Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-03-01
sEouL's oUIEREsT.
The one Eyed woman I'm the Gra..
Green Cloak.


Green Cloak.
"From my point OF view the princi-
pal aud almost the only charm that
Seoul has for the newcomer lies in the
novelty OF the costumes chat Il pre-
sents." says George KEENAN,. writing
about the. capital OF Korea I'm the Out
look. - is not interesting archltec-
turally. and it is detestably and dis
gustingly unclean. but fits street scenes.
particularly In the unmodifed parts OF
the old town. are unlike anything TO be
found elsewhere I'm the east. l have
already referred 20 the strange Inn
preston made by a population clothed
wholly I'm white. 10 the grotesQiely alb
surd headgear OF the mourners. 60 the
partly naked women and 10 the efremi-
nate. girlish appearance OF the boys.
but I'm Seoul there is another figure
which Is quite as striking as any OF
these, and that Is the one eyed woman
In the grass green cloak.
Just as YOU are beginning 10 get &c
customed to the woman I'm white, with
her handbreadth shoulder jacket. her
bunchy skirts and her seminude APP
pearancc. you run up against the wom-
an In green. whose costume is bizarre
enough TO give you a fresh shock OF
surprise. Her outer garment, which is
all that can be seen. may be roughly
described as a green silk waterproof.
with white neck yoke and sleeve cuffs.
held together in front 10y means OF
four long ribbon tie strings. Two OF
these strings are bright scarlet and two
dull, reddish purple. and they hang
down i'm front nearly TO the ground.
"A grass green waterproof trimmed
with scarlet and purple ribbons would
be striking enough even IL Il were
worn in the American way. but II is
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 as to conceal all except one
eye, while the sleeves. which are mere
shams, without openings for the arms.
hang down from the wearer's ears.
Anything more extraordinary than this
/ grass green burnOoSe. with its scarlet
and purple strings and its dangling
white margined ear sleeves. would be
hard TO imagine. and when I'm a crowd
ed street or market place you see n
dozen OF these pOlychromatic appari-
| tions and an equal number Of basket
headed mourners gliding noiselesSly TO
and fro in throng OF white robcd
ghosts who are tanning themselves or
smoking long stemmed pipes you feel
like rubbing your eyes TO make sure
that you are awake.
These women in green are the wives
or men who belong TO what may be
called the Korean middle class. and
their costume is additionally said TO
have had its origin in a ruse de guerre
/ practiccd 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 the latter. IL
is said. caught up weapons. threw their
husbands jackets over their heads and
manned Tor womaned) the walls. and
there they fought so bravely, or made
such brave show OF fighting. that the
attacking force, taking them for men.
abandoned the assault and withdrew.
I'm commemoration OF this achieve
ment the women and their descendants
were permitted TO wear as badges OF
honor the Jackets that they had
/ thrown over their heads when they
rushed 70 the walls. This explanation
OF the green cloak sounds like n story
Invented TO at an observed fact. but
the persistence OF color I'm this partic-
ular garment while all other clothing
remains white and the transformation
OF useful sleeves into conventional
shams which now hang down from the
ears seem TO indicate survival OF
some ancient and significant custom"