The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-14

is tho wedding ring. Ordinarily, a
plain gold ring Is used; but any ring
will do-even the ring of key has
done service before now. 1t is well
known that the second of the three
beautiful Cummings was married with
curtain ring. the impatience of the
bridegroom-the Duke of Hamilton
not permitting him to wait till the
usual ring could be procured.
Tho delivery of ring has always been
considered a sign of confidence, of del
egation, of power; and hence, in mar
riage, shows the trust of the husband
in his wife, and his investing her with
authority in his household 1t is also
looked upon as a symbol of eternity and
constancy.
Some consider that the left hand was
chosen to siga.fy the wife's subsection
to the husband, and the third finger be-
cause 1t thereby pressed a vein supposed
to communicate directly with the heart.
Tho third finger, on account of certain
fancied virtue with which it is credited,
has always been selected as the ono on
which to wear official rings To the
Greek and Roman physicians 1t was
known as the medical or healing finger,
and was used to stir their mixtures,
from an idea that nothing noxious
could communicate with it without Civ
ing Immediate warning by palpitation
OF the heart In some parts of England
tho ring-hnger IS supposed to have the
power OF curing any sore or wound
which it streked by it Also, itis be-
ieved that any growth like Il wart on
the skin may be removed by rubbing a
wedding ring upon it
Among the Puritans there were many
who desired to forbid the use of the
wedding ring as Popish and super
stitious practice. Butler, in his ''Hudi-
bras" refers to this:
"Othcrs were for abolshtng
That tool Of matrimonJ, q ring.
With which tn unsanctiied bridegroom
Is married only TO 4 thumb."
When the Venetian Republic was at
the height of its power, there was an
annual ceremony of marriage between
the Doge and the Adriatic- On Ascen-
sion day, with much ceremony and re-
ioicings, ring was thrown by the
Dogo into tho sea, to denote that as the
wife is subject 10 the husband, so was
the Adriatic sea to the Republic of
Venice
So universal has bsen the belief in
charms, and so VARIOUS the articles that
have been used as such that 1t is not to
bo wondered at that rings should be in
cluded among th0m- In the Middle
Ages, rings inscribed with the supposed
names OF tho Wise Mon of the East who
visited our Saviour-namely, Melchoir.
Balthasar and Jasper-were believed to
act as charms against accidents TO the
wcarer while travelling. as we'll as to
countcract secrecy and to guard against
sudden doath- They were made of sill
nd of IN
mold, TO be sold cheap TO the lower
orders.
Silver rings are by no means unconn-
mon st tho present day, worn as charms
against cramp and rheumatism. The
uso OF rings in England. as charms
against cramp, dates from the eleventh
century.
In Catholic times cramp rings were
blessed by the King on Good Friday.
Coming ia state into his chapel, he
found q cruciflx laid upon a cushion
and q carpet spread on the ground be-
fore 1t. He crept along the carpet 70
the cushion, as sign of his humility,
and there blessed the rings (Which were
m 4 silver basinl, kneeling all the time,
with his almoner kneeling by his side.
After this was done, the Queen and all
her ladies came in and crept up to the
cross
OF the romance connected with rings,
pages might be written. Both Nathaniel
Hawthorne and Oliver Wendell Holmes
refer to tho incident Of DR.. Harris, of
Dorchester, Mass, who, when poor
youth, trudging along one day, staff In
hand, being then in stress of sore need,
found all at once that somewhat was
adhering to the end of his stick, which
somewhat proved to be gold ring Of
price, bearing the words: God speed
thee, friend"
A curious snecdote concerning ring
and a wallling-stick Is given in Notes
and Queries" A servant boy was sent
into the town with O valuable ring. He
took it out Of its box to admire it, and,
passing over 4 plank bridge, lot it fall
on muddy bank. Not being able &c
find it, he ran away to sea, finally set
tied in colony, made large fortune,
came back after many years, and bought
the estate on which he had been servant
One day, while walking over his land
with friend, he came to the plank
bridge, and there told his story. 81
could swear" said he, pushing his stick
into the mud, ito the very spot on
which the ring dropped" When no
withdrew the stick, tho ring was ON the
end of it-Once a Week