The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-17
WHEN MEN WORE EARRINGS
II Obedience to a Motion That Pierc-
ing Of the Ears Was Good
for the Ewes.

The MOhammedans have curious le-
gend to account for the beginning Of the
custom of wearing earrings. They say
that Sarah: being jealous Of Hagar,
vowed that she would not rest until she
had imbrued her hands in the blood Of
her bondmaid Abraham quickly
pierced Hagar's ear and drew a ring
through it, so that Sarah was able to full
fl her rash VOW without danger to the
bondmaid's life.
From that time on, they say, states the
London Globe it became customary Tor
women to wear earrings. The story of
Rebekah's earring is only one Of many
early Biblical illusions to the ornament
When Aaron made the golden calf, it
will be remembered, he called upon the
Israelites to break off the golden ear
rings. which are in the ears Of your
wives, OF your sons and Of your daugh-
tiers, and bring them unto ne" And out
of these and other golden ornaments
the calf was made. From this it is plain
that earrings were worn by the Hebrews
without regard to sex or age.
In our own country the familiar orna-
ments have been worn for many cen
turtles, and not by women only. Charles
l., it is said, wore pearl earrings Of con-
siderable value, and the day before his
execution took one from his ear and
gave it to Bishop Ju1on for transmission
to his daughter, the princess royal.
ID oh 115r +1II I, Il
the era of our Henry VII.-that men in
France first began to wear earrings. 1t
is worth noting that at least one exist
ing portrait of Shakespeare represents
him as wearing such an ornament. This
is at Wentworth Park, Yorkshire, and
shows the poet with nlustaehe and beard,
and an earring in his left ear. Lord
ShefbGrne possess at Sherborne house,
near the old world town of Northleach,
a portrait Of one Thomas Button, a six
teenth century worthy, who is repre-
sented, says his lordship, in the prime
of life, and wearing a remarkably fine
pearl in his left ear The right ear is not
shown, but presumably he wore a CORE
spending earring in ii.
Nowadays, in this country. few men
wear them, save some sailors and fish
ermen and navyies. Among southern
peoples their use by both sexes is more
common and often begins at an early
age. In Spain babies ears are bored
soon after birth. The family doctor
performs the operation and inserts a
cyNfG Dry iYa
till they attain manhood, when the wires
are removed. The idea is that the proc
ess has most beneficial influence on the
eyes.
A Spanish lady writes: tOphthaImia
and scrofula are very rare in Spain, and
the natives maintain that freedom
therefrom is owing to piercing In
Portugal and Italy, and very frequently
in France, children usually have their
ears pierced at an early age. Many
men in the south retain their earrings
after reaching manhood. Cardinal Mez-
zofanti, famous as for his powers as a
linguist, is said BY his biographer to
have worn them from infancy as pre-
ventfve against an affection of the
eyes to which he mad been subject.
The popular notion that piercing the
ear exercises beneficial influence upon
the optic nerve is very widespread. An
English traveller Of little more than a
century ago noticed that men in Vienna
wore earrings, and was told they were
worn q good deal for the eyes-"the hole
in the ear and the weight of the earring
drawing any humor in the eyes to those
parts which is hardly scientific. vii
lage folk in England believe in the good
effect of ear piercing on the eyes lust as
firmly as their like in Italy and else
wAere abroad. In fact, in some places
ear piercing is regarded by the rusties as
a remedy for many troubles. At the
other side Of the world boys have their
ears pierced from a different motive. A
writer on Chinese superstItions says
that John Chinaman pierees his little
boys ears and makes him wear ear
rings, for if an evil spirit happens to
see him he will mistake him for girl
and will not take the trouble to carry
him away.
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