Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-05-18
ODD KOREAN HABITS
TEAR BASKETS AND HEART CLOTHS
AND THEIR USES.

Quaint Toilet of N Niasansaho Relic.
a strange EeaddrcSS For women.
There Is great deal OF poetry about
all Koreans. This does not make the
visitor in their country love them less.
'Nhy 10 you shake your husbands
gown SO ferociously every morning =
the writer said 10 hostess I'm Seoul
Are YOU afraid spider may be weav-
ing I'm it?'
"Oh, no. moonface." was the reply.
HE must be in Japan now--So far it Is
and his spirit comes every night TO
this gown. SO tired must he be in the
morning 10 so back 80 far into his
body again
And she wept copiously. dropping
each tear very carefully into 4 metal
lined little basket hung from her waist.
/ III her husband had died on his jour
ncy the basket would have been nearly
full 10y this time: every one who has
any regard FOR her would have added
drop or two. and her mourning would
have been as intricate performance
rs n case in international law. Even
as 81 was the tear basket was stepped
| In incense ana many heartbrc9king
songs and proverbs walled over it.
| Weep flowers that is. any sort OF
bloom that withcrs soon may be
/ pressed ana strung around the basket.
l The wing OF wounded bird may dec
crate one side; mothcrleSs child may
/ imprint 4 kiss upon fl for the good of
the spirit.
do men ever wear the tear basket
] f.,r. l
/ "Oh. moonfacc. You are curious 80
much" was the reply. Women never
/ 20 away from men i'm How'll"
But they die"
Yes. ami then vera often the good
men wear the tear basket I'm secret
/ mourning"
There lis much secret mourning in
/ Korea. ana il is like the Irishman's
/ sccrct-everybody knows it and re-
I spccts III. a woman who has loved
/ the wrong man may wear secret
+ mourning clothes FOR him and don the
/ tear basket filled with tears OF per
/ sons who have not dcigncd to speak 20
f her i'm the lifetime OF the loved one.
At certain hours She may vail round
/ his grave and leave The best OF every
D
CRY spirit. The worldly matc OF tho
departed looks on. and often IL seems
she is BATTERED 10y the performance. 4
+ slave may mourn secretly for The
+ queen. and anybody who wants TO
I may sympathizc without hurt for a
+ bchcadcd criminal
Next TO the tear basket thc heart
cloth Is the Quaintcst symbol 81 How'll
\ emotions. One Is mover permitted TO
know OF this precious ornament I'M
( less IL is worn FOR his cor her sake. In
old Korea il was placed over the heart
OF the beloved before bcing worn i'm
any other breast. one heart cloth Of
ten does for q whole family being
worn 10y different members I'm turn.
Characters representing poetic say
ings are appliqucd upon it. such as:
Without thee I dwell with the spir-
/ il OF the withcrcd tree"
"NIy heart beats only 60 thine"
"Ahu-pcacc."
"Thc sun VIII come again"
In some parts OF tho country heart
cloths are placed over the body OF
the dying and then given TO the Shang-
goo. head male mourncr. and the joo-
Zoo. leading female mourncr.
MaSampho is Quaintand picturesque
town. nearly as much SO as Fusan.
from which IL is not far removed. one
OF the sights OF Masampho is her shop
ping district. which consists OF in
Vulnerable mats spread out on the
ground, upon which are exhibited the
wares OF their owners who squat be-
side them
But the chief joys OF Masampho are
her deliciously strange little women
the never 10 Zoe forgotten Masamphon-
csc, wild eyed, glossy haired dump
lings, with cherry lines for mouths.
who waddlc around and about. Quack-
/ ing in fascinating tones.
The Masampho bellies toilet IS worthy
of the time she spends upon il. Her
/ face is washed with honey oil instead
Of water Sometimes she sits a fine
/ powder scented with her favorite flow
/ er over Il.
/ She may stain her complexion TO suit
| her fancy, but generally she prefers
/ 1t TO be the natural color. which is n
/ beautiful ecru. Though she may never
I be seen by man. save husband or ia
/ Their, during curfew time or women's
I hours-S p. m. and 3 n. m.-she may go
out freely visiting friends and rela-
I tives. Her hair is brushed with a
/ fragrant bunch of switches and glued
into many different forms. Sometimes
it makes a butterfly or tortoise and
| ut other times Il lot of leaves or n little
/ sampan.
When 1t is properly shaped, big jade
/ or glass pins are stuck in. The only
/ cap she ever wears has no crown. Its
| back is shaped like helmet, and there
are two long tassels hanging from the
| forehead and neck brim. Her cotton
! trousers are as full as a divided skirt
and become narrow at the ankles.
where they meet little socks made OF
grass and picturesque shoes. Her skirt
/ IS very full and shirred at the top into
an eight inch band This fits tightly
/ around the chest and under the arms.
| The jacket worn is not over seven
| inches in length and runs the gamut
OF Korean blues and green's, which are
somewhat the tints of the peacock's
tail.
If of the common people, she may al
low her small feet and ankles to show
but if Of noble blood her skirts must
sweep the streets. All women carry
with them n long cape so that If by
any possibility they should meet O
man they may throw it quickly over
their heads, leaving only n slit in front
for the eyes.-New York Post