Rings for the finger : $b from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.Kunz, George Frederick
History
Rings for the finger : $b from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.
Kunz, George Frederick
Rings; Rings -- Folklore
A type of ring of occasional use, not distantly related to the wedding
ring, comprises the so-called “pacifying,” or teething rings, generally
made of ivory, rubber or celluloid, and large enough for one or two
fingers of a child. Diagonally on the hoop is a flat, circular piece of
the same material as that of which the ring is made, and which prevents
it from slipping into the mouth of the child. Upon this flat piece is
mounted a small bit of rubber or ivory for the child to suck or bite
upon, to develop its teeth, or at least to keep it quiet.
What might be called a “Latitude and Longitude Ring,” would be an
attractive memento of engagement and marriage. There would be a narrow
band showing, around it, a degree of latitude marked with longitudes,
and having a small star at the place where the parties became engaged,
and a double star at the spot where they were married.
A few appropriate inscriptions on modern engagement rings are as
follows: “Our engagement”; “My love to thine”; “To her who merits all
my love”; “To my Pet”; “To my ‘Chiquita’ from Bill,” this last in
Spanish. In a more serious vein we have: “Time-Eternity,” and “Perfect
love casteth out fear.” Occasionally there is a note of sadness, as
appears in the inscription: “Faithful, but unhappy.” A ring bearing the
words “Stick to me, my darling” may show that the fiancé was a trifle
distrustful of his lady love’s constancy; another who sets in his ring
“Firm and True” makes us infer that he had more faith. The three words
“Bessie sweet sixteen” show that early engagements sometimes occur
even in our sophisticated age. On ornaments other than rings, bestowed
in connection with either engagement or marriage, we read: “My heart I
take not back from thee. H. B. L.” and “Thine own wish, wish I thee. A.
B. T. & R. V. P.” A curious inscription runs: “A nasty cold face and
metal eye,” and we have: “For my sake wear this, it is a manacle of
love.” Modern wedding rings are often inscribed with pious sentiments,
such, for instance, as: “All for Jesus”; “Each for the other, both for
God”; “Our unity is Christ”; “Mercifully ordain that we may grow old
together”; “In Christ and in Thee my comfort shall be”; “God gave thee
to me”; “Through weal and through woe, to each other on earth, to God
in Heaven. Always true to Bertha.” A somewhat philosophic sentiment
appears in the words: “Ultimate Good, not present pleasure.” Latin
inscriptions are now quite rare, but here is one: “Si Deus nobiscum,
quis contra nos?” (If God be with us, who can be against us?)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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