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 CHAPTER VIII.

The Village Boy.

Korean boy is very much of a boy and much like his American cousin in that he would far rather play than work and likes to have his own way. He is not to be condemned for these traits, since they are common to most of the boys in all quarters of the globe. After all that is to be said, there is not so much difference in boys when they are boys. It is true that the education and training of boys differ very widely, and it is to some of these differences that we wish to call attention in the study of our village boy.

As a rule it is a happy day for any man in Korea when it can be said that a son has been born unto him. The Koreans, in common with nearly all Eastern people, are very fond of boys and count it all joy to have many sons in the family. So, to say the very least of it, the little baby boy gets a warm welcome in Korea, though it may not always be a royal one. If possible, the mother is more rejoiced than the father at the birth of a son. From the very first our village boy is petted, spoiled, and allowed to have his own way in nearly everything, and he soon becomes the boss of the household. There are several reasons for this, the most powerful one having its roots and sources in the custom of ancestral worship. It may be said here that the unreasonable desire for sons, as against girls, Rh