The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-03-03
ODD D RE BINS

odd Ell REli u BITS
|STEA SBAsk Is Al D oTAs5
u NJ SIS, IN
@tseerct,s oarni aR That Every one
knows Of and j II es % q ss -- The
Quaint roiist fofS a / Mas an,ph q nelle.s
; Al.,ssst.ranss iIeaddressF For We men. s;s
There Is d great deal Of poetry about
,all Koreans. This does not make thu
visitor In their country love them less
s'.Whys do you shake your husbands
gown so fcrocionslyi every morning T,,83
the writer said to d hostess In Seoul
Are you afraid d spider may he wearvi,..S
Ing In it?"'! Il Z 4 "A
oh, no, moonfacc, was the reply
HE must be in Japan now--so sfar5itisE
-and his spiritScomes every night to 1
this gown So tired must he be in the
morning TO go back 50 far into his
body again."
And she wepta coplously, dropping
each tear very carefully into a metal
lined little basket hung from her waist
II her husband had died on his jour
ney the basket would have been nearly
full by this time: every one who has
any regard for her, would have added
drop or two, and her mourning would I
have been as intricate a performance
us a case in international law. Even
MS 1t was the tear basket was stepped
in Incense and many hcartbrcaking
songs and proverbs walled over8sit.
Weep tlowers-thnt Is, any sort Of
bloom that .withcrs soon may Il bc
pressed and strung around tho basket.
The wing Of n wounded bird may dec
crate one sidc;in mothcrless child may
imprint a kiss upon 1t for the good OF
the spirit s.
do men ever wear the tear basket
for womenI'& I once inquired.
$"Oh, moonface, YOU arc curious so
much,pp was tho reply. ..tWo omen never
50 away from men in How'll, "
"Dut they dic.n II,
Yes, and then vera often the good
men wear the tear basket lin secret
mourning" 81; :: Il 5,5t "
There is much secret mourning in
Korea, and at Is like the Irlshman's,
sccret-eyerybody knows 1t ana re-
spects It. AZ woman who has loved
the wrong Sman mny; wear secret
mourning clothes for him and don the
tear basket filed with tears gof per;
sons who have not, delgned to speak to
her In the lifetime Of the loved one
AT certain hours she may vail round
his grave and leave the best Of every
thing to eati his tomb for his hun.
cry spirit. The worldly mate of$thei
departed looks on, and often It seems
she is flattered by the performance AZ
slave may mourn secretly for t tho.
queen, and anybody who wants /, TO!
may sympathize without hurt for EEal
beheaded criminal. Al 4 ~
Next to the tear basket tho heart
cloth Is the dualntest symbol OF How'll
emotions One Is never permitted to
know Of this precious ornament $un.E.
less It is worn for his or her sake. ( In
old Korea twas placed over tile heart
of the beloved before being worn I'm
any other breast. One. leart cloth Of
ten does for a Whole family, being
worn by different members ainIturn.f
Characters representing poetic say!
lings are appli1uediuponSit. such ass *
without thee: I dwell with the spir!
It Of the Withercd tree"
I5"My heart beats only TO thine,
"Ahu--pcace." iy$3 ST 3is5
The sun will come again. I. i3
a In some parts of the country heart
|Ecloths are placed over the body OF;
the dying and then. givenlto tho shnng-S
goo, head male jmourncr, and tile joo.3
foo, leading female ,mourner. tsS ~
Masampho is n quaintand picturesque
town, nearly as much SO Ms Fusan,I
from which lis not far removed. One
Of the sights Of SA1asampho Is her shop,
ping district which consists of In.
Vulnerable mats spread out on the
ground, upon whichgare exhibited the
wares Of their owners who squat be-
side them. Il. Va. :5 "a
But the chief Joys Of Nlasnmpho are
her delielously strange little women
the never to be forgotten Alasamphon.
csc, wild eyed, glossy haired dump.
llngs, with cherry lines for mouths,
who waddle around and about, quack.
Ing In fascinating tones. /. II 4, Il;
The; Masampho bellies toilet is worldly
of the time she spends upon it. Her
face Is washed with honey oil instead
Of water. Sometimes she Sits 1lne
powder scented with her fayorite Stlow.,
err over. 1t. 4 NJ 4:
She may stain her complexion to suit
her fancy, but generally she prefers
It to be the natural color, which Is "a
beautiful eau. Though she may never
be seen by man, save husband or fa.'
ther, during curfcw time Or swomen's
hours-S p. M. and 8 a. m --she may 20
out freely visiting friends and rela.
tives. Her hair Is brushed with a
fragrant bunch of,swltches and glued
Into many different forms Sometimes;