The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-15

leading lady Of this land, and as such
did much for her sex. While not the
empress by actual marriage, she was
practically SO to all intents ans pur-
noses She is the old emperOr's faVOrite
c%oncubine, or consOrt, as she IS called
nv the l understand his
majesty is true to her, and tina she al
lows no others of the lad1eS-ln-Waltlng
about the court to come near him. she
is the mother of the crown prince,
who is now being educated in Japan,
and as such she Will probably maintain
her influence even after that Of the
old emperor has become less than it is
now.
Lady ON came into the palace when
she was a girl as one Of the court
women. One story states that She
started in as a hair dresser, but this
is enied She is not pretty, but very
clever, and the Queen of Korea, VINO
was a~ssassinated by the japanese, took
her up and made much Of her. she
liked her cleyernesS. and she also
LIKED her homely appearance, as n
thought that would be an obstacle to
any love for her on the part OF the
king, who afteward became emperor.
AS the story goes, the king appre-
ciated cleverness as we'll as beauty.
He cast sheep'se eyes at Lady ON, not
W~ithstanding the presence of her
majesty, and, as a result, Lady ON q
to flee for her life. She left the PAL
ace and remained away until after
came back to be the consort of his
majesty. I do not know that she her
self had anything to do with the selec-
ton of the crown prince as the success
sor of the present Emperor OF Korea.
but I doubt not she aided in the
manipulation. This boy is only eleven
or twelve years of age, and he was
chosen by Prince Ito over Prince
Euiwha, who was an elder son Of the
emperor by another mistress. Prince
Euiwha is the u fellow who ran
away from Korea to the United States
and received some education there. Ho
first went to school at Delaware, Ohio.
and afterward to a little academy at
Salem, Va. He fully expected to be his
fathers successor, but Prince Ito has
set him aside, and he is now living
quietly here. The little prince, the
son of Lady ON, is exceedingly bright,
and he will undoubtedly be the next
emperor.
AS to Lady Om's schools. she estab-
lished these some years ago, and mas
been supporting them out of her pri-
vate purse. She had plenty of money
up to the time the old emperor was
retired, but her funds and those Of
the emperor were then reduced and
she has now barely enough for her
necessities. Finding hat she could
not continue the supply for her school
from her own purse, she made I'VE
certain rice lands which mad been
giVen to her from those belonging to
the crown, saying that their revenues
be enough to support them. The
however, considered the
amount too liberal and, as I under
stand it, they have cut down the allow
one-half, and are now devoting
the remainder to the support of other
schools established by the government.
top of all this there was 4 short
rice crop last harvest, and, altogether,
the schools are in much need of more
money
The slave Girls of Korea.
AS have said, the new woman
movement is just at its beginning.
doubt if its members can be numbered
hundreds. There are certainly less
han a thousand who have vet at
tempted to throw off the shackles of
the old ~custOns; and the remainder.
numbering millions, are in the same
that the sex has held for
according to the class to which the
girls belongs. Korea has a nobility,
a mlddle class, common people and
slaves. All of the rich families own
hereditary slaves, and the daughter Of
slave IS a slave girl in turn. In the
past such slaves have been given
away, and it is not long since they
were sold. When the members Of a
'amlly committed a grave offanse
the government. the whole
family of the guilty was often -euuced
TO slavery. This was the case with
he wife and daughter of Kim-Ok Tun.
rebel who was assassinated by or
1ers OF the King Of Shanghai some
years ago. Quite a number Of the
singlng girls are slaves, and as such
nave Deer bought and sold. To-
lay almost every Korean ladv has her
raves, Who wait upon her and do her
olddlng. | understand that the slaves
are usually we'll treated, and that most
d them would not leave their
mlstresses if they could.
How the Court Ladies' Dress