The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-05-10
BecOming a GentIemnn in Corea.

1t Is very desirable to be a gentle
man, and enterprising members Of
the common classes are continually
striving for this end. The examin-
alton itself is most picturesque sight
1t Is held in large enclosure at the rear
OF the palace grounds proper. Here on
a large raised stone platform the King
sits SIT under canopy with his officials.
Inc contestants display their power upon
the targets prepared, or they squat upon
the ground by the thousand and write
away industriously. Each writer is per-
maps provided with an umbrella, stuck
INTO the ground at convenient angle
ior sheltering him from the sun or rain,
while by his side lies his bundle contain
ing food and writing materials, and his
stan, for perchance he has walked many
miles to be present on this occasion.
lhe day is general holiday at the capt.
tai, and nearly every house contains one
or more of these contestants from the
country, with their peculiar brimless
hats and their little packs upon their
backs. In about three days the decision
IS announced, and then the streets are
made lively with the gay procession of
the victorious ones as they parade the
public ways, dressed in bright colors,
wearing the court robe il sufficiently
high rank has been obtained, and riding
gayly caparisoned horses or donkeys,
while band of music precedes, followed
by gayly dressed dancer bearing the
diploma, which he flourishes in the air
as he postures in the presence of the
crowd.
Once having become a gentleman, the
Corean affects peculiar slow swinging
stride, and never breaks out into q rapid
'ge-as-you-please" gait. This peculiar
stride Is supposed to be caused by sitting
cross-legged so long in riding in the
chair, and seeing it one at once infers,
as is desired, that the person is gentle
man and accustomed to being borne
about from place to place rather than to
walking. Also the speech and manners
change with the promotion TO gentility.
A Corean can instantly detect a gentle
man by his form of speech. The vulgar
forms OF the commoner are dropped and
the more elegant expressions of the
gentleman are cultivated. While in
the house the gentleman is strict in en-
joining the observance of all the respect
due him from his women, children, rela-
tives and friends
With the laboring classes there is
more home life; they sit down together
to eat their meals, and they smoke when
and as they please; while the son or wife
Of gentleman may only smoke in his
presence on special permission Tobacco
is used universally in Corea. The child
learns to smoke in lighting the elders
pipe and he never forsakes its soothing
influence. The weed is never chewed,
but is smoked IN long-stemmed pipes
with brass bowls of generous caliber.
An official of some rank uses pipe with
a stem so long that he cannot light it if
he would, except by touching it to e coal
at some distance. When several of these
assemble in a room for Il
smoke and rest-their pipe bowls in a
common tray at one side of the room
there is littlespace left for promenading.
Fractions of time are reekoned by the
pipe, full OF tobacco, meaning the amount
of time ordinarily consumed in leisurely
smoking pipe of tobacco, which is
about equal to ten minutes. As is seen
in the following sentence: II went to
your house to see you; you were not in.
smoked one pipe of tobacco, and you
not having arrived, left. San Fran
CISCO ChronicLe.