The Washington herald., 1910-06-26
By DOROTHY HARMAS DAWSON.

jewelers. and goldsmiths the world over
sell more wedding rings in June than
during any other month OF the year. ibis
being accounted for from the fact that
June. the month OF the pearl and roses.
is also the month par excellence for mar
riages In many lands andthrough ages
a ring has been the symbol of marriage.
Young folk are seldom much In love with
antiquities, but here is an exception 10
the rule, for there are few things older
than the wedding ring, and in IL young
people have not yet lost their interest.
There has been much outcry against
rings political. but here is the all-domi-
mating, aIl-attractive. most influential Of
mergers and Of all combinations the
hardest TO break notwithstanding the
latest fad among certain group OF
smart young matrons in New York 20
leave off their wedding rings.
It Is reported In this connection that
the omission was regarded at first by the
few casual observers as a mere accident,
but more careful scrutiny showed 1t was
a deliberately formed habit. The other
dav one OF the older matrons ventured
70 comment on the fact 20 one of her
young married friends whose left hand
consciously was unadorned by any
plain gold band "Oh, I do not bother
with my wedding ring any more" re-
piled the younger woman. 1T Is so COM
monplaee and ordinary: you know. every
woman has one" Fifth avenue jew
eler. questioned on the subject. admit
ted few of his customers seemed TO take
much interest in wedding rings. I'VE
have TO make our wedding rings thinner
and lighter all the time" he said. for
our customers seem TO want them as In
conspicuous as possible. In fact. the
idea suggests itself irresistibly that the
wedding rings OF to-day are not meant
for such long and constant service as
were those slipped on the fingers Of the
grandmotheTs of our present fashionable
set
This little golden circlet has been en-
doWed with various meanings. In the
Isle OF Man, for instance. II was former
iy used as an instrument of torture. A
writer remarks that there once existed
= custom in that island according to
which an unmarried girl who had been
offended By a man could bring him 20
trial and IL he were found guilty she
would be presented with a sword. rope.
and q ring. With the sword she might
cut off his head. with the rope she might
hang him, OF with the ring she might
marry him. II is said that the latter
punishment wss that invariably in
flicted"
The wedding ring. which was tolerated
by the Methodists, was anathema 20 the
early Puritans, who regarded personal
adornment as one Of the many snares Of
Satan Wesley, who was High Church
man. probably recognized its symbolical
value In the old English marriage serv-
ice 1t was the custom for the bridegroom
10 put the ring on the thumb Of the
bride. saying, In the name Of the Faith
err then on the next finger. saying and
the Son." and then on the third finger,
saying "and OF the Holy Ghost" Finally
on the fourth finger with the word
Amen" The ring was left there. be-
cause as the Sarum rubric says "a vein
proceeds thence to the heart" In the
modern marriage service the ring IS
placed at once upon the third finger, the
invocation of the Trinity being under
stood. The wedding ring was the only
form of jewelry permitted to the early
Methodists, and there are people stlll liv-
have to make our wedding rings thinner
ing who recall how no longer than forty
years ago they were reproved by the old
Methodist ministers for breaking the
rules Of membership. which forbade land
technically forbid Methodists to wear
gold, jewels or costly apparel; but with
fine courtesy John Wesley knew when 10
| ignore breaches of his own regulations.