Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-04-21
The Rcmance OF The Sapphire.

ring. he wants a diamond. He thinks
nothing can be too good for his hearts
choice. So with a kiss and hug and
an avowal Of everlasting love he slips
the ring on her dainty finger. To him
the set is as genuine as his Jill, and
it MAJ be. But there are tricks in all
trades, likewise profteers; so the
diamond may be merely male-believe,
and just a sapphire.
Externally the diamond and the
sapphire are much alike. In expen-
siveness, however, they differ ire
mendously. The two infallible tests
consist OF hardness and specific grav-
ity, the diamond possessing a greater
degree of each. Should Jack ever sus-
pect that Jill's ring is sapphire
vicariously serving as a diamond, he
can readily ascertain the truth and
follow it up with grimace or a con-
tented smile, a grimace if he has been
deceived, smile if he has not
That's about the only sort Of
romance the poor sapphire can have
nowadays In the long ago, however,
1t played a noble part; and often, in
deed, it was Cupid's aid. Did Jill get
bit of dust in one of her eyes? Jack
would come a-running, grab up the
cyestone, and then apply it carefully
to the injured organ. This action
presented an excellent opportunity for
love-making, for Jack would talk to
Jill and Jill would talk back while the
oval sapphire extracted the dust or
grit, or failed to.
Why did the stone ever fail? There
were many possible slips just as there
were many recipes for its use. The
advocates Of the varic.,s m ;thods cou}d
never agree. Some said the stones
should be heated and wrapped in cloth;
others said it should be heated but
never wrapped. A few seers contend.
ed it should be washed before and also
after use. But other seers averred the
sapphire would not perform its work
as an eye-stone if it were twice wash
ed, once was sufficient; yet there were
two camps Of these, the before users
and the after-users. Altogether the
poor eye-stone had a most miserable.
abominable time while the philosoph-
ers and doctors thought up alibis for
it, and painstakingly justified its ex-
| istence.
Perhaps the most famous Of these
! 9 l,ot -,
Old St. Paul's in London. In 1891 ii
had been given by Orchard de Preston,
! Citizen and Grocer of that city, for the
cure of infirmities in the eyes of those
thus afflicted who might resort TO it,"
If rubbed on the eyes in cases of small
pox, it would preserve them from in
jury. Charles V OF France possessed
one of these valuable pieces; for in an
inventory he noted can oval Oriental
Sapphire for touching the eyes, set in
band of gold.' AS late as 1913 il was
said that if any one looked long and
intently at sapphire his eyes would
be protected from all injury and that
nothing harmful could befall them.
II Jack ever suspected his Jill and
feared she was not true to him. he
could test his sweetheart with a sap
phire. Let her wear it next her breast
and over her heart throughout three
hours. If the stone took on darker
hue, poor Jack might know that his af
fections had been misplaced; on the
other hand, if the gem showed no
change, he would regard his Jill as i'm
maculate. Jacks rival, the villain
would contrive whenever he could
to have the test start at or about four
O'Clock in the afternoon. He had
very good reason; for he had pene-
trated the then unknown and discover
ed that the gem invariably appeared
darker by the feeble light of candles
or torches. And of course, he always
wanted Jill to be proved untrue so that
he might have her as his very own.
These quaint people of the four
teenth century, of the Middle Ages, had
the most unique ideas that you can
imagine. They declared the sapphires
themselves had romances, that the
dark stones were gentleman sarpmres
and the lighter ones. those ofeale blue
approaching white, were ne lady sap
phlres. The stones we're endowed
with sex; and occasionally, as in all
worthy families, babies came, so it
was believed. Certain supposedly
honest souls would relate how thew
had fomiciled two stones Of opposite
SIX, and later been gratifed by the dis
cOverY Of a newcomer