 1
You swore TO me when did give It you.
That you would wear il till YOUR hour
Of death.
Some OF the notices on the old posy
lngs are beautifully quaint The list
II them is entirely too long to be en-
'odied IN this article, but 1 cannot re-
RAIN from giving a few:
"in thee my choice, do rejoice"
MAY God above increase our love"
"Not two but one till life is done"
"My heart and / until L die"
As gold is pure, so love is sure"
"As LONG as life vor,r >,