The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-31
THE RHYMES OF RINGS.
Why WOMEN WEAR THE GOLD
CIRCLES ON CERTAIN FINGERS.

ring 1Ore Is Certainty CURIOUS suDJecIS
and just as entertaining and interesting as
it is curious. Searching foE information
on so odd subject leads one into all sorts
OF historical highways and hyways. Ac-
cording to an old writer, it was considered
In ancient times highly improper for sfngts
OF unmarried persons TO weaF circlets on
their fingers, unless they were judges,
doctors or senator's" For al but these
dignitaries such an unVEazranted ornamant
was considered an evidence of vanity, las
civionsness and pride, and the person who
should so far forget himself was thought
most presumptuCus.
Affianced persons, according 10 another
authority, were allowed this honorable
distinction, and it is cited as an evidence
of the high honor in which the estate OF
wedlock Yves then held that those about to
enter it might be SO adorned. But while
finger rings have figured in all the politi-
cal, court and ecclesiastical history of all
times, it Is their record as love tokens and
marriage enblems which lends the great
est interest to these pretty or priceless las
the case may be- baubles of mankind.
THE "JDfsAL RING"
Herrick writes Of the ''jimmal ring"
which was given as love token only:
Thou sendest TO me q tue love knot, but 1
Returned ring of jinlInals to Imply
Thy love had one knot, mine triple tye.
In later years this ring became one OF
espousaI, and was intended to typify COM
munity of interest, mutual forbearance,
endless devotion and all the other attri-
butes Of the estate Of matrimony in it's most
ideal perfection. The photography was
changed and written with "g." A jim
NAL ring, supposed to belong to the time Of
Queen Elizabeth, was found at Horseley-
down, in Surrey, and is now preserved in
a British collection. 1t il described as fol-
lowsI
'"The ring is formed of twin or double
hoops, which play within one another like
links to a chain. Each hoop has one of its
sides fiat, the other convex, and each is
twisted once around and surmounted by a
hand issuing from an embossed work mist
or sleeve, rising above the circle and ex-
tending in the same direction. The course
Of the twist in each hoop is made to cor
respond with that Of its counterpart so
that on bringing together the fat surfaces
of the hoops they unite in one ring. The
whole device represents the triple emblem
of love, fidelity and union, the whole being
of fine gold and weighing two penny
weights"
Regarding the language Of rings, there
is an old rule laid down. IF a man wants
a wife the ring must be worn upon the first
finger of the left hand; if he is engaged it
occupies the second finger; if married he
wears it upon the third, but if he is resolved
upon celibacy, then it is that it is put upon
the fourth or little finger" This rule is
also adopted for women, but it is carefully
explained that widows are not subject to
the rules"
There is a woman in Philadelphia who is
not governed by any rule, for she wears a
wide band of gold On her thumb. Natural
ly it attracts much attention and occasions
comment. One night at dinner party a
gentleman asked her why she wore it. Inn
mediately she penciled upon the menu
For pleasures past and joys to come
wear this ring upon my thumb
Under this her querist promptly wrotes
You've another thumb, my lady dear,
And another lover sitting here,
Who'd give his chancs Of the world to CONS
To place a ring on the other thumb.
According to the ancient ritual in mar.
riage the husband began the ring business
putting it successfully on the next two fin,
ers, pronouncing for each one a person of
the Trinity; with linal Amen" the fourth
finger was reached and there the ring re-
manned. The Greek church ritual directs
that the ring be placed upon the right
hand Puritan influence sought to abolish
the ring as a vain and heather emblem,
but the sweet old fashion Of giving and
taking the emblem '-ffor our loves sake"
yet remains to ca.
BETEoTHAL AND WEDDING RINGS.
Betrothal or engagement rings vary in
fashion nowadays, and always depend, or
should do SO, on the purse OF the donor.
Where there are no limitations of this sort
his taste, if IT be perfect, viii lead him to
choose diamond solitaire, end Of the best
he can afford, a small and pure blue-white
stone being altogether preferable to
large stone. Some prefer ring set with
three stones, generally a sapphire set
between two diamonds. Others select
ruby or an emerald, which signifies prom
Use of happiness. FeW people choose pearls
for an engagement ring, Is pearls are sup
posed TO typIfy tears. They are also too
perishable to become smblens Of love,
which, in its first glow at least, il always
understood TO be indestrGCtibie- Their
beauty is very precHrious, heing easily
dimmed, or Jagged rs the lapidary ex-
presses it, by contact with impure air,
while acid annihiIapes them completely,
like the famous one which the fair EaCyp-
tian, brilliant sorceress of the Nile" dis
solved and drank TO her imperial lover ages
ago.
The wedding ring remains about the
same. The Romans nla4e theirs Of iron to
express endurance, and bSseT metals have
been used since. The ideal marriage token
cannot be improved upaB-it - a ring OF
pure virgin gold, neither toe kasvy nor get
too slender. IL IL softly rounded, so there
are no sharp edges. If you hang it on a
string and strike 1t sof5ly it viii ring out
an indeseribably seft and sweet sound. No
other symbol expresses 50 well the true
hearts devotion. EerTIck's lines are very
pretty
And as this rCInd
Is nowhere found
To flsW, or lis 70 sever,
So lGt eur l0Ee
AS endless prove,
And Pgss Is god forever
Ladies Of the PTSseRt day wear numerous
rings regardless OF their significance. At