The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-06-15
Stltrt StOrp.
PRINCE RUPERT'S RING.

Abuut twenty years ago ! held tue RANK
IF Trpop Sergeant Major in the First Ian
eers. the regiment being then quauered IN
Horneleigh 4, tha, period full arrange
menis had been made for celebrating the
marriage Of car Captain. Lorl Dashcliiie,
very popular. genial, aud handsome Young
fellow. who bad suc,,sied t. the tiIie oa
the death &C his father about two year>
previously. The lady IT the -oldier- peer s
choice was Miss Daisy WylkynS, the daugh
ter If Sir picrce WNlkyns of B5ll"by Hall.
yorkshire
ca the day before that hxcd Ca the
wedding the Two ,ubalterus "f the insF
and the r,ytui.ite number 81 Bun o,auuil~
siuu,-l ollicyrs and ueu wcrr by pvuui>
sinn Il the sommandiu- af6crr. despatched
by train 20 the Hall. in order To- form a
guard of honor AZ ihe church da.pr during
the time uf the marriage p~a oar ar
rival q mr-t -ulnmupus meal va, Pros ',ied
for the rank and 6ls IN the sery ants hall
and b,vls for she ueu. which wcp of ihc
.hakc-dowu order, were provided IN the
riding seh,-l attached 10 the ssabl'-s. ais'ut
half a mile frim the llah
Between eieht and nine in the evening
lust a. / wa~ thinking of getting my men
marched of ,a night quarters. the senior
Lieutenant. Mr. GAsstsT. sen; Tor me ani
said Scr,-eau, Mayor Lord pashcIiae
wi~hs> a -cutry to b. plae,j in she library
where the wssldine presents are laii aat.
Many # ihe article, are of grai yalne.
AMI BE- thiuks il hc.t a. have theln watched
in case Il acriien; - jast p,ek cat lhr-r
NJ the men and form guard l>'yd
D.ssholid,. vii remember them iog ,heir
trouble vhish NAV affori thrm -oue osn-
-llation. and an, ,hrye viii Do AcruEd-
ingly | picked cat thrsr men, teak com
niand myself. and oas trysper, By name
Martin Clements of,irrci to ga On du'y
frSt
| b..,ic Clements pat 10 hi, sWord and
se entered the ,paeious and beautifully
ttted ap library The .isht that mei my
eyes was dazzling in the extreme \
large table in the ecutre "a, literally o'y-
er,j with p's,C- of plate, frSIn a ~lil IL
yer seryire, presented hy a P5inye Il lhe
blooi royal. to the modest iuk stand wc
had subscribed toF in anr owu irs1p. TIN
several side iahlc- were displayed uumeT
eus articles uf jewelry with tickets IN fnsnt
bearing the donoFS namts. representative
Of nearly al the besi iamIlis- in England
Al,.at a loErn gentlemen Wrrr iu the r,Dosl.
surrounding tall hond facs,d, handsome
all man with Rell cut arisiocratir feat
urcs and the unmisiakahle bearing II =
soldirr. The butler. who va standing
near. whispered to me That Is Major
ten. Wyikyus. Sir Pieroc bvogheT
When the t;eaeral saw me. b. called
out. 1 pcrcriyc son have got yoar man
on, very gu,d Then be said Ia the
others Excuse me moment. while |
show the Sergeant Major rtnd In a
most graeioa. and friendly manner the I'D
officer pointed ou to me al the yaiuables
in detail Then he stopped at one Of the
side tables, aud picking up 4 large emerald
ting of very antique pattern, said, IN a
garrllous fashion That i une of NY
gifts L. my uiece, You -ee--isn the
stone magnificent One of the finest |
ever saw. Well, il was presented To an
ancestor Of mine by Prince Rupert, some
time after Naseby, for services rendered at
the battle. believe the Pripce took it
frcm his own finger, or something oi the
SORT. Anyhow. this riug has been in nay
family for over two centuries. When nv
aunt died, q couple 81 year, ago, she be
queaihed il 10 me; and nuw, having no
children Of nay own. am giving !, 10 my
nieee No. BY Iove it won 20 ON :
continued the General. as he tried the ring
over the glove un the little finger of his
right hand, II remember when it would
though Ny fingers are 4 trife gouty
nowadays But see, Sergeant Major --
and Gen Wylkyns slipped the ring in
rapid succession over all the digits Of his
left hand. no chance of swelling of the
muscles here I'll tell you why This
paw is made of wood and steel springs, aud
80 forth Ii takes the place Of the hand
lost at SObraon can fish, shoot, hunt
carve, box-do anything with it. in fact
While | stood opposite to Clements. |
heard the voluble General still talking TO u
knot of guests on the subject Of the ring
when young Baronet Sir Harry Beynell
a well known character in society and on
the turf, observed; Iook here, General
| wonder if that ring was ever Consigned
by your folks TO the care of Messrs. A
or some bygone uncle in the same line of
business as that distinguished Rmy Per
haps, according to the condition pertaining
to a breach of contract in the shape of
non payment of principal and interest, the
real one may have been forfeited, and a
sham one substituted, for the look of the
thing.
Gen. Wylkyns appearing trihe angry
responded +" BY .Ioye Beynell, | have
heard stories Of the same kind about dia-
monds Outside the value Of this emerald
from its associations, assure you il is in
trinsically worth { thousand pounds !
One of the guests now popped his head
into the doorway, and cried: Il say, YOU
fellows, come to the billiard room
There was Immediately an exodus, the
last to leave being the General. He had