The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-24

and in summer she takes bath every
afternoon or evening. Her bathtub is big
jar, made of burnt clay, and in the sum-
rner her bath is cold. a. Corean lady sell
dom takes a nap in the daytime. These
Corean mobiles do nothing. They the
greatest professional loaferS on the globe,
but they think it would be lazy man who
take a nap when the sun is up.
The winter clothes of Corean lady are
often made of fur and of quilted silk. A
fur gown may cost as high as $lo9, and
quilted silk gown is sometimes worth So.
If she wears cotton she can be dressed for
81, and a lady can get good summer out
fit for 500. The clothes are made so that
they have to be ripped apart before they
are washed, and this is with many of
the garments of the men. Corean washing
is, in fact, about the biggest industry that
is carried on in the country. and | shall
speak further of it in another place. The
Corean lady seldom does any washing her
self. This is given over to the slaves. II
she is blue-blooded, poor and proud, she
may do some ironing behind the doors OF
her apartments, but she cannot be a lady
and go out to wash. The business of
Corean woman OF high rank is to keep the
accounts to boss the servants and TO now
and then pay social call upon her friends.
Some of the women are educated. That is,
they are taught to read and write Corean.
AS a rule. however, they are very ignorant.
There is q great difference in conditions
as regards the classes Of women. \ mid
die class woman when she meets the wife
of a noble has to address her in reverential
tones, and the lower classes bow down to
the middle classes. The middle class
men never so out of their houses except in
chairs and among them may be claSSed the
wives of scholars or Interpreters and those
of doctors and of the traders which go to
Picking. 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. if they are rich.
they live perhaps az wei as the wives of
the mobiles The mobiles seldom marry them,
though they sometimes take them as con-
cubnes. Most of the rich men have con-
cubnes. and some sport harems which
might be compared with those of Turkey.
The extra wives are not kept in the Wo-
mans quarters, but they have an establish
ment OF their own in another part OF the
grounds The only duty Of the concubine
is to keep clean and good looking and TO
please her master. Her daughters usually
marry the sons OF concubines, and her sons
get a portion OF the fathers property,
thoueh they have not as many rights as
Ills legitimate children The women in
Corea are not much respected in the laws
Of the country is regards inheritance. The
son gets al the property and the dauga-
tffs inherit nothing. Daughters are h%
no means 50 welcome as sons, and a wo-
man who bears many girls is considered a
disgrace to the clan.
Coreaa girls get. most Of their luU in
their childhood. They trOt around with
the boys and play rs they viii until they
are seven years old. Taey Wear clothes
like their mothers. or. il 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 70 play outside
Of the walls which surround the house
They are never seen on the streets, and as
they grow older their life becomes more
and more a secluded one. At eight or nine
they are taught the Corean characters ana
how to sew, to embroider and to keep house.
They are often engaged at ten, and are
married at thirteen and fourteen. II IS
curious thing that they practically lose
their names after they are eleven. The
custom is Just the reverse of ours. We Of
ten call a girl baby" when she Is little.
The Coleans call their gir.s by fixed names
until they set to be eleven, after which they
are called Aga" or baby" In fact, all
the girls of Corea over eleven are nick
named 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 q woman
is married she takes her husbands name
and loses her own. She is known as her
husbands wife, and she is universally adj
dressed and spoken of as such, except by
her own father ana family, VINO may stun
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 smith $
vile" and if she happened to have boy
named Jim every one in the village or
town would speak Of her as little Jimmie
Smiths mother.