Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-11-26
The wedding Ring

T. Is an incontrovetible fart that
every woman feels q certain interest
in the subject Of wedding rings. and
indeed. it is natural enough that Ibis
should be s.. Tyre and symbol be-
yond aurht else Of the most important
crisis of 2 womanS life. the wedding
ring must necessarily he fiaagh' VITA
fascination for wife and maid, for ga
ard voing alike. Hence Il is likely
thai some matter 0i entertainment
NAV be found in The study oi rs hls-
tory and associations.
Everyone knows thar ings were
worn in old Bihe dgys. though what
part they originally played in the nup-
tial ceremony il not 80 clear. But at
any rate they form an important pof-
tion Of the wedding service among the
modern Jews, the regulations in force
among them on this head being very
strict. The ring must in every case
be examined and certified by the OIL
ciating rabbi of the synagogue. to
make sure that 1t is OF the prescribed
value. and the simple operation ui
nlacing il upau The tirgcf is 80 binding
lhat this alone, apart fom any other
norton Of the ceremony, IS considered
to constitute a legal marriage
IN point Of fact, however. it Is not
from the Jews, but from the Romans
that the nations Of modern Europe
derive their wedding ring. Among
the ancient masters Of the world, rings
were commonly used Is part oi4the
lite of bctrothal. But il is worth
while 10 notice that there was one
spocial difference between the ancient
and the modern use of rings in THIS
respect. lin their original employment
they were really not wedding, but
betrothal rings; that is they were
given and taken as the public eX-
pieSsion of Il mans promise TO Wo-
man that he would marry her. As 4
learned writer has told Us in Fegard
TO the early Italians. "a maIfAsNho
wished TO pledge his faith to woman,
placed ring upon her finger, which
Is at tho present day preserved for
the hencdctiOn Of marriage
Two points are thus to be remem-
hero3-that in old days there were two
distinct ceremories-the heuothal and
Inc actua! wedding-both of which
were equally essential TO the full
solemnizati0n OF q marriage; ana
also. that the ring was originally used,
NOT for the second ceremony, but Tor
the first. Such was the custom dur
ing the pagan era; and so it remained
throughout the early centuries oil
Christianity. Marriage even then,
and for very considerable period
afterwards. was regarded in the light
of civil contract only, and was en-
tered into before q magistrate; while
the ring itself was used as the symbol
of promise in the preliminary rite OF
betrothal
Gradually. however. these two ccre-
monies became merged into one by the
loss on the part of the betrothal OF lis
first formal character. For some time
after this, and in consequence OF It,
there was no small uncertainty in tho
use of the ring. which was not inlre-
ouentlv left out of the business alto
Gether. But, after Il while, it re9S-
serted its Importance and once more
came into general use. Moreover, it
now bcgan for the first time TO limit
itself habituallv to the single hoop OF
plain eold-a form which has become
insenarably connected with all our
modern notions OF what the wedding
ring should be.
1t will thus be seen-to the surprise,
doubtless. of not Il few Of readers
that the wedding ring is not a Chris
tian institution at all. but rather one
which we have inherited. along with
80 much else in our ceremonial, a.
rectlv from classical antiquity. This
leads the writer to mention a curious
point in connection with its common
employment. In ragan Rome the be-
trothal ring was worn on the third
FINGER dhe ono next TO the little finger)
of the left hand. rs it is to-day. This
position is said to have been chosen
from the helief-unfOun d, of course
that there was n vein OF nerve running
directly from that finger 70 the heart
q belief which was accepted, not alone
by the ignorant masses, but also by
the learned men-the doctors and
philosonhers of the time. But in early
Christian days a good deal of cOnfu-
sion seems to have prevailed upon the
matter, as a result cl Whlch the NnS
v7s often placed ard worn upon the
voman's Iieht hand. In the old
Salisbury manual is found specific ref
orencc to this fact in very singular
rassagc. which throws some inter
esting light on the subject OF the we'd
ding ceremony in general. From this
we learn that the bridegroom was TO
receive the ring from the priest, who
had blessed it (and this blessing. it
NAV be remarked. is still hinted at in
The MARRIAGE service of the English
Episcopal Church,; and then holding
tho right hand Of the bride in his own
left hand. he was TO recitc the words
with this ring | thee we'd" Then
ne was TO place the ring upon the right
hand thumb. saving In the name OF
the Father;; then on the first finger
with the words, and Of the son 3
then on the second finger. adding,
land Holy Ghost" and finally, with
the closing "Amen' on the third I'm
Ger. where il was 10 remain. But IN
course of time uniformity was eStab--
6sbed i'm favor of the left hand. and
there is no longer room for question
concerning this important point. Or
course. no one acquainted with the
marriage service Of the English EpiS-
conal church needs TO be told that IL
i absolutely necessary, according to
the rites Of that church. that a ring
should be employed. But beyond the
sinnle ordinance that 4 ring there
nust he. the church makes no specific
conditions. so that (curiOuS as II may
anpear) = ring of any size OF weight.
material or pattern. viii serve the
.-,,,,s, ,,offeetlv we'll II i natu-