The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
NONEN'S PLACE IN KOREA.
Not Enviable According to Our Ideas.
Hannah TwitcheH. in the American
Woman's Journal

Not Enviable According to Our Ideas.
Hannah Twitcheu. in the American
Woman's Journal
In all Oriental countries the position of
women is uaenviable. but in Korea she
has little more importance than an ami
nal or an article of furniture. She is sat
isfied, too. with her subjugation. Her
severe training has so moulded her for
generations that she not only submits
herself to her mode of life, but she even
considers her sacrifice a privilege.
Marriage is the chief end of her exis-
tence, as il is among many more civilized
classes; IN fact il is the sole object OF her
creation Virtue is necessity; her whole
training is TO ensure her absolute chasti-
", to secure her a master.
When girl is born, she is not even dig
nihed by name. Several names are writ
ten on slips of paper and placed in an urn
before some favorite deity, and when il is
necessary her godfather selects one with
out seeing it and she is known by it until
she reaches womanhood, among the mem
bers of her own family; strangers desig-
nate her as the wife mother. sister. or
daughter of such or such man. This is
not merely the result of custom. The laws
are strict in this matter and hold a woman
of little more consequence than domestic
animal.
In the higher classes Of society the girls
are separated from the boys of the family
at the age of years. They occupy the
apartments of women and are forbidden to
communicate with any on the outside. Fol-
lowing the moral precept of Confucius to
the letter, il is regarded sinful for persons
of different sexes to live together in the
same household
These girls learn to read and write,
cipher, and 10 do different kinds of handi-
work, at which they are very skilltul.
They also study morality, poetry, and de-
vote much time to the observance Of the
ceremonies which accompany even the
common acts of life. They seldom so out
or receive company. Later in life they
are not allowed TO eat with any male mem
Der Of the family or appear at any recep-
tions.
All these precautions do not prevent &C.
casonal clandestme love affairs, but the
most violent passion can only show itself
By signs and gestures. a father has the
right to kin his daughter if she allows any
one TO touch her hand. From this 1t fol-
lows that all courtship is done by inter
mediates. The names of the parties are
even withheld from each other. As soon
as her engagement has been made the
young Korean girl IS more secluded than
ever; only her parents and sisters may
approach her
When her marriage day arrives the
father. whose claim TO her is slight, as
he is only her guardian, or trainer, rather,
SAYS to her: LAS soon rs you cross the
threshold of your fathers house new
life will commence for you. You must
obey your husband and his parents in
all things" There is no question of dowry.
A Korean would think it a disgrace to
gain anything from a woman. Still, If
a girl is undesirable her husband Is some
times bought for her.
The bride-elect is dressed entirely in
white silk: her outer robe is richly en-
broidered also in white In the afternoon
of her wedding day the pair are intro
duced to each other for the first time,
and the families with their guests sit
down to a banquet. The rooms are Law
ishlv decorated and the repast is deli
cate but plentiful. Intoxicating liquors
are very rare, but fragrant teas take
their place. The guests dip their fine
porcelain cups in bowl of water after
drinking their tea, then exchange with
their neghbors. Towards midnight the
intermediates solemnly conduct the happy
couple to the nuptial chamber.
If the groom be disappointed in the OBJ
ject Of his choice the marriage is at once
annulled. After the wane of the honey
moon the husband seldom converses IA
miliarly with his wife. She always adj
ways addresses him as Sir and never
speaks TO him unless first addressed. lie
never consults with her, and has the
same authority over her as the father
over the daughter.
on the first day after his marriage the
young Korean dons black clothes as
symbol of his change of life, ana if he
is noble he psrdons all criminals on his
estate. on the second day he goes with
his wife to the temple to invoke his bless
ings to the gods, on the third he takes his
wife for a farewell visit to her fathers
house After that she neither goes out,
receives company, nor even looks out of
the window without her husbands per-
mission.
If her husband dies she devotes herself
entirely to his parents. and if she has a
son she obeys him as she does her father
in-Iaw. her husband, her father. or her
brother. She may be divorced if she be-
comes an invalid
This barbarous condition offers little
encouragement to European civilization.
These people have all the conceit of their
neighbors, the Chinese, and have the most
profound contempt for Europeans, whom
they consider slaves of their wives; the
depth OF degradation in their estimation.