The Love Ring

During the Boxer Uprising in China in 1899, an Australian naval officer, Lieutenant Robert Pride, fell in love with an educated Chinese woman, Lin. He bought her a beautiful jade and diamond engagement ring and was endeavouring to obtain permission to marry her from the authorities but was killed in the final Australian battle of the war. Lin found that she was pregnant, and the Peking Mission of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent her to an inland Mission at the small town of Tengehow, run by Henry and Elizabeth Luce. She looked after and educated their son, Henry, as well as her own when he was born. The Mission was closed and they were unable to take Lin with them. Because they had saved her life, when they departed she insisted they take the love ring, which was only to be passed in to a couple deeply in love. Lin was given a teaching post by the local community, and the Mission sent her money annually. Henry Luce became a highly succesful businessman, and married into wealth. After five years of marriage he came back from Europe unexpectedly to find his wife in bed with one of his friends. He had obtained the love ring from his mother to give to his wife, and threw it out of the window. Bewildered, he decided to kill himself, but there was a knocking at the door. It was a woman holding the ring. Her name was Joanne. Sensing he was beside himself, she walked with him, and ultimately they fell in love, and Joanne would become the recipient of the love ring. They decided to see the world, and went to England, Iraq, Greece, Crete, Italy and Egypt, studying the various archaelogical sites and meeting some of the world's leading archaeologists. They would have a daughter, Helene, named after Helen of Troy. She became an Olympic gold medallist in swimming, and then attended Oxford University. Her father died and her mother soon thereafter. As she was dying she gave the love ring to her daughter. While at Oxford she met a Chinese man, and incredibly it was Lin's grandson. She fell in love and was married, the ring serving as their wedding band. They decided to search for the Pride family and went to Australia. They found the family, who had records of the young naval officer who was killed. They were welcomed into the family, and felt that the ring and fate had brought the original romance into a marvellous conclusion. This love story covers the world as the ring is passed on from one in love to another.