The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-07-14
Something t0
Think Hb0nf
MEMS WEDDING RINGS.
By r. 4. WALKER

Il most things accurately and well
published the news that in its city
the use Of wedding rings for men Is
gaining rapidly In popularity.
This Is interesting and important II
Il means that men are coming TO TAX.
he marriage ceremony and its voRs
more seriously and that the divorce
ate is as a consequence 70 cease IN
It's upward trend.
The wedding ring Is a relic % saw.
icery. II j. probably a descendant of
be metal bracelet AMI chain by which
he earlier tribes 81 men assured them.
selves that their spouses would not
Wander away from the house domicile
While The master Of the house was
away hunting.
Some more engaging wife. having
-Onyinced her ig~band Of unques,ion.
bile fidelity was rewarded by hayiu-
be bracelet replaced by the ring and
he chain done away with altogether
The ring BY itself showed that she
vas married. The absence % the
chain said. Here is an exceptionally
dne wife" That fattered and pleased
both parties.
But II the modern woman Is ex
pccted 10 wear a wedding ring and
idyertise her married position. What
good reason is there why the husband
should not be marked IN an equally
prominent manner and his Limitations
If freedom equally advertised?
An old custom OF the marriage cere-
mony consisted Of putting the wedding
ring first on the thumb. then on the
first fuger. then on tie second. speak.
ing the names Of the Trinity as the
ceremony proceeded, and. finally. when
II rested on the third finger. II was
supposed TO signify that next 10 her
luties to God the wife recognized her
iutles to her husband.
OF course, IL ought not to require q
| ring or any other form of emblem TO
make a man or a woman hold sacred
the vows OF the altai. II a thin band
4 gold or platinum Is all that re
! strains either one OF them from wan
lering. then the divorce court is not
very far away.
To most women the wedding ring
is very sacred thing. II is the last
thing that goes to the pawnshop wher
adyerslty demands It's toll. Just how
| much II means TO the men, who In
accordance with the new custom will
wear II. is a question that only test
viii settle.
The question of divorce in this coun.
-ry is fast getting TO Doe Of such dlmen-
dons as TO demand serious corrective
] attention.
In twenty years the number OF d..
yorces granted annually has increased
from about GOOOO 70 $4,000 with o
Total in the twenty years Of nearly
,wo millions.
! In Nevada there are almost as many
llvoTces as there are marriages, but.
since Nevada has been the resort Of
many citizens from other states seek.
ng freedom from marital ties, II may
be falreP TO point To Oregon which
las only two and a half times as many
marriages as divorces.
IN six counties In four states the
record shows 80 per cent more di.
vorces than marriages.
The innocent parties to these dis.
agreements are the children and In
the past 20 years more than l.3OO,OcI
sons and daughters OF disagreelnc
parents have been involved In the
.ourt proceedings which followed the
desire for separation.
In many states It has come TO be
'asier to get divorced than It Is To get
married. Scarcely two states have di.
vorce laws alike and what Is Illegal
In one state becomes perfectly all
Eight so far as the statutes go the
minute the imaginary line between 4
md another commonwealth Is crossed
Perhaps the custom OF wedding
'ings for men will have good effeci
on the bad record recited above.
Perhaps. on the other hand, the mer
viii wear their badges Of matrimon!
IN their vest pockets whenever they
hink more conspicuous display vii
interfere with an evening little gay
r than they would have NJ home.
But whatever means Is necessary fo
the correction Of present conditions
should be determined and put int
force.
Marriage should be made less Of 1
farce and divorce less Of joke than
present records show both to be.
The marriage relation is an impor
ant part OF our civilization. II mer
us more attention and more perfec
lion than II Is NJ present receiving.
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