Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/343

 DIVORCE. 315 alone and the door closed. On the next day the bride divides the one queue, in which her hair had been hitherto done up, into two ; each containing half her hair, and plaited back on the crown of the head, one on each side, towards the forehead, in which, fashion she wears it ever after. On the third day, the young couple may return to the bridegroom's father's house ; but if not then, a whole year must pass ere they go thither, many allowing two years. When they do arrive at the young husband's house, they both worship his ancestral tablet At marriage, a red paper with written characters is handed them, which is afterwards cut in two, — each retaining half; for in case of future trouble, the husband cannot marry again, if he has not the half showing him independent ; for many married people separate in Corea, from "incompatibility of temper," or other reasons; nor need we wonder at the fact The separated husband, with his half of this red paper, can easily obtain another wife, but not without; while she is supposed never again to marry. One of the lower class informed me that the youth went to the father-in-law's house, a month before marriage, and saw the girL That if both, or either, were dissatisfied, they could break the match, by persistent opposition, in spite of parental chastisement (1) which is likely enough ; for mutual choice was the ancient custom of the country. A man may marry as many wives as he can support ; and the mandarins, besides having several wives, are allowed, or rather bound, by custom, to retain several harlots in their yamen. All the women make their own clothes, and those of their husband and children, — they who cannot afford to keep servants, doing the cooking and household drudgery besides. " The woman is no woman who does not make the family clothes," said a Corean, laughing, who was once wealthy. The poorer women go to the river with uncovered face, and carry the water for the family in a large jar on their head, Egyptian fashion. Though never at school, they can all, or almost all, use the Corean alphabet, which is the most beautiful