The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-12
PART IT.
KeeI,is,g the Body Perfect.

Ent, when the lads hair Is put up" For the first time. Hitherto the hoy has worn his hair in a queue down his back His hair has never been cut and is supposed never to be: the cuttfnE of the hair would be Q. mark of disrespect to his parents it being believed that he should pass to the grave having lost nothing that was his by nature. It Is assumed that the body with all its members, which was received from the parent is part of this eternal iife'' of which we have spoken To cut the hair or lose any member or portion of the body would pot only a violation of AliaI respect, but would be committing to death a, portion of that for which the parent lived Therefore, if by accident a finger should be cut off it is imme- diately swallowed the man thereby considering himself a whole body. This is not merely a. matter of super stftion, it Is an act of devotion to his parents prompted by religious feeling. History tells of one famous warrior who was shot in the eye; when the Rrrow was pulled out and the eye which came with it he at once swal- lowed his own eye.
 Prepaxinss the Bridegroom.
 Today as he bends his head over a piece of oiI-cloth spread upon the floor. his father with much gravity and care combs the lads hair to a common centre Some vegetable oil IS rubbed into the long strands which, after being tied with a piece of string Is twisted and coiled up into. a '-top- knot s'e
 The knot having thus been careful ly tied a support of red coral is i'm serted into it to keep it erect. Red coral Is used in preference to any thing else, because it is said the de mons are afrafdd7 of 1t and seeing it In the hair will Immediately leave it's possessor- Instead, of shair-piTs to hold up the long hair, a band made of hoTse-ha1r Is tied lightly round the temples and the back of the head, This is quite an effective method of Keeping the loose hair from falling down and tickling the face By this act of putting up the hair, the boy is evolved into man.
 In Korea the distinction between . boyho0d and manhood is in having the hair down the back, or tied in a top-kaot- When 1t is down the back he is always spoken Of as a, boy, treat ed as such, and addressed in terms of inferiority- Now as a man he is ralled Sad-sazbalig 1new7 nister). is spoken to Respectfully, and can sit Tn the presence of his elders. His first act as a man is to make obei- Bance to his parents, male relatives and friends
 sedan chair with either two or four bearers will be hired for him.
 
 ing hat for the first time in. his life, goes in state to pay his respects to those of his fathers acquaintances efaat were not present at the ceremo- n.y. While he is away from home the people there are busy with the preparations for the marriage. The father makes asstrip to the shop where they hire out special costumes; for the groom he procures the full uni form of civil officer. The morn r4fF 1fesr law he Te-o all rad 10 assume the rank of a Mandarin, though n0Re of his prerogatives-
 THs Wedding Procession
 Tie actual wedding may take place Et either the groom's or the brides home If the former 1t is necessary That the bride shall be taken thither She will be seated in a very highly decorated sedan chair, carried on the Shoulders of either eight, twelve, or sixteen men Over the top of the rhair, which is closed-1n one, ds thrown a tiger-skin which, by the way. is used in Korea. to denote rank The opportunity of making some dis play will not be lost; a procession is formed in which will be many of her relatives in sedan chairs, or upo horseback- Her waiting maids and slaves for the day will come on foot; an irregular number of torch and banner bearers and, to make the pro- ression complete, at least one burIy iroolie carrying ponderous yellow umbrella
 If the wedding is to be at the brides home the procession has for Hsscentra1 figure the groom, who rides rither upon a donkey or in an open official chair (the donkey is used in preference to a horse because it is considered more dignified- A large company of young men dressed in more or less fancy costumes swell out he procession as his personal atten- 1ants- The father, dressed for the occasion in a blue silk garment the Eieeves of which nearly. reach the ham of lais-sEirt, is a conspicuous fig RFe- The -'go- between and other women who have to do with the we'd ding ride in open two-coo1ie chairs. Whether in the capital or the country. In the groomss procession there are kiwayss a number of women who car ". balanced upon their heads, the presents that the sroom's family make 60 the bride.
 These presents. which form one of The legal requirements, vary in num- her and kind. according to the means -of the family. Whatever else is not sent, clothes are never omitted. In rearly all in stances there are several E-z,-- containing A+=-e= of many kinds of food. and tied up in highly coIored handkerchiefs which may possibly ir- rFitate the. appetites of all behoIders In the majority of cases there will be Eevera1 lacquer-ware clothes chests or Hamented with engraved brass clasps and locks The chests are also car ried by women on their heads.
 The Ceremony
 All preIininarfes having been pre- Viously arranged, as soon as the pro- 4cession- reaches its destination thet groom or the bride, as the case may bss will be taken on to the spacious verandah, in the middle of the house, where many guests have already col 4eeted and seated themselves upon the floor. Tn the centre is spread a roll of mating, towards one end of which