is of bright burnished gold, perfectly plain. The date
of the wedding and the initials of the happy pair should be engraved on
the inside. The ring is confided to the best man, who produces it at the
proper time during the ceremony.

It is customary for a prospective bridegroom to purchase or, rather, to
have a wedding outfit made. Very elaborate affairs of this kind are not
in good taste, and anything which suggests the occasion is certainly
vulgar. Beyond the clothes for the ceremony, there should be a general
overhauling of the wardrobe and shirts, undervests, underclothes,
handkerchiefs, and such articles must, if any of them are needed or have
fallen into decay, be supplied or renewed. All this is a matter of
taste.

_The bachelor farewell dinner_ is now a recognized institution. Perhaps
next to the ceremony itself, it is regarded as the most important social
function of the wedding week.

If you are a member of a club, your farewell dinner should be given
there in one of the private dining rooms. Otherwise it is perfectly
correct to have it at a well-known restaurant or hotel, in, of course, a
private dining room. You may have it at your own house, and, should your
parents be living and you reside with them, it can be given at home.
The club, however, is really first choice. Sometimes the strictly
bachelor dinner is dispensed with, and in its stead a dinner is given to
the entire bridal party by the family of the bride. This does away with
the presumed selfishness of the "stag" dinner, and the possible excuse
for some one or more of the guests to become exhilarated--a _finale_, I
am grieved to say, that has happened on more than one occasion.

At the stag dinner you should have your best man, your ushers, and
several of your friends. You can invite a married man or so, especially
if he is a very jolly fellow, and it is expected that some one or more
of your bride's relatives will be included. Twelve is a good number,
but, of course, never thirteen, because women are generally
superstitious, and should this become known to your future one it might
cause her great mental anxiety.

The gloves, ties, and tie or scarf pins to be given to the best man and
ushers are placed in white boxes tied with white satin ribbon and put in
the outer room to be handed to each man as he bids adieu. Perhaps it
might be more prudent to place them at the covers, but it would hardly
be good form, as there would be in that case severa