The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-03

| he followed her at a respectful diStanc,
until she entered a gate in a compound
which was occupied by houses such a.
are tenanted by the second of the thre,
ranks of society into which the people
of Corea are divided. Kim scarcely
knew what steps to take next, but re-
| memberlng a certain gossip named
Tung, of whom he had. often as Cd
portunity offered, purchased small
amounts of rice, cakes and bean jelly
in the vicinity, he sought him ins his
shop to make inquiries concerning the
! young lady he had seen, for such shops
/ IN Seoul, as is often the case with cor
ner groceries in our own cities, con-
stitute the centers of information con-
/ corning the affairs of the neighborhoOd
/ Tung, however. could tell him little
more of his enchantress than that her
parents were dead and that she lived
! with an old uncle named Wi-so, who
| treated her cruelty and often beat her
! Tung proposed that his wife, Lii, should
act as go-between, and if Wi-so con-
sented, make due arrangements for the
SIX customs ceremony Exchange OF
presents, contracts aud letters and the
wedding feast), and sacrifice at the
temple.
On Lis visit Wi-so received her very
cordially but, hearing her proposal,
he asked so many questions concerning
become
his nephew, she despaired of a favor
able answer. She, however, succeeded
in acting and speaking in so diplomatic
manner that Wi-so began to think
Kim must be a wealthy official, who,
having by chance seen and fallen in
love with is niece, was willing to forego
his high rank and consent to an ;tlli-
ance with a family far below him in
wealth and station. He therefore eX-
tir.a Will ir,cr I,ra
match should be made, but stipulated,
as a mere matter of form, that the
prospective bridegroom should send
him present of two ponies loaded
with cash, the cumbrous coinage of the
country. 1t is true two ponies could
not possibly carry more than $4,000
coins, which are equivalent to about
only $50 in our money, but it might
have been pennies or pounds as far
as possibility, on Kim's part of rails
ing any such sum was concerned. Tu1g
and his wife Ii. however, knowing
nothing of Kim'S poverty, were de-
lighted with their success, and at Kim S
lnStigation proposed a personal inter-
view between the parties most inter-
eSted in the matter, to which, to their
surprise, for such a thing is not GUS
tomary in Seoul, the young woman, to
whom the affair was brOached,a at once
consented. This, however, it may be
taken for granted, was a part of the
business of which Uncle Wi-so knew
nothing
THE BURNED HANDS.
AS Kim entered the room behind
lungs shop the young girl rose to meet
him. Il wished to see you,' she said,
to show you the hand you have asked
in marriage" she held it toward him
as she spoke. 1t has been badly
burned" was all that he could say
Yes" she replied and had you not
rescued me from the flames which had
seized upon my hand they would have
devoured me entirely. That was sew
eral years ago. l was a mere child at
the time" Her voice as she spoke
sounded to Kim as does the murmur
of running waters to one periShing of
thirst
What 1 have rescued from the fire
[ claim as my own said Kim. You
must have a beautiful name TO CORE
spoud with SO beautiful a person.
My name" said she. is Kim pull
la-go (oriole)) Kim pul-la-go means
Tell Kim-to-co
This is strange" said Kim. we
must indeed belong to each other. l
remember a certain dream about
golden bird whose name was an lnVI-
tation, who was burned and beaten.
Pray, my golden bird, what is the Sc
cret of the crimson sandal?'
''Ahi" cried -pul-la-go, trem-
bling, who has told you this. Every
thing has been revealed to me by
Kiang -Ho, the moon mother. But even
I cannot tell you yet. Alas you will
know soon enough.
Scarcely had she spoken when old
Wi-so, accompanied by a number of
Yamen runners, burst into the room,
and loudly denouncing Kim as
scoundrel and imposter. ordered him to
be bound and carried away to prison.
You pretend to be a prince, shouted
Wi-so. You have allowed me to be-
lieve you wealthy. l make inquiry and
find you are nothing better than
starving rat or a beggar. | call at
your palace and find it is a mere howell.
1t was represented to me that you are
honest, and yet here is my niece, whom
you are endeavOring to steal away
from me. Thank heaveni the magiS-
trate Of the precinct is my friend and
allows me this guard of honor to escort /
my proposed princely paup>r nephew
to his proper palace, the common jail, /
and, moreover, l shall see to it when he
is released that his feet are in no con-
dition to carry off the heiress he
thought to obtain so easily Refusing /
to listen to a word of what Kim-pul- /
a-go strove to tell him, that Kim had
once saved uncle and niece from per- !
shing in Their burning house, he left !
the shop with his guard and did not |
quit them until he saw Kim securely /
bound and thrown into prison.
KIN'S UNKNOWN FRIEND
The next day Kim was dragged be- /
fore the magistrate and condemned to /
/ fOrtnightS Imprisonment, and then, /
at the suggestion of Wi-SO, TO walk in /
his sandals after they had been driven /
-ull of sharp projecting iron spikes, /
from the prison door to his dwelling !
place. Before the execution of the last J.
part of Kim's sentence could be in |
1icted, his two constant companions, !
want and misery, were joined by a /
.hird, Yim-pyung, the dreaded fever, /
but sick and helpless as he lay neither |
he rigor of his Imprisonment nor the /
to cruel torture. under /
which he lay were remitted. Had it not |
been for food and medicine brought /
him by Tung death must have released /
him from suffering. Tung informed |
him that an unknown friend not only |
furnished what had been brought him, |
out had provided a substitute who for |
a suitable compensation, which had |
also been provided, was willing to take |
Kims place and wear the spiked san
ials. Such vicarious punishment is
quite common in COrea, where justice /
S so blind that, as long as a back is /
presented to receive her rod, she knows |
not or cares whose back it is.
When Kims term of imprisonment |
lad expired and, supported by Tung.
he tottered to the prison door, now I'M
barred and thrown open, he found a
liter prepared for him in which he was
carried to lungs house. Here he lay
of