THE THIMBLE | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 3, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 43.

THE THIMBLE.

DID you ever take the trouble to look up the history of the curious little bell-shaped indented piece of metal you wear on your finger when sewing, and which you are contented to call your thimble? It is a Dutch invention, and was taken to England in 1695 by one John Lofting. Its name was derived from the words "thumb" and "bell," being for a long while worn on that member, and called the thumbel; only within the last 150 years has the word "evoluted" into "thimble." All records say the thimble was first worn on the thumb, but we can scarcely conceive how it would be of much use there. Formerly it was made of brass and iron only, but of late years steel, silver, gold, horn, ivory, celluloid, and even pearl and glass have been used in its manufacture. A thimble owned by the queen consort of Siam is shaped like a lotus, of solid gold, thickly studded with diamonds, which are so arranged as to form the lady's name and the date of her birth and marriage. Queen Victoria has a very valuable gold and diamond set thimble, upon which are engraved many historical scenes from English history.—Northwestern Christian Advocate.