The herald., 1897-07-04
PETTICOATS
In Washington That Are
Making a Stir
CoREA's FUTURE KING
PERHAPS, IN SEARCH OF AN
AMERICAN BRIDE
KING
Mrs. Magnusson,a a Fair Icelander, and
Her Mission-Secretary Alger's
Daughter to Wed
Special Correspondence to The Herald.

Special Correspondence to The Herald.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 26.-Pub-
lie attention is about equally divided
thls week between Flu Wha Koon, real
live prince from the Hermit Kingdom
and fair Icelander, Nine. Sigride Mag
nusson of Reykiavik. The former is the
second son of the king of Corea, a COM
lnon-place od-natured looking man,
short, smooth-faced and we'll along in
his thlrties, who comes with the avowel
intention of entering one of our colleges
as student. He is accompanied by Mr..
PAX Wong Kiu, formerly the Corean
charge d'affaires in Washington, and
Mr.. Six Song Goo, bowling swell of the
Orient, and gorgeous brocades and
swans galore; but whether the suite will
also attend school has not been stated.
Besides perfecting himself in the Eng
llSh language and other branches the
prince will also study our methods of
government and the causes which have
made ours the greatest republic on
earth,' as he pleasantly says, and be-
come equipped with the latest uuirks of
modern civilization, with a view to
transferring the same to his own country
when he shall become the ruler thereof
In all probability our petticoated Wis
ltor Will be the next king of CHI oa- -Hsien.
Tor his father is old and feeble and the
eldest son, the present crown prince, is
mentally deficient, besides being in very
poor physical health. But it seems that
even in the Land of the Morning Calm
there are wheels within wheels" in the
government machine. According to the
Book OF Kites certain nephew of the
present king has some claims to the
throne in case the eldest son cannot sue
ceed his father; and, as one might ex-
pect, the nephew is the traditional viii
lain OF the play, who would stop at
nothing, even murder, to further his am
bition. Therefore Prince Koon finds it
well to absent himself for a time. and
meanwhile, knowing that knowledge is
power, Will strengthen his ability to
cope with the difficult problems that
may presently face him by an all around
thorough education. That he has cho-
sen America for an abiding place until
ne comes into his own is looked upon a G
a great compliment by obervers of in
ternational affairs. Most Oriental DO
tentates favor Paris, London, Berlin.
Vienna and particularly St. Petersburg,
Tor educational purposes. You should
see Prince Eiu Wha Koon when he is
dressed up! Always gorgeous in eat
ern brocades and jeweled ornaments
when he went to pay a ceremonious
visit to President Mckinley his court
costume, of heavy white silk embroid-
cred all over with golden swans on the
back and front. absolutely defies de-
scription. At all times Except, perhaps.
in bed) he wears very tall hat of woven
horsehair, which betokens exalted ranl,
in Corea. In size and shape it resembles
an exaggerated section of stoyepipe with
jade buttons set each side the forehead
and wide flats standing straight ont
above the ears like the binders of
horse turned outwards 1t is Whispered
that here is chance for some marriage
able American girl to become the future
queen of the Hermit Kingdom-or. rath-
er, one of them; and that filthy lucre
need not figure in the transaction. for
the family of Eiu Wha Koon has plenty
of it,
Nine. Magnusson is here on mission
designed to benefit the women of her ma
tive land in the way of higher educa
ton. 1t seems that the men of Iceland
are well provided with schools, and col
leges, but mothers are supposed to teach
their daughters all they should know.
and as mothers are entirely uneducated
their teachings are Of course restricted
In Reykijavik, capital of Iceland. there
ls an excellent Latin college for bows
and after graduating from it they enter
either theological or medical college
in the same city, or else are fitted for the
university at Copenhagen Some of
these colleges were endowed al far bacl,
as the middle ages; but no provision ha :,
ever been made for the education of
girls. Born in Iceland, Mime. Sigride
long ago became the wife of Prof. Eirike
Magnusson, distinguished scholar
translator of Icelandic literature and for
many years sub-libraran of the Uni
versity library at Cambridge England.
After marriage, she went to England to
live, but has always spent her summers
in Iceland. Mingling with women who
nave received advantages in learning
which are denied her countrywomen,
she determined to better the condition OF
the latter. Having enlisted the sympa-
thies of her English friends, drawing
money from her own resources and OBJ
tanning contributions wherever posi-
BILE, she managed to start the first high
school for girls in Iceland, furnished
with fifteen beds for pupils from dis
tance. They came flocking from all
parts of the country; a great many more
than she could accommodate, some hav-
Ing ridden several days on horseback to
reach Reykijavik. Great care was exer-
cis'ed in the selection of teachers and
besides the ordinary branches, the cur
riculum included Danish literature, his
tory, English, singing, sewing, cooking
and calisthenics. But in one year the
funds were exhausted, and now Nine
Magrusson is trying to raise money to
continue the good work. Among her
friends and helpers are many prominent
people, including Lady Somerset, Miss
Frances Willard, Mrs. Russell Sage of
New York, and several New England
educators In Washington her effici- |
ent patronesses are Mrs. Alger, Mrs
Gage, Mrs. Gary and many other we'll
known ladies' A number of receptions
have been given her in fashionable
houses at each of which she pleads the
cause of her heart, with considerable |
financial results Though past middle /
age, she is an extremely attractive per-
son, with fine, intellectual face and
great culture her own education having
beeu obtained after marriage Sh5 |