Amador ledger., 1909-10-08
What CoIors Typify.

In ancient times greeu signified for
men joyousness, transitory hope and
the decline of friendship and for
women unfounded ambition childish
delight and change. The early vendure
of spring might be regarded as at once
symbol of hope and of eventual dis
appointment, for it must SOON pass
away Mercury and Wednesday, the
day of Mercury, were both typitisd by
green, the sly fox being selected as the
animal in sympathy with the willy god.
The typical green stone is the emerald,
youth is the age of man represented
by the color, and five the magic number
expressing it.
Green was used i'm the case of those
who diet in the flower of youth, sm
emerald being sometimes placed on the
index finger of the corpse as sign that
the light of hope was spent; for the
lower part Of the torches used in re-
ligious ceremonies was marked with
green. Fuivius Pellegrfuus relates that
i'll the tomb Of TuFIia, the dearly be-
loved daughter Of Cicero, there was
found an emerald. tfie most beautiful
that had ever been seen. This passed
into the hands of THE Marcflesana di
Mantova, Isabella GonEaga d'Este. In
Italy the graves of young virgins and
of children were covered with green
branches. Wren the Codex Justinianns
was re-discoverd' and added to the other
Pandects, it was bound fn green to
signify that these laws we're rejuvenated
Black for mem means gravity, good
sense, constancy and fortftrlde; for
young women, HcklenesS and foolish
ness; but for married women, constant
love and perseverance. The planet
Saturn and Saturday are denoted by
black Strange to say, tire diamond,
the white gem par excellence, was
selected to represent tfriS Sornber hue.
Perhaps to Offset this the animal chosen
was the hog. AS Black was mourning
color, we need not be surprised that it
typified decrepitude. The number eight,
the double square, was supposed to
Ihave some affinity With BLACK.
Black was symbol Of envy, for the
thoughts which aim at anUtFIer's injury,
cloud the soul and afflictt the body. The
book of laws treating OF dispositions
made in view of death was bound in
black. The sinister Significance of
black is we'll illustrated by what is told
of the ruthless Tartar amburlane.
When he attacked city he caused a
white tent to be pitched FOR himself on
the first day Of tie sfege, as a sign that
mercy would be shown to the inhabi-
tants it they immediately surrendered !;
on the second day red tent was sub
stituted sign'fying that if the city
Welded all the leaders would be put to
death; on tie third day, however, a
black tent was raised. an ominous signal
that no mercy world be shown and that
all the inhabitants would be slaugh-
tered.
Violet for a man denoted sober judg-
ment, industry and gravity; for a
woman, high thoughts and religious
love. ID was the color of the planet
Jupiter and Of Thursday. AS with blue,
the sapphire was conceived to present
violet most attractiveIy That the bull
should be selected as the animal re-
presented by this color probably arose
from some neurological connection witt
Jupiter, possibly the myth of EHrops
and the bull Violet was the color o.
old age and vas associated with the
number three. From the Saturday Even
ing Post.