The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-06-15
SCOUTS oUEEREsT FIGURE.
Striking Appearance of the one-Eyed
Woman in the Grass-Green
Cloak.


From my point OF view the prlnci-
pal. and almost the only. charm that
Seoul has for the newcomer lies In the
novelty of the costumes that Il pre-
sents. writes George KEENAN,, In Out
look II Is not interesting architec-
turslly, and Il Is detestably and dis
gustingly unclean: but its street
scenes. particularly in the unmodined
parts Of the old town, are unlike any
thing TO be found elsewhere In the
east have already referred to the
strange impression made by a popula-
ton clothed wholly in white; to the
gTotesquely absurd headgear OF the
mourners, TO the partly naked women
and 70 the effeminate. girlish appear
ance Of the boys; but in Seoul there is
another figure which Is quito as strik-
Ing as any OF these. and that is the
one-eyed woman In the sTass green
cloak
Just as you are beginning to get ac-
customed 20 the woman In white. with
her handbreadth shoulder Jacket. her
bunchy skirts and her semi-nude ap-
Dearance. you run up against the WON
an Ia green. whose costume Is bizarre
enough 20 give you a fresh shock OF
surprise. Her outer garment, which
Is all that can be seen. may be rough
~ described as green silk water
proof. with white neck yoke and
sleeve cuffs, held together In front
by means OF four long ribbon tie
strings. Two OF these strings arc
bright scarlet and two dull. reddish
purple. and they hang down In front
nearly to the ground
A grass green waterproof. trimmed
With scarlet and purple ribbons. would
be striking enough. even n Il were
worn In the American way: but IL
IA not so worn. on the contrary. the
neck, yoke or collar is thrown over
the head. and the cloak is drawn
around the face so az to conceal all
except one eye. while the sleeves
which are mere shams without omen.
ings for the arms. hang down from the
wearer's ears. Anything more ex.
traordinary than this grass green bur
moose, with its scarlet and purple
strings and its dangling. white mar
sined ear sleeves. would be hard to
imagine. and when. in a crowded
street OF market place. you see a dozen
81 these polychromatic Apparitions
and an equal number OF basket headed
mourners gliding nolselessly to and
fro in a throng OF white-sobed ghosts
who are tanning themselves or smok-
ing long stemmed pipes. you feel Ike
rubbing your eyes to make sure that
you are awake.
These women In green are the wives
oi men who belong TO what may be
called the Korean middle class aud
their costume Is additionally said 10
have had 10 origin In a ruse De guerre
practiced by the women Of Seoul when
the city was attacked by the enemy at
night IN the absence OF all its male
defenders The wives OF tho latter. II
Is said. caught up weapons. threw their
husbands Jackets over their heads.
and manned COR womaned) the walls:
and there they fought so bravely. or
made such a brave show OF fighting.
that the attacking force taking them
FOR men. abandoned the assault and
withdrew
In sSmmemoration OF this achieve
ment the women and their descend
ans we're permitted 20 wear as badges
OF honor the jackets that they had
thrown over their heads when they
rushed 20 the walls This exclamation
Of the green cloak sounds like
story invented TO it an observed fact:
but the persistence Of color in this
particular garment. while all other
clothing remains white, and the trans
formation OF useful sleeves into con-
ventional shans which now hang down
from the ears. seem to indicate a sur
vival OF some ancient and significant
custom.