The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-04
THE CIRCLET OF GOLD.
Why the Wedding Ring is Worn
on the Left Hand-A StOne
for Each Month.

f. 1OtO oho WOaAAh6 AAAEo "O -
mately associated; yet Colley Cibber
exclaims:-''Oh! how many torments
lie in the small circle of a wedding
ring" Do you know why the gold
circlet is placed ON the left hand?
Opinions differ.
On the one side it is affirmed that a
vein proceeding from the heart to that
finger is the cause; IN the other that
it denotes that the wife is subject to
her husband. writes Arden Holt in
Cdssel's Magazine. Napoleon l.,
when he married his second Empress,
whispered in NJ. Pradt's ear:-'The
Roman law ordains that all slaves
should wear rings, and as the women
are our slaves they ought to YEA this
badge of servitude."
The Little Corporal and the great
Emperor was not given to weighing
his words as far rs politeness was con-
cerned. 1t is more grateful to women
to know that men in a thousand
grateful ways have demonstrated the
tenderness of their passion by "the
giving and receiving of a ring" Her
rick sings
And as this round
Is nowhere found
To flaw or else to sever,
So let our love
As endless prove
And pure as gold forever.
1t was more the fashion in old days
than now to engrave q verse within
the ring. Many such have been
handed down to us. For example,
THUS may our lives be one perpetual round,
Nor care, nor sorrow, ever shall be found.
Other motto es, or posies, as they
were called, such as LET Likings
Last Omitted Hearts Death Only
Parts" .Let Us Share in Joy and
Care" and Love and Live Happily"
characterized wedding and betrothal
rings alike.
The following were chiefly confined
to marriage rings:-"A virtuous wife
preseryeth life" by God alone we
two are one." ''Christ for me hath
chosen thee,' Hearts united live
contented;" Goods blessing be on
thee and me- and "God did foresee
we should agree" Lady Cathcart,
who, as the Scotchm an II ce said,
.'was unco' wasteful' o. husbands"
on her fourth wedding ring had in
scribed:-''If | survive, | will have
five"
Whether she had the opportunity
of carrying out her threat history
sayeth not. William III. was hardly
mental weakness openly, and yet
when he died a ring was found tied to
his left arm by a ribbon, the ring con
tanning the Queens hair.
During their courtship he had pre-
sented the Princess Mary with one in
the form of "a gold strap and buckle,
set with diamonds and the posy. Il
will win and wear thee if | cam"
Love has ever proved superior to
sorrow-indeed, grief strengthens
affection-and a certain Baron Rosen
sent to Siberia and, deprived OF all
his personal trinkets, refused to re-
linquish his wedding ring, declaring
that ii it went his finger should go
with it, and his wishes were respected.
DIR. Johnson presented his wife's we'd
ding ring with this inscription
"Ehu! Eliza Johnston, nupta Jul. 0,
1876; mortua, eheul March II, 1862"
In Russia, as in many other coun-
tries, both husband and wife have a
ring in testimony of their n%uptials.
The members OF our royal family
adopt this plan. The Duke of Con-
naught wears on his fourth finger IA
plain gold hoop with marguerite
engraved inside; his wife's ring bear
the name of Arthur"
And al the present moment a we'll
known London firm advertises gen
'tlenien's wedding rings as a speciality.
The Prince of Wales gave his bride a
hoop with six stones, beryl, emerald,
ruby, turquoise, jacinth and emerald,
the initials forming his own pet name,
'.Bertie."
1t has always been recognized
among lovers that there 10 a special