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The sacrifices made, Yung Pak called at the homes of all the male friends of the family, who now for the first time looked upon him as their equal, and in the evening Ki Pak gave a great dinner in honour of his son. Here there was much feasting and rejoicing, and all united in wishing the greatest prosperity and lifelong happiness to the little Korean boy now become a man.
The reformers were accused of desiring to establish a republic. Dissension was created in their ranks by the promotion of a scheme to recall Pak Yung-hio. Some of the more extreme Independents indulged in wild talk, and gave excuse for official repression. Meetings were dispersed at the point of the bayonet, and the reform movement was broken.
A chair covered with red silk, borne on the shoulders of sixteen chair-men, passed up to the temple. "Who is in that chair?" asked Yung Pak of his companion. "The crown prince," was Kim Yong's reply. "He attends his royal father in all these ceremonies of state." Yung Pak drew a long breath, but said nothing.
Under Wang Ken's instruction Yung Pak made rapid progress in his studies, and when the boy's father questioned him from time to time as to what he had learned, he was very much pleased, and commended his son for his close attention to his studies.
At the funeral service of another young Korean preacher, Pak Suk Han in Pyeng Yang, hundreds of Japanese soldiers appeared with drawn bayonets just to terrorize the people. The church was full of Japanese officers with drawn swords. "What would have happened if somebody in a fit of patriotism had shouted 'Mansei'?" I asked. "We would have been killed instantly!" said the missionary soberly.
"It is the King's affair," he added with even greater fierceness; so that Pak Chung Chang's silver pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers and clattered on the floor. "Know then," said Yi Chin Ho, when they had gone apart, "that the King is troubled with an affliction, a very terrible affliction. In that he failed to cure, the Court physician has had nothing else than his head chopped off.
"There are robbers abroad in the land," said Pak Chung Chang, sadly. "But it shall be as you wish, so long as my ancient and very-much-to-be-respected ancestor's nose abide in its appointed place." "Say nothing to any man of this occurrence," said Yi Chin Ho, "else will other and more loyal servants than I be sent to strike off your father's nose."
Straightway was he led to an inner room, where the master of the house was roused from his sleep and brought blinking before him. "You are Pak Chung Chang, head man of this city," said Yi Chin Ho in tones that were all-accusing. "I am upon the King's business." Pak Chung Chang trembled. Well he knew the King's business was ever a terrible business.
On the dining-tables of the poorer people of Korea the teapot was never seen, for, strange as it may seem, in this land situated between the two greatest tea-producing countries of the world, tea is not in common use. All Koreans have splendid appetites, and probably if you should see Yung Pak eating his dinner you would criticize his table manners.
When he grew old enough to run about, his father employed for him a servant, Kim Yong, whose business it was to see that no harm came to the child. For several years the two were constantly together, even sleeping in the same room at night. Once when Yung Pak and his attendant were out for their daily walk their attention was attracted by the sound of music in the distance.
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