Meade County news., 1916-05-18

~ EOUL, the old capital of Korea,
is undergoing changes. Until re-
Gently it's wall was intact and
gave picturesqueness to the
city pleasing to western eyes. There
were eighttgates-fou of them larger
than the others and facing the car
dinal points. The main street of the
city ran from the east to the west
gates and from the south to the north.
At their intersection stood the old bell,
which was struck at intervals through
the day-at In the morning. at noon,
at at night, at 8 and then at mid
night, writes Frederick Starr in the
Chicago News.
The bell, like most conspicuous OBJ
jects in Korea, had story and its
sound in the ears of many was q wall
Of terror. They say that when the
bell was to be made It was q matter
Of public interest and Of popular con-
tribution. Everyone gave something
to its makeup. Mirrors. rings, orna.
ments. coins, all were given to the
melting pot. When finally the day
came for its casting. great crowd
gathered. The metal was finally mol
ten, ready to be run. The word was
given and the hot liquid was poured
into the mold. When II was some
what cooled the. casting was uncov-
cred bit by bit, and. 10, It was imper-
feet! Broken to pieces, II was again
molten on another day and again It
was fawed. A third time the mishap
occurred and the people were well-nigh
discouraged at the evil omen.
The master workman ordered final
trial Again the crowd assembled,
again the broken fragments. submitted
to the heat, gradually melted until the
crucial moment was near. At that in
slant an unknown woman OF the COM
mon people pressed through the crowd,
her baby in her arms; coming to the
pot of molten metal, she cried. "But
you have not yet my contribution"
raised the baby and hurled II into the
seething mass.
The moment had come for the pour
ing and before the cry of horror had
died away upon the lips OF the crowd,
the signal was given and the hot metal
flowed down into the mold. When It
was uncovered the bell emerged per-
feet; the sacrifice had been effec-
tive; but through the years mothers
at the stroke of the old bell have heard
in 1t the waillng of the child. shrek.
ing. "Oh, mother. my mothef!"
When Women Walk Abroad.
In the old days, and not so very long
ago, the bell gave the signal for vari-
GUS movements. Women, save the
most common and rustic, were not per-
mitted freely on the streets. From
midnight to noon and from noon to
at night, men and boys we're free to
roam, but women and girls were ex-
pected to keep indoors. But when the
old bell struck at the hour OF 8, men
and boys betook themselves to their
houses and females were privileged
to walk the streets till the midnight
bell drove them home.
Those days are past. but even today
few women are seen upon the streets,
and those of any social standing have
the face almost concealed. The COW
ering is curious. It is apparently a
garment for the upper body, with neck
space and sleeves, but II is not worn
as such, but only laid upon the head.
with sleeves dangling at the sides.
back falling capelike over the shoul-
ders and the front coming down on
both sides Of the face, nearly conceal. |
ing It. In Seoul this garment is regu-
laJIv Of dull green clckh-