The herald., 1897-02-28

rank. The fullness of the skirt too. in
the costumes of both Minister and Mrs
Ye, indicate their high degree-for in
Korea the fuller the skirt and the more
petticoats under it the higher the rank
of the wearer.
THE YE FAMILY
The couple have two sons, the eldest
of whom remained at home to look after
the ancestral estates. The little son
here is named Chin We Ye, and is a
bright little laddie, who is rapidly mas
tering the intricacies of our language
He attends kindergarten, and is also
taught English and Chinese by a tutor
in the legation. He wears his hair in
the style of all youthful Koreans since
the days of Confucius-parted in the
middle and drawn down over the ears
into two braids behind, something as
American ladies wore their hair before
the war. At the age of 10 years it will
be "shingled" and if in his own coun-
try when engaged to be married he will
signalize that event by donning yell
low straw hat, which he will never leave
off-at least by day-until with matri-
mony he falls heir to a transparent
horse-hair tile, such as distinguishes his
tall parent and other grown-up Kore-
ans.
THEIR ATTACHES.
There are several able diplomats, in
the legation, The two secretaries,
Bong Sum PAX ard Ton f Ye, were both
here during Mr.. Soh's regime, and rem
! dered such excellent service that they
have lately been granted the honorable
title of 1ung Gam, which is equivalent
to the rank of baron and entities them
to wear the plastron bearing two cranes
Among the attaches are Mr. Koi Sok
1e and Mr.. Foster Jennings. The for
mer is an elderly gentleman ard very
eminent scholar, versed in the classics
Of Confucius and Buddha and the long
cycles of his country's history. His
writings in Chinese characters stand out
on the Korean paper (Which is made
from the bark of tree) like steel cuts
ard he executes it with lightning rapid
ity. Mr. Jennings is the English inter-
prefer, who has given such good salts
faction to his employers that the king
Of Korea lately conferred upon him the
degree Of Shok L Shan, ard sent him
the stunning green silk robe and tall hat
which his rank entities him to wear, to-
gether with the decoration of one crane
For more than .000 years Korea has had
a sort of civil service similar to our new
system, which includes competitive ex-
animation for minor civil positions.
Even so was it written by Confucius
himself in the book of rites, which is the
answering law Of this nation.
THEIR HOME.
Taken all in all, there is no more Gu
rious place in Washington than the
house Of the urpre tertious exterior on
Iowa circle, where these people live
The Koreans are remarka BILE race OF
skilled worlsmer. whose lorg, yellow
fingers seem endowed with inventive
genius. Their siken fabrics surpass in
fineaess and artistic beausy of pattern
the rarest Productions of China and
Japan. Their pottery ard bronze ard
lacquer-wOrk are also unsurpassed in
artistic grotesqueness, speaking of
Buddhism and Confucius ard Oriental
mythology from the morning twilight of
timt< One seeH the legends reproduced
in the carvings of the Lakewood furni-
ture, the bronze lamps and rare table
service, the embroidered hangings and
rugs, and everything in the legation,
Madame Ye herself is a tireless reedle-
woman, doing endless storl1s and gods
and grotesque figures on silk and satin.
She makes her own gowns, too, ard those
of the little We Ye; and it is said that
she even fashions some of the ambas-
sadors' clothes-for in all this to them)
heather country there is no Korean
tailor. BRIGHAM.