Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-01

corresponding splendor, a woman, when she is not herself the hostess, may wear any number of well-chosen jewels; il is quite correct to be sumptuous in this par tcular hut it is well to remember that jewels, like flowers, harmonize or are an- tagonistic, and that emerads or tor quoises for example, may not be worn in conjunction, because, as the French say, they swear at each other"
 Abuse of Coronets.
 It would seem almost unnecessary to say that only women with titles should wear coronets, and then the coronet which their rank accordS them the right to wear, and it is amusing and exas- perating to have to admit that Ameri- | can women have made themselves ridic- | ulouS all over the world by calmly ig- noring this fact, and I suppose there | are fifty free born American women at least and all of them married to Ameri- can men, who are complacently decorat- | ed upon gala occasions with the insig | nia of a rank to which they have not the shadow of claim.
 What should we think of a young man | who had never even entered the charmed | gates of West Point, were he to invest | himself with a uniform of a major-gen eral of the United States army on all | high social occasions? The appl opria- | tion, or incorporation, of one em- l bem or insignia of one rank is not more
 l of an absurdity than the other
 Vulgar Manifestations.
 Last winter, just before the holidays, l I was in one of the large jewellers shops and I saw a middle-aged rich and well l known dry goods merchant selecting the precious stones to be set in coronet for l his wife He was much perplexed IS to l which crown as he called them, he | should choose, and he was looking over several drawings. It was too ridiculous fOr M ba a n1 the j0Ualpr SeriOl1c | ly considering the becomingness relative | ly of a countess coronet or one belong | ing to a princess. The old gentleman l said he thought he'd take the tall one, as Eliza was kind of short" They were 1 evidently not hampered by any fainteSt suspicion that the forms indicated a patrician rank; but by that same token, we see daily evidences of a similar beau | tiful disregard for the wearing of these | insignia.
 I know dear. little girl who used to say she just loved the cunning little coronets they make for stick pins" re- ferring to the little marquise coronet l of pearls, which is offered the most pie | bian of purchasers with the utmost sang | frod by the jewellers clerk. I timidly l ventured to suggest that only marquise would wear this patrician coronet, where upon she replied that she never heard l of anything so ridiculous in her life; she | thought they were awfully pretty, and | she considered herself quite as good as any marquise she ever heard of" One l summer day she sailed away, and after l a years sojourn in countries across the | sea she returned without her marquise | eoronet and the subject has never been | preached between us since.
 On the other hand l know another American woman who purchased her
 l princely insignia in Europe, and on her | return not only had the coronet of a l princess in diamonds on her watch and l above her monogram on her stationery. but also burned into an entire set of l Sevres porcelain. and finally, and most ludicrouS of all, she took the royal pho
 l tographs of the Prince and Princess of
 l --- from frames which were deco- | rated with the royal coronet in gold and 1 put her own and her worthy husband s-
 l he is rich patent medicine owner-in | their places.
 "De gustibus non est disputandum." | Let the married women of this free coun- | try who can afford it, at proper times,
 l make themselves splendid with beauti-
 1 full gems. There are forms and designs l lovely enough surely without encroa ach-
 l ing upon the emblems of the royalty we
 | take pride in having so long ago abjured. Offensive Designs.
 The sacred emblem of our Saviors az ony should also be forever tabooed as | an ornament. The cross of Bethlehem | made up of diamonds and fastened on a WOnanS DFedSt at IedSt or ball SHOWS a most pitiable ignorance of the eternal
 l fitness of things; yet we have all seen l the cross, that most sacred of outward l forms made a sacrilege in such a way Personally I have great distaste for | ornaments made in the shape of beasts | or reptiles. I saw woman not long | since with toad made of enamel, with
 ruby eyes, at her throat, diamond liz l ard across her breast and fearful little | pig of diamonds and emeralds dangling | at her chatelaine. Why should a sweet | woman select pigs and lizards and toads when there are stars and hearts, and true love knots and flowers, all so beau- | tifully made, with or without jewels, and | SO fitting for her adornment? Verify the | "capriciousness of the sex hath neither 1 beginning nor an end"
 l There are few women who do not | honestly love gems, and clever man | will not forget that the girl who was l So proud and happy in the possession | of her diamond engagement ring re- l mains the same little girl always and
 | will experience a~thrill of joy in a gift | of like nature which nothing more use | ftil or substantial can duplicate. We are
 I children to the end and love our baubles. | am great believer in texts and mot
 | toes or "posys," as they are called.
 saw the other day very beautiful | ruby set with seven perfect diamonds, l the whole forming a small heart-shaped ornament the gift of a gentleman to his l wife on the birth of her seventh child. l These words were engraved on the back
 l of the pendant: "No mist obscures, nor
 l cloud, nor speck, nor stain breaks the serene heaven thou has made for me-" l and I saw the tears strec uSwn that | sweet mothers face as she kissed the
 | token and said: "Ah, John John, am
 not half good enough for such a hus-
 l band" The gift was superb one, but
 l the words made it infinitely precious.
 | I do not of course. mean to applaud l the wearing of sentiments" outwardly