The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03
THE CANE AS A TALISMAN.
THE MANLY FELLOW PRESSES 70
HIS LIPS A PICTURE.

Bulky Walking sticks with a Deli
cate Picture Surrounded by Pearls
and GOId-COvered With Silver
DOOr-TaIismanic Canes Have TAX
en- the Place of the Watch Charm
and the Club Ring.
Copyright, 1879
New York, Dec. 31.-When Habib, the
Arabian Prince, started out upon his
travels across the desert and through the
Black Sea to liberate kingdom from the
cruel tolls of wickedness stretched around
it, he took with him an enchanted mirror
that on being rubbed showed the face of
the princess of the kingdom. Habib cali
ed the mirror a talisman. By it's aid ne
drove back sea demons; by it's help he van
quished the swordmen of the fiery centers
of the earth, and by it's grace ne saw not
the mermaids that woke him each morn
ing with their caressing fins of silver.
The young man of the incoming year will
not have the enchanted mirror for the
reign of enchantment now provides moth
ing so marvellous. But he will have some
thing just as effective and quite as con-
stant-a talismanic camel This is a thing
that has appeared with the new year and
will abide with it.
The talismanic cane has it's origin in
the camera. 1t is the result of the snap
shot, the shot being taken of the princess
when she is at her prettiest, presiding over
an evening chocolate table or posing in
dignifed grace in an opera box. Snap
And presto, her face is in the little black
box for all time. when the opera and the
table have her not.
The cane-maker takes the next step in
| the talismanic process. This wizard of the
| wood selects an immense cane of hard
wood. The favorite is the white oak, as it
| will not break. Its only meretricious habit
| is that of getting stolen. And in this it
| is particularly apt
| Abound the knob, which is as solid as
| sturdy love can select, there are gold
| fieur-de-lys fastened with gold nails. Sill
| yer fieur-de-lys are preferred by some
| The flower is essential from its senti-
mental origin, but the choice of metals is
arbitrary.
Into one side of the wooden knob is cut
an oval depression. 1t must be done by
hand, with not break upon sides or bot
tom. The least imperfection would ruin it.
Now, into this depression is set a minia-
ture. This is of the girl the cane-owner
loves best, his fairy princess. Her face
constitutes the taiisman, for her grace is
all-sutficient.- Atoning grace, one might
say, for it atones for whatsoever lack there
may be elsewherei Redeeming grace, for
it saves from many things!
The miniature must be gift one from
the young lady. When Habib started out
with the mirror he knew that it was one
that had been touched by Dorath-il-goase.
When the young man takes the miniature
cane with him he must know that the
miniature is a gift from the fairest of
hands. Famous painters get up these cane
miniatures They place them with deli
cate touches upon porcelain and color the
lips with the loVe-carmine. Upon the fore
head is the day lily and the throat shines
with the moon pearI That makes bless
ed miniature Amelia kussner has painted
these miniatures and the great Carolus
Duran could tell a story of cane portrait
ure. Into the canes sturdy head is now
imbedded the fair face and over it is set a
glass. Around the rim of the glass are
small pearls and there is a CLEAN of gold
in the setting. The whole is very valuable
but were 1t not costly it would be no tails
man. In olGen days man beggared him.
self to buy talisman. In this one gold
stands for truth, glass for purity, and
pearls for tears Each has it's own mis-
sion
a very beautiful thing. 1t is not too fine
for use. for many of the jeunesse doree
whom one hears a great deal about carry
much mere expensive walking-sticks, and
this one is for every day service
The old idea of talisman was that it
| should be something as inseparable from
J a person as his breath. Men of old went
TO the block and were beheaded with the
| talisman held tightly in their shut hands.
| They believed it would save them to the
! very end; and doubtless it did, for they
wore a smile when the talisman was
| UNFINISHED from their fingers.
The talismanic cane travels around with
| the man about town. In the street car
you see it lifted to his lips. At the cross
| Ing you see him clutching 1t tightly. In
! a crowd he has it under his arm Once
| having one man never parts from it,
1t is his personal talisman.
The talsmanic cane has been for long
| time a secret. Who knows but 1t may
have been the innocent cause of the ridi-
| cule which the young man of the town
| the dude, used to suffer when his cane
| head was inseparable from his mouth. He
| may then have owned a talismanic cane
and suffered martydom for IT, and no one
| knew 1t. And the Book of Proverbs
| speaks of men who lean on props for a
| support Perhaps these were talismans
That is a question 10 debate, but the
| taiisman cane has just come to light and
| Is becoming very numerous. 1t made the
ideal holiday gift and will figure as a
| birthday token during the year for those
who did not get one at New Years day.
There are small talismans like the por-
| trait silk handkerchief This has the
| face of a woman upon the corner The
| linen is sensitized and the picture is pho
| tographed upon II by regular process
The singular thing is that 1t win wash
and not fade nor distort. with a hand
kerehief OF this kind there is also a
Smateh box, upon the front of which there