The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-12

to Susanna Leonard Westford. the for
eign representative of the woman's eX-
hibition, 'as a chance for mutual bene-
lit l ALWAYS have been fertile in
stories. but / have been unable-prob-
ably because 1 never had the training
to finish them properly. 1 set out.
therefore. honestly TO supply material
TO skilled writer's who lacked imagi-
nation. In time the business degener-
ated TO a point at which the chief reve-
hue was had from vain men and wo-
men who wanted TO break into print
but did not know how
Il disposed of my scenarios without
question and managed to clear as much
as $1,000 a year. Recently / have ad-
ded an advice department in which
young authors are instructed concern
ing the accepted way to get their man
uscript read"
British officers returned from the
war in South Africa are full of COM
r,iments on the business capacity dis
played during their absence by their
wives. Many Of these have been the
administrators of goodly estates dur
ing the absence of their lords, and as
such have shown themselves profile
lent in all sorts of practical affairs
usually falling to the lot of man. One
young military hero who was called
away from his honeymoon to proceed
TO South Africa confided to his young
bride a checktook, he first she had
ever controlled. Her husband. return
ing, was delighted to hear from her
lips that she had been so vigilant as
to make the money do" which he
had paid into his account. A note
from his banker informed aim. how
ever that il was overdrawn by sew
erGl hundreds. The lady, confident.
fetched the checkbook and, pointing
to the remaining leaves, exclaimed In
triumph: See, there are three lit"
In these practical twentieth century
days, says the Philadelphia North
American, much that is fanciful and
sentimental in the legendary lore con-
corning the wedding ring is entirely
forgotten. We marry and are given
in marriage, slip the gold bands on
slim fingers, and never stop to think
why this is done. There are so many
other things to occupy the mind
The idea of using the ring as a mar
riage pledge or token doubtless was
derived from the signet ring. In very
early times, when only a few could
read or write, men used to wear a ring
on which was engraved some distin-
ENiRAiNN eAtSil VI uiuSts anu lIlS lteY
used instead of a signature to seal
and thus authenticated their orders
and business documents. The delivery
of this ring to any one else was the
greatest compliment and mark of trust
that could be paid as it endowed the
person who received it with the same
authority as was possessed by the
giVer.
And the theory is that men lent their
rfe ,.f,,
the latter to act as their
representatives in times of alb
sence or illness, until at last
ring came to be regarded as the
recognized emblem of wifehood.
Some writers, not content with this
explanation think that the use of the
wedding ring is the relic of an old rite
by which the Romans used to purchase
their wives for a certain sum of money,
the ring teing the pledge of good
faith.
BY degrees the ring lost its original
meaning. Instead of being a sign of
authority, it became a token of affec-
ton. This change can be clearly seen
in the Bib'e. In the Old Testament we
read of Pharaoh putting a ring upon
the hand of Joseph to invest him with
the rights and influence of a ruler in
Egypt; but in the New Testament the
prodigal son received from his father a
ring as a proof of his love and forgive
Less.
For a considerable period in the past
the husband presented his wife with
his keys as we'll as a ring to show that
she was to have an equal share in his
wealth and estates.
Among the beautiful fancies wovel,
about the wedding ring it was to be-
made of gold, which, being
the purest and noblest met
AL signifi2d the durable affec-
ton that should exist between the
married pair. In shape it was to be
round, as that was the most perfect
of all figures and used by the ancients
as the hieroglyphic of eternity, to i'm
play that married love should have no
end.
1t was to be placed on the left hand.
to show that the wife was subject to
the husband, and on the fourth finger.
because very delicate nerve was sup
posed to run straight from there to
the heart.
We wear the ring to-day the way it
was originally ordained, but the ma
jority have never even heard this old
poetic Specification.
One current superstitious notion con-
corning it is that the loss of the we'd
ding ring is a sure harbinger of separa-
ton or dire misfortune 1t is also sup
posed to be prophetic of bad luck to
permit the ring to slip off the finger
after it was placed there on the we'd
ding day. There are wives who have
worn their rings for years, yet have
never permitted the shining circlets off
their fingers for an instant, certain
hot % I.