2
1st. Tuesday. Lovely. Very cold.
3
Seoul home. 1929. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
5
2nd. Wednesday. Bright. Very cold.
8
3rd. Thursday. Pale. Cold.
9
Seoul home. By persisting in her incorrigible habit of over-clothing, over-heating, and over-feeding little babies, wife has succeeded in making 瑛姬 and 珽善 a standing prey to cold and indigestion. They are literally stewed in perpetual perspiration. She is deaf to all admonitions―including whose of doctors. Her favorite answer is "Do you want me to freeze him (or her) to death?" The meanness, the unspeakable evilness of human nature which is the source of all evils and sufferings in the world, often compels me to sink in hopeless skepticism.
11
4th. Friday. Pale. Cold.
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Seoul home. Snow early morning about 1/3 inch thick on the ground.
14
5th. Saturday. Pale. Milder.
15
Seoul home. Some snow about 5 p.m.
17
6th. Sunday. Bright. Cold―Bitterly cold.
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Seoul home. Aristocracy, by supporting despotism on one hand, and on the other by oppressing the common people, has been a bane to many a nation, But in war-like Europe and Japan aristocrats have rendered imperishable and priceless services to their countries by giving examples and tradition of heroism, of honor, of discipline, of devotion to duties, of chivalrous deeds and of manly virtues. Science and arts owed to them―aristocrats―for protection and encouragement. In these respects, aristocracy proved to be a positive blessing to the nation or race. But the aristocracy of Korea has been an unmodified, unjustifiable, unpardonable evil to the race. Its sole legacy to the aristocracy―ruled and aristocracy―ruined Koreans is the habits of indolence, of inefficiency, of parasitism. The love of fine dress, of high sounding phrases and of self-indulgence which is so distressingly characteristic of the average Korean is another gift of aristocracy. The Korean aristocrats, who wasted five inglorious centuries in factional fights and butcheries in plots and conspiracies, are responsible for the notorious fact that where three Koreans are gathered there are four factions whispering and plotting against each other.
20
7th. Monday. Lovely. Pale p.m. Cold.
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8th. Tuesday. Big snow all a.m. Cold.
24
Seoul home. Sun from 2 p.m.
25
If you can't realize what a lovely character one makes who honestly strives to live up to the charity―marks given in the 13th Chapter of the First Corinthians, just picture to yourself what a detestable creature he or she is who lives exactly the reverse side of the charity―chapter.
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Charity suffereth long and is kind.
29
Charity vaunteth not itself is not puffed up.
30
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not provoked, thinketh no evil.
31
Beareth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things.
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She is irascible and is unkind in temper and tongue.
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She is envious of any and everybody.
34
She can't stand hearing any woman praised!
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She is haughts and thinks she is never wrong in anything.
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She is insolent and impolite to everybody, stranger, and elders alike. Seeks nothing but her own comfort and interest. Thinks evil of everybody.
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Frets and fumes at everything that may displease her, suspects everybody's intention, complains always, scolds and whines without ceasing.
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9th. Wednesday. Could a.m. Sun p.m. Mild.
42
10th. Thursday. Lovely. Snow between 1 and 4 a.m. Mild.
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Seoul home. Confined in room on account of cold.
45
11th. Friday. Cloudy and foggy. Mild.
48
12th. Saturday. Beautiful. Mild.
49
Seoul home. Almost a Spring-like day.
50
Bribery, squeezing and graftering are open secrets in all the offices throughout the country. Every magistracy and governorship has its ticketed price according to current reports. Worse still, you can't get any job―say printing, if you were a printer―from the Christian Literature Society, or the Salvation Army, or the Holiness people, or the S.S. Association unless you bribe the Koreans in the offices. Any wonder Christianity makes no head way in Korea!
52
13th. Sunday. Pale-sun p.m. Mild.
53
Seoul home. 1 p.m. in the presence of mother and other members of our family 鄭光鉉 placed the Engagement Ring on the finger of our 文姬. The simple ceremony was fittingly concluded by a fervent prayer of cousin 致昭 and his present wife. God bless 文姬 and 鄭光鉉!
55
14th. Monday. Cloud. A copious rain last night. Mild.
56
Seoul home. 瑛姬 and 珽善 are still suffering from cold. Wife's method of keeping them in perpetual perspiration will keep them in cold at least for two months yet. Little 珽善 a beautiful child has actually five coats―(1) a flannel 赤袗; (2) over it a Japanese "merias" underwear; (3) a silk cotton wadded 赤古里 ; (4) a double flannel overall; (5) a knitted jacket. Over all this he is when asleep covered with a double flannel blanket plus a silk cotton wadded quilt. Thus clothed and covered he is laid on a superheated floor with all doors closed! Treat an ox like this, he will have no chance of getting well. If these precious children survive this well meant but abominable treatment―they will certainly do so by the grace of God in spite of the unintentional cruelty of their misguided mother. Anybody who dare suggest a cooler way of nursing these children elicit or provoke such a torrent of abusive language and curses from wife that he must either give her a sound beating or keep a tormenting silence! She takes this silence as a sing of fear and respect. What a blasphemy to say that man or woman was made after the image of God!
58
15th. Tuesday. Bright. Very cold―north wind.
61
16th. Wednesday. Bright. Very cold.
62
Seoul home. 3 p.m. went with 璋, 埼 to 團成社 to see Ben Hur screened. The 辯士 or the Interpreter used the word 監司 instead of 總督 to designate the Roman Governor of Palestine. Strange the Police had permitted the films in Korea at all.
64
17th. Thursday. Lovely. Cold but clear.
65
Seoul home. Supper at Mr. 申興雨's home. Messrs. 宋鎭禹, 金性洙, 兪億兼, 白寬洙 and Miss Helen Kim were present. 宋 told us that Mr. 朴容萬 who was assassinated a few months ago in Peking by a Korean, had visited Seoul sometime in 1911 at the invitation of the Japanese authorities of Seoul; that 朴 received ￥6,000.00 from them; and that he was killed by a member of 義熱團 under the suspicion of his being a Japanese spy.
67
18th. Friday. Bright. Cold.
68
Seoul home. She atmosphere in the morning heavily charged with the coal smoke and fog is simply unbreathable.
70
19th. Saturday. Bright. Cold.
71
To Song Do home per 9:15 a.m. train to attend to some bank business. Returned per 4:10 p.m. train.
73
20th. Sunday. Bright a.m. Pale p.m. Cold.
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Seoul home. The Second Skating Tournament was held on the Han Kang. Forty participants. The immense crowd that stood out the whole program inspite of the cold weather was an encouraging sight―showing the keen interest which Koreans have begun to have in athletic events. The program lasted from 12 morning to 4 p.m.
76
21st. Monday. Pale. Mild.
77
Seoul home. 文姬, 明姬 and I took supper at Mr. 梁株三's home. His wife keeps a model home for him.
79
22nd. Tuesday. Bright. Cold.
80
Seoul home. 致旺 has a son born this morning 5. Mother and baby reported to be doing fine.
82
23rd. Wednesday. Bright. Cold.
83
Seoul home. Mr. 李□鍾 called and stayed nearly 3 hours asking me to become the Chairman or 會長 of a 靑年同友會 to be organized for the purpose of guiding the young men who are earnestly desiring to do some practical work in the way of improving the village life of the country. I declined the honor of becoming the 會長 or even a promoter 發起人 of such an organization for the simple reason that the Y.M.C.A. movement with which I have been identified taxes as much of my moral and material resources as I can spare and that if the Y.M.C.A. had men and means, it could do all that a new organization expects to do etc.
85
24th. Thursday. Bright. Biting cold.
86
Seoul home. The Korean yangban or aristocrat.
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Ⅰ. His fundamental laws of life:
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1. Never do anything with your hands―except lifting the spoon and chopsticks to your mouth or writing with brush. Mother of Korean laziness.
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2. Let everybody serve you. Never think of serving others. Father of Korean's selfishness.
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Ⅱ. Minor rules governing the aristocratic life.
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1. Never show you have a good appetite. That's vulgar. Always complain you are dyspeptic.
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2. Never take exercises―such as walking―running.
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3. Always whine and complain of some ache where in your precious anatomy―headache, or backache, or pain somewhere in the legs or in the arms etc., etc. Feign these aches and pains long enough; you will be regarded with real aches and pains―a perfect yangban!
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4. Read nothing but Chinese histories and classics-Never show any interest in things Korean―that would be too vulgar. Don't show any inclination toward the studies of fine arts, or science such as mathematics or medicine. Write essays on filial piety, feminine chastity and loyalty to Kings. Fill up the remaining hours by composing verses on Wind and Moon.
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5. Alway scold your valets and servants. Never hand anything to your inferiors but throw it. Be angry most of the time so that people may fear you. Be always slow Never pay attention to details.
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25th. Friday. Bright. Cold.
100
26th. Saturday. Gloomy. Mild.
101
Seoul home. To Dr. Underwood's home 10 a.m. Present Messrs. 申興雨, 洪吳秉, 吳牧師, 金應□, Billings, Barnhart, Misses 金 Helen and 李珏卿. Compared notes and exchanged suggestions for the series of lectures to be given in the Central Y. from the 3rd Feb. to the 10th.
103
27th. Sunday. Bright. Mild.
104
Seoul home. The laws and rules that have governed the Korean aristocracy as I have set down on the preceding pages are more hateful because they have been copied by all the strata of the Korean people―especially of the middle and southern sections of the country. The Seoul-bred women are thoroughly permeated or saturated with the abominable aristocratic ideas and rules and manners of life, no matter what class they belong to. In that respect the Korean aristocrat has been a curse to the people without one single redeeming quality.
106
28th. Monday. Bright. a.m. Raw p.m. Chilly.
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Seoul home. A meeting of the Korean Y. National Council 6~8 p.m. at Central Y.
109
29th. Tuesday. Gloomy a.m. Chilly.
112
30th. Wednesday. Beautiful. Cold.
115
31st. Thursday. Gloomy. Chilly.
116
Seoul home. The 振興方針硏究會 for the So. Methodistic of Korea met at Mr. Stokes 3 p.m. Mr. Ryang presented a plan for creating endowment funds in each of the five districts. All the Korean members of the Committee approved of it but most of the missionaries opposed it on the ground that such a fund would weaken the spiritual life of the Church. Mr. Weems said that such a fund would destroy the spirit of giving which is one of the means of grace; that to provide for the future is contrary to the teachings of Christ who taught us to pray for the "daily bread"; and that a reserve fund is opposed to divine plan because God gives us sunshine a little everyday and not so much for a month or year!
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