Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-26
ORIGIN OF EARRINGS
THE CURIOUS LEGEND THAT is TOLD
BY THE MoHAMMEDANs.

6nrnh's Vow Against Hagar and
How Abraham Enabled Her to Full
I'LL It-Men, Women and Children,
In Many Lands Adorn Their Ears,
The Mohammedans have curious
legend to account for the beginning of
the custom of wearing earrings. They
say that Sarah. being jealous of Ha-
gar, vowed that she would not rest un-
til she had imbrued her hands in the
blood of her bondmaid. Abraham
quickly pierced Hagar's ear and drew
ring through 1t, SO that Sarah was
able to fulfill her rash vow without
danger to the bondmaid's life.
From that time, they say, 1t became
customary for women to wear ear
rings. The story of Rebekah's earring
Is only one Of many early Biblical al
lusions to the ornament. When Aaron
made the golden calf, it will be re-
membered, he called upon the Israelites
to "break off the golden earrings which
are in the ears Of your wives, of your
sons and Of your daughters and bring
them unto me-" And out of these and
other golden ornaments the calf was
made. From this it is plain that ear
rings We're Worn by the Hebrews with
out regard to sex or age.
In Great Britain the familiar orna-
mentS have been Worn for many CEN
turtles, and not by women only. Charles
l., 1t 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 JuXon for transmits
sion to his daughter, the princess royal.
Rabelais says that it was in his day
the era Of Henry VII. of England
that men in France first began to wear
earrings.
1t is worth noting that ut least one
existing portrait of Shakespeare repre-
sents him wearing such an udornment.
This is at Wentworth Park, Yorkshire,
and shows the poet with mustache and
beard and an earring in his left ear
Lord Sherborne possesses at Sherborne
House, near the old world town of
Northleach, portrait of one Thomas
Dutton, sixteenth century worthy,
who Is represented, says his lordship,
'in the prime Of life and wearing re-
markably fine pearl in his left ear. The
right ear is not shown, but presumably
he wore n corresponding earring in it."
Nowadays few men wear them save
some sailors and fishermen and nav
vies. Among the people OF the south
ern part of Europe their use by both
sexes Is more common and often be-
gins at an early age. In Spain babes
ears are bored soon after birth. The
family doctor performs the operation
and inserts gold ear wire. Boys wear
these ear wires till they attain man
hood, when the wires are removed.
The Idea is that the process has most
beneficial influence on the eyes.
A Spanish woman writes, "Ophthal-
mia and scrofula are rare in Spain, and
the natives maintain that freedom
therefrom is owing to ear piercing"
In Portugal and Italy and frequently
in France children usually have their
ears pierced ut an early age. Many
men in the south retain their earrings
after reaching manhood. Cardinal
Mezzofanti, famous for his powers as
q linguist, is said by his biographer to
have Worn them from infancy as pre-
ventive against an affection of the eyes
to which he had been subject.
The popular notion that piercing the
ear exercises a beneficial influence up
on the optic nerves is widespread. An
English traveller of little more than Il
century ago noticed that many men in
Vienna wore earrings and was told
they were Worn n good deal for the
eyes, 1.-THE hole In the ear and the
weight Of the earring drawing any hu-
NOR in the eyes to those parts" which
is hardly scientific.
Village folk in England believe in
the good effect of ear piercing on the
eye just as firmly us their like in Italy
and elsewhere abroad. In fact, In some
places ear piercing Is regarded by the
rustics as u remedy for many troubles.
AT the other side of the world boys
have their ears pierced from different
motive. A writer ON Chinese supersti-
lions says that John Chinaman pierces
his little boys ears and makes him
wear earrings, for If an evil spirit hap
pens to see him he will mistake him
for girl and will not take the trouble
to carry him away.-London Telegraph.
Celebrities Mt the Breakfast Table.
Dean Pigou, in his book of reminis-
cences entitled odds and Ends" tells
q good story of the time when literary
breakfasts were the rage in London