Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-02-12
SCOUTS QUEEREsT.
The One Eyed Woman In the Craze
Green Cloak. ~


Green Cloak. n
From my point of view the princi-
| pal ana almost the only charm that
Seoul has for the newcomer lies in the
novelty Of tic costumes that it pre-
scnts says George KEENAN,. writing
about the capital Of Korea in the Out
look. 1T is not interesting architcc-
turnllv. and il. is letestably and dis
Eustingly uncleau. but its street scenes.
particularly in the nnmo6ified parts OF
me Old town. are, unlike anything to be
found elsewhere iii the east ] have
already referred to the strange i'm
preston made by q population clothed
wholly in white. to the :crotcsQue!v alb
Sur,' hcadSrar Of the nu,rncrs. 10 the
partly naked women and to the cffcmi
nate. @irlish appearance OF tho bows,
but in Seoul there is :,slotl,cr figure,
which is quite rs S!,rkin. as my OF
these. and tia, il the one eyed woman
IL the grass green cloak.
Just rs YOU arc bcgin,,il,y to get nc-
cuStoncd to tic woman in white. With
her handkerchief SlluulLci. Jacket. hcr
bnnchy skirts and her scminudr an
pc;1r;'!icc. YOU run up against the WON
an in green. whose costume is bizarre
enough TO give you Il fresh shock OF
surprise. l!Hr outer garment. which is
all mat can hr Src,!. may be roughly
described as = green silk Waterproof.
with white neck yoke and sleeve scuffs
held together in front by means of
-four long ribbon tie strin:.:. Two of
these strings arc bright scarlet ana two
dn'l reddish purple. and they hang
down in front nearly to the GROUND.
Y grass green waterproof trimmed
With scarlet aud purple ribbons would
be striking enough even IL it We're
Worn in the American way. but it is
not 50 Worn. On the contrary. the
neck woke. or collar is thrown over
the head. and tic cloak is drawn around
'hc face 50 rs To conceal I'LL except Que
eye. While The sleeves. which arc mere
s!lams. without openings for the arms.
hang down from the wcarcr's ears
Anything more extraordinary than this
grass green bnrnoosc, With lis scarlet
and purple Strings and its dangling
white margiflcl car sleeves. would he
haru 10 imagine. and when in I crowd
CT street or market place YOU see Il
dozen OF these polychromatic aDpari-
tons and an equal number Of basket
headed monrncrS gliding noiSeleSslv to
and fro in a tirong Of white roUed
| ghosts Who arc flaming themselves OF,
smoking long stcmmed pipes you feel
Ike rubbing YOUR eyes to make sure
that YOU arc awake.
These women i'll green are the wives
OF men who belong to what may be
called the Korean middle class, and
their costume is additionally said to
have Lad lis origin in j ruSe DC guer-e
practiced by tho women of Seoul when
the city was attacked by the enemy at
night III the absence OF all its male
defenders The wives Of the latter it
is said. caught up weapons. threw their
husbands Jackets over their heads and
manned Tor womancu, the walls. and
there they fought so bravely or made
such Il brave show Of fighting. that the
attacking force. taking them for men.
Abandoned the assault and Withdrew.
In conmemoraron OF this achieve
mont the women and their descendants
We're permitted to wear as badges Of
honor the jackets that they had
thrown over their heads when they
rushed 10 the walls. This explanation
Of the green cloak sounds like a story
invented TO fit an observed fact but
the persistence or color in this partic-
ular garment while all other clothing
remains White and the transformation
OF useful sleeves into conventional
s!rams which now hang down FROM the
cars seem to Indicate q survival Of
some ancient and significant custom"