The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11

at each otner across SoTed' Vic L"N ~
the Morning Calm retains its composure
and pursues an existence comparable &c
nothing outside Of comic opera.
A land in which the dynasty was hatcheo
from an egg; in which the men dress like
old women; in which bachelor, Though
an old man, is regarded as an in1ant' IL
called by pet name and talked to In oaoy
talk; in which boys are invariably married
to women; in which men at nightfah are
expected to stay indoors and let their wives
roam the streets and gossip with theil
friends: in which the poor take plain pills
and the rich have their pills decorated ana
gilded, is truly the land Of the libretto.
China is the parent OF Corea. IN the
mists of ages the favorite OF the King OF
a Chinese province, wandering by the
river, saw a glistening vapor which noateo
into her bosom and became an egg. From
this was Matched boy, whom the enraged
King threw to the pigs.
But the kindly pigs fed him with their
breath, and the King, believing that heaven
willed that the boy should live, took MN
into the royal household, where he was
called the Light of the East.
The boy was skilled in archery, SURPRISING
every one. The King became jealous, and
the boy fed.
Coming to the River Yalu, he shot an
arrow into the stream. and thousands Oh
fish came and made bridge Of their bodies
that he might pass over. When his pur-
s,ers arrived at the st ream the fnny bridge
swan away and they were left helpless
The Light of the East found an amiaole
people on the other side, who made MN
their King. Thus the King OF Corea Is
regarded to-day as the Son OF Heaven.
In point of fact, he is the son OF Tai
won-Kun, and was appointed to the throne
by the Dowager Queen Che. His father
and elder brother are his subjects, for
primogeniture does not obtain In the
Orient.
Lii Hsi, as the Corean Emperor is called,
Is an amiable gentleman OF 80, at present
a widower-H a gentleman with 100 con-
cubines may be called a widower. Queen
Min, who was murdered by the Japanese.
was. the Americans living in Seoul say,
a woman whose mental powers surpassed
even those Of that very remarkable woman.
the Empress Dowager Of China.
For over thirty years she was the power
behind the Internationally behind the
throne, for the Queen, no more than any
other Corean woman, could be viewed by
mon other than those Of her immediate
family. The most subtle diplomacy was
conducted from behind q screen, and 20
ably that the only resource Of her enemies
was to kill her.
Even this murder had it's enlivening
features The American missionaries. who
were tho only people in Seoul that the King
=, could then trust, took turns In guarding
the King and the Crown Prince while they
slept. Another missionary and his wife
cooked all the food that the hapless pair
ate, sending 1t to them in locked box.
lest, after the Oriental fashion, they should
be poisoned,
Now enters the Lady ON, concubine
No. 1. Lady ON announced venerable
aunt with sudden cramps. 1t was necessary
that she should leave the palace for her
home, and Lady ON would accompany her.
Two palanquins we're ordered. and in
the seclusion OF the womsn's quarters
the King and the Crown Prince were
bundled in and escaped safely from the
palace, where they were virtually pris-
oners, for haven at the Russian Legation.
It must be understood that in Corea not
even the boldest Of secret service men
would dare to look into a woman's palan-
quin.
Naturally, ever since, Lady ON has had
her hopes Of advancement.
1t is not amusing to be widower in
Corea. For three years the unfortunate
must abstain from all pleasure, and go
about with a sort Of gunny bag veil SCREEN
ing his face. Discipline of this sort facili-
tates marriage.
Nevertheless, the King has thus far
evaded the Lady ON. She has her faction,
which ascribes every national evil to the
Kings failure to take unto himself new
Queen, and has memorialized the King In
her behalf.
Memorializing Is one OF the oocupa-
tions Of Seoul. In front Of the palace
gates the sightseer never fails to behold q
couple of men squatting behind low stool
on which lies roll of paper. This is the
memorial.
There are memorials about everything
under the sun. Here they sit day after day,
for time is Of no consequence in Corea
Perhaps in time the memorial reaches the
King, who in time responds, perhaps In the
summary fashion in which he responded to
the memorial concerning Lady ON.
April 81, 1897 Reply TO Kim Kon yok
and others. Your views are quite patriotic.
but the Government has laws and ceremonies
which do not require your suggestions. There
fore, you need not confuse us any more by
sending us memorials. You are therefore
ordered to go away
The Kings edicts might be issued by the
Sultan OF comic opera. After the Chinese
Japanese war, which gave Corea its inde-
pendence, the King determined to be abreast
OF the times.
The army was taken out Of its petticoats
and put into trousers, and the King ordered
that the most sacred object, the topknot,
as their gun-trigger style Of hair dressing
is called, be cut of. Thus the edict ran:
Laws and rules proceed from the King
Treaty relations must now be observed with
the rest OF the world. and changes be intro
duced into politics. We have. therefore,
introduced a new calendar a title Of the
FeiSn, and changed the style OF dress and
cut of the topknot.
novations. Wide sleeves and topknots he We
and hair bands stand in the way OF health
AZ you know.
Nor Is it right in this day Of ships and
vehicles that we should stick to these customs.
This edict nearly created revolution.