Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-03

Place Of the Watch Charm and
the Club Ring-Societies and Clubs
Adopt Them.
When Habib, the Arabian Prince,
started out upon his travels across the
desert and through the Black Sea TO
liberate a kingdom from the cruel Tolls
of wickedness stretched around 1t, he
took with him an enchanted mirror
that on Icing rubbed showed the face
of the Princess of the kingdom. Habib
called the mirror talisman. BY its
aid he drO'Je back sea demons; by its
help he vanquished the swordsmen or
the fiery centres of TIE earth, and by
its grace he saw not the mermalds that
woke him each morning 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 nothing so marvellous. But
he will have something just as ef-
fective and quite as constant-a tails
manic cane! This is a thing that has
S.:peared with the new year and Will
abide with 1t.
The talismanic cane has its origin
in the camera. 1t is the result OF the
snap shot. the shot being taken OF the
Princess when she is at her prettlest,
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 chocolate
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 meritorious habit is that Of get
ting stolen. And in this 1t is partlc-
ularly apt.
Around the knob, which is as solid
as sturdy love can select, there are
gold fleur-de-lys fastened with gold
nails. Silver fleur-de-lys are preferred
bv some. The flower is essential
from its sentimental 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 a break upon
sides or bottom. The least imperfec-
| ton would ruin it.
Now, into this depression is set
miniature. This is OF the girl the
cane-owner loves best, his Fairy Prin-
cess. Her face constitutes the talls-
man. for her grace is all-suihclent.
Atoning grace, one might say, for it
atones for whatever lack there may be
elsewhere Redeeming grace, for 1t
saves from many things!
A GIFT MINIATURE.
The miniature must be a gift one
from the young lady. When Habib
started out with the mirror he knew
that it was one that had been toucned
by Dorath-il-goase. When the young
man takes the miniature cane with
him he must know that the immature
| is a gift from the fairest of hands.
! Famous painters get up these cane
miniatures. They place them with
delicate touches upon porcelain and
color the lips with the love-carmine.
Upon the forehead is the day lily and
the throat shines with the moon pearl.
That makes a blessed miniature.
Amelia Kussner has painted these min
iatures and the great Carolus Duran
could tell story of cane portraiture.
Into the canes sturdy head is now i'm
bedded the fair face and over it is set
a glass. Around the rim of the glass
are small pearls and there is CLEAN
of gold in the setting. The whole is
very valuable, but were it not costly II
would be no talisman. In olden days
a man beggared himself to buy tai
isman. In this one, gold stands for
truth. glass for purity, and pearls for
tears. Each has its own mission.
The miniature cane, when complet-
cd is a very beautiful thing 1t is not
too fine for use, for many of the
tennessee doree whom one hears great
deal about carry much more expensive
walking-sticks, and this one is for
everyday service.
The old idea of talisman was that
II should be something as inseparable
from a person as his breath. Men OF
old went to the block and were be-
headed with the tailsman held tightly
in their shut hands. They believed ~
would save them TO the very end; anu
Doubtless il did. for they wore a smile
when the talisman was untwlsted 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 crossing you see him clutching
II tightly. In a crowd he has it I'M
der his arm. Once having one, a man
never parts from it. 1t is his personal
talisman.
The talismanic cane has been for
long time a secret. Who knows but
il NAV have been the innocent cause
of the ridiculous which the young
man of the town, the dude, used to
suffer when his cane head was insep-
arabic from his mouth? He may then
have owned talismanic cane and sur
fered martyrdom for it; and no one
knew il. And the Book of Proverbs
sneaks of men who lean on props for
a support. Perhaps these were tails
mans. >-
OF ANCIENT ORIGIN.
That is question to debate, but the