The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-11

uLIltileSS TO manage q household
Then the government officials sent GU
a second order urging more applica
tlons. In reply to this, fifty Wer,
sent in. and from these the old EN-
peror picked out thirty. The girls rep
resented by them were directed to com,
TO the palace. and in due time the.
appeared in great state. Each wa
borne in a gorgeous closed chair. con
sisting Of a bOx. about three fee
square n not more than that high
in which the maiden sat cross-legget
on the floor. These boxes We're carried
by servants in livery. The mar servant
OF each girl went in front and he
slave girls followed behind.
When the procession arrived at tn,
Palace tne thirty maidens were care
fully looked over by the emperor. VIII,
has since been depOsed, and the poor
est ones to the umbe of fifteen Wer'
Weeded out and sent home. A day or 81
later another inspection was mad,
and the marria geable aides reduced
to seven or eight. After this there wa
a third examination. and a young cir
OF about thirteen or so, belonging t
the noble Yum family. was chosen
Contrary to the usual custom in Korea
which provides that h groom ha.
nothing to do with the selection Of hi.
wife. the crown prince himself made
the final decision. Thu girl picked on
was the youngest of the Who'll thirty
She was small for her age. AMI whe1
the crown prince Doint"d be- nut a:
his choice his father said. You hat
better take one Of the others. Tha
girl is too SMALL
oh. as to that was the reply o
lis majesty, she Will grow He insist
ed upon her at h second selection
and also at the third. and finally go
her. He was right as to the growing
n is much larger now. and has de
veloped into a ~fine-looking Korean Wo.
man. She is very bright, and the Jap.
anese are giving her an education
which is in advance of that Of any
kohean queen of the past. She i:
studying Japanese under the wife @
the vice minister of the household de.
p~a!tnlent, l am old the emperor like:
her much, and that the two live to
gether.
On the Way to the Palace.
Before I go farther. let me tell yol
and describe how he looks. The time
fixed for the interview was II O'CLOCK
in the morning and ] was instructed
to appear in full evening dress.
understood that / must go in state, ant
our consul general kindly gave me hi:
chair and the official bearers of Oul
government. 1.started at 10 O'CLOCK
in the morning and in the bright sun
shine. rode through Seoul in tall sill
ID SN IAN No"hs iSNAASA
and the other appurtenances which We
at home wear only after 8 o'clock IL
the evening.
1 had to stoop low to get my tai
hat into the chair. and ducked Wher
the bearers raised me to their should
ers. The chair was not bigger thar
a dry goods box. or about four lee
cubed, and it was about the same
shape. 1t was open at the front, and
{ho lnnGr mart of + wa walled WIFI
glass so that could look out as ]
rode. The chair was upholstered II
lilac satin. and had a red 1ianne
cushion. It was sIung between two
black poles bou sixteen feet Ions
and Al each end Of these | had two
bearers in livery to tote me along. A
my side walke the keso, or guard OF
the consulate, dressed in q long blue
gown, fat drawer-like trousers TIED
at the ankles. and a fiat felt nat. upon
which was a dingy American eagle.
The bearers had blue gowns lined
with red. and their white trousers
completed the colors of the Ameri-
can flag. The sleeves of the kesO
were bordered With red. white and
blue.
Thus carried, ] went through the
foreign section. between the high
brick walls surrounding the com
pounds where the missionaries, con-
suls and other officials live, on by the
palace Of the deposed emperor, who IS
now a prisoner under the guard OF
the Japanese, and into the Japanese
part IF the city. l passed the finance
department and finally came to the
residence of Niscount Some, h acting
resident general and the real ruler Of
the country. After a short chat with
him, it was arranged that we were to
meet within q half hour at the palace
my bearers were soon again on
the way. We now crossed the whole
of Seoul, going about two miles, from
one side to the other. The way to
the palace led up a wide street walled
with squalid houses, roofed with
thatch or black tiles and interspersed
and there with petty stores,
where white-goWned, big-hatted mer-
chants ~suuatted among the goods and