Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-14

the wives of scholars or interpreters and
those of doctors and OF the traders which 60
to Pekfng. 1t is the lower classes that you
see upon the street with these green shawls
upon their heads. They do all kinds of
work In the house, and, IL they are rich
they live perhaps as well as the wives of
the mobiles. The mobiles seldom marry them
though they sometimes take them as con-
cubines. Most Of the rich men have con-
cubines, and some sport harems which
might be compared with those of Turkey
The extra wives are not kept in the wo-
man's quarters. but they have an estab-
lishment of their own In another part Of
the grounds. The only duty Of the concu-
bfne Is to keep clean and good-fookfng and
to please her master. Her daughters usual
ly marry the sons OF concubines, and her
sons get a portion Of the fathers property
though they have not as many rights as
his legitimate children. The women in
COrea are not much respected in the laws
Of the country as regards inheritance. The
son gets all the property. and the daugh-
tiers inherit nothing. Daughters are by no
means so welcome as sons, and a woman
who bears many girls Is considered a dis
grace to the clan.
Corean girls get most OF their fun in their
childhood. They trot around with the boys
and play as they will until they are seven
years old. They wear clothes like their
mothers. or. if they are poor, practically no
clothes at all. and they can do about as
they please. After the age of seven they
are not allowed to play outside of the walls
which surround the house. They are never
seen OH the streets, and as they grow older
their life becomes more and more Sc
cluded one. AT eight or nine they are
taught the Corean characters and how to
sew, to embroider and to keep house. They
are often engaged at ten, and are married
at thirteen and fourteen. 1t is curious
thing that they practically lose their names
after they are eleven. The custom is just
the reverse of ours. We often call girl
baby when she is little. The Coreans call
their girls by fixed names until they get to
be eleven, after which they are called
Aga or baby" In fact. all the girls of.
Corea over eleven are nicknamed baby"
and this name sticks to them until they are
married. Thus. an old maid Of sixty will
still be knocked about with the title of
baby. After woman Is married she
takes her husbands name and loses her
own She is known as her husbands wife,
and she Is universally addressed and spoken
OF rs such, except by her own father and
iamliy. VINO may still call her baby"
After she has children she Is known as the
mother OF the boys. For instance Mary
Jones. upon marrying John Smith. would
be called John Smiths wife" and If she
happened to have a boy named Jim, every
one in the village or town would speak of
her as little Jimmie Smiths mother
A woman never sees her husband before
she marries him, nor has she any part in
Eaki0 the engagement. The matter Is
carried on. as in China, through match
n akers, and 1t is customary for the groom
to furnish the money for the brides ward
robe. The swan is the emblem of marital
fidelity. and after the engagement has been
made, the bridegroom goes in state to the
house Of the father of the bride, carrying
white swan In his arms. There Is usually a
tent with spread table in II waiting for
him, and about this stand the r,atchmakers
and the BRIDES father. AS he comes in, he
places this swan on the table. and bows to
1t four times and a half. He then goes to
the other side OF the yard where the bride
sits In a hall. She rises as he comes up,
and she usually has a slave on each side of
her. holding her hand. SO that her long