Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/465

 narrowing to the intellect, and makes the woman a companion to her husband only in a domestic sense. The influence that this has upon society is too well known to need discussion here; but it is the testimony of foreigners generally, who have had to do with Korean girls, that these long centuries of repression have not impaired their mental capacity. That capacity has simply lain dormant, and when given the opportunity it will prove itself easily equivalent to that of the men.

It would be impossible to discuss the property rights of women without taking up property rights in general, which we will do as briefly as possible.

Let us take the case of a well-to-do gentleman in his home, surrounded by his family, which includes his wife, his two married sons and one unmarried daughter. His other daughter has married and gone to the home of her husband. This gentleman's property consists of rice-fields, real estate and ready money. All real estate is held by deed from the government, as with us. His ready money is not in the bank, for there are practically no banks. It is all locked in his strong box, or it is lent out to merchants and others at a rate of one and a half or two per cent a month. Considering the risks, this is a low rate. So far as his own immediate household is concerned, this man has complete control of all this property, but if he has one or more brothers and they happen to be in needy circumstances, he is bound to feed them. If he refuses to do so, they can go to the local authorities and lay complaint against him; in which case they may command him to hand over some of his money or other property to the brothers, in order to save them from starvation. If, however, he can prove that the brothers are indolent and merely want to live upon him, he will be freed from all obligation. The reason for this law will appear shortly.

If he has sisters, they are of course married and have gone to the family of the husband. He is, therefore, free from all legal obligation to them. In case they are in severe straits, he