The National tribune., 1907-08-01

wear the padded trousers and the pad
ded socks and they are put on just the
same way. Over the trousers the wo-
men wear short skirt which is tied
about the waist, under the breast. To
this awful outfit is added a short jacket,
not as long as the Eton jacket worn by
women today, being so short in front,
in fact, that the two garments under
meath it do not meet il, and the breasts
of the women are exposed all the time
A very impractical fashion, for the eli
mate of Korea is colder than Russia. or
Canada, for that matter. over this rig
the women wear on the street the kim
ono sort of wrap spoken of previously.
The outside garments of the women are
of bright colors usually, and are of silk
or wool as the circumstances allow. But,
generally speaking, the Korean woman
is q sight to make the gods weep.
The way of doing the hair indicates
the married or unmarried condition of
the man. Men "bachelors'' wear their
hair in a long pigtail until married. The
night of the marriage, after the cere-
mony is performed. the best man
takes the bridegroom to his room and
cuts off this pigtail, tying the rest of
the hair in a curious little stand-up-
knot on top of the head. This is ac-
lcomplished by combing the hair back
and up to the top of the head, then the
handful of hair is twisted about with
strings till its stands up like Frank
| furter sausage. A man of means will
| fasten on this knot silver or metal
bead for tip. and sticks tortoise shell
ornament just over the forehead.
Korean women do not have much
hair, and il is plastered down to the
head with sinking kind of oil; parted
in the middle, il is twisted into a knot
at the nape of the neck, with silver
ornament stuck thru it.
over her head, when in the house
of the same curious horse hair gauZe
which the men wear. 1t fits closely and
two silk tassels dangle over the two
ears.
One who knows the Korean women
well says that when they are pretty
they are very pretty and when they are
ugly they are ugly as sin. They are
small, and all have sad faces, for the
women of Korea have few pleasures
being only chldbcarers and beasts of
burden. They have black hair and eyes
pretty even white teeth and are gener-
ally rather graceful, or would be in de-
cent clothes. They have very small
! feet, and are noted for their beautiful
| hands. both men and women. but these
are generally dirty. There is a reason
| for this. The Koreans do not have any
soap, and have no substitute for it, To
wash those padded clothes, which are
worn next to the body, is Il work of
labor. One suit is usually all that a
man possesses, and so while he is tuck
ed into his uncomfortable Korean bed
his wife sakeS the garments to near
by stream, or the public washing place
where dozens of other women are con-
gregated, and by the light of a paper
lantern they pound the dirt out of those
horrible things. by immersing them in
the stream and beating them with sticks
In the Summertime il is not so bad, but
in Winter they have TO break six-inch
ice to do the family wash, and ii takes
about two hours to wash one of those
garments. Then home they fly to get
the thing dried SO that "he" can put it
on when he rises.
And the drying in Winter! The man
ner of heating Korean houses is primi-
tive, yet from it may have been evolved
the idea Of present day heating. Ko-