Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-09-08


him in the right mood, and one may
bend him to his will. This mercurial
various ways. In birth, marriage, and
even death, the Abyssinian betrays his
dckle nature.
A husband who can afford the ex-
perse is thus continually. adding to his
household of wives. AS soon as his ia
vorite begins to pail on him he deposes
her for another. The new wife rules
the house, dictates orders to the other
wives, who, strange as it may seem,
obey her without open remonstrance.
II any Of the former favorites ever
cared for their lord they soon cease to
be jealous Of his affections. They know,
too, that the time will surely come
when they will be turned out into the
streets to look for another master.
The custom Of discarding wives at
random has practically destroyed the
Abyssinian's idea of morality. Though
devout in observing the mere forms of
Christianity, in fasting nearly two
thirds Of the year, yet his social life is
deeply debased. Chastity Is said to be
practically unknown. The word frater-
nifty does not belong to the language
Avarice is one of the besetting sins of
Abyssinia, and the saying is common
one even among his own race: "If he
can't get more, an Abyssinian will sell
his soul for a farthing."
The fascination of jewelry and beads
Is so irresistible to the native women
that they hesitate at nothing to gain
such coveted trinkets. A man will ask
a stranger not only for money but the
cloak on his back or the shoes on his
feet. When a child is born, and
stretches out it's tiny hand, its mother
boasts to her neighbors that it is al
ready asking for present. One chief,
after coveting almost everything valu-
able in his province, and obtaining the
most that he wanted by command or
seizure, died with these words on his
lips:
BURY me near the track of the great
caravan, so my spirit can make the
merchants pay me toll"
The Abyssinian's pleasure in gloat.
ing over his treasures is almost as in
tense as his desire to possess them. 1t
is for this reason that he must see and
fondle gift, on receiving one. When
a chief is presented by his subjects
with sheep, goats, swine or cows, the
animals are always brought into his
round mud house, so that he can pat
their sides and admire them 1t mat
ters little how much the beasts may
defile his abode. The Abyssinian prac
tically has little love for cleanliness.
And thus the subjects of Menelik, de-
spite the aspirations of this monarch
kingdom western ideas and customs,
live in indescribable squalor. In the
morning an Abyssinian will rub his
eyes with dry cloth, and then labori-
ously "do up his hair" in which he
takes an inordinate pride. 1t grows so
luxuriantly that he is able to sleep on
a wooden pillow with perfect serenity.
After untangling few of it's snarls he
soaks the mop with melted butter and
then combs it into fantastic shapes. In
his love for a-change he seeks to ar
range his locks new way every morn
ing.
Next to his boast that he can be the
worst enemy, the Abyssinian warrior
claims he is at times the most hospi-
table friend. Besides spreading ta-
BILE for his guests, this African host
goes so far as to feed the banqueters
with his own hand. There are no chairs
in Abyssinia, and so the diners squat
ON the grass-covered floor, with the ta-
BILE just high enough to be free of their
knees. The host rolls up ball of
dough, dips it in some honey, and then
pushes it into the distended mouth OF
his chief guest. Often the ball is too
large, and in this case the host liter
ally Jams the morsel down the ban
uueter's throat. He then feeds the
other guests the same way, and then
all feed one another.