Evening star., 1935-10-27
.ETH|OP|ANS GET
DIVORCES EASILY
Marriage Also Marked With
Little FormaIity by
Natives.
BY the Associated Press.

Adds ABABA.-Marriage and d.
vorce are simplicity itself In Ethiopia
Take the case of Mrs Anthropolis
handsome young Ethiopian cook. Mrs
Anthropolis is the wife Of a Greek
bridge builder here.
Last January the cook told her he
had Just been married and she gave
him a fine new stamina, or toga
which is a most coveted present.
In June, in a still more joyful mood
he announced that he had been mar
ried again and hinted that another
new stamina would be appreciated
The change of wives. he explained
had been expensive.
When the lady recovered from her
surprise and had been told that mar
riages and divorces are very frequent
here, she promised to give her servant
the desired present If he kept his cur
rent wife six months. Walda Giorgis
was satisfied. because he said he had
an extra fine bride and was going to
keep her a long time.
ASKS lime BE Gut.
But this month (October) he again
appeared before his mistress and after
bowing low. as age-old Ethiopian gal
lantry requires, begged her to reduce
the six months period by half.
"Why?" asked Mrs. Anthropolis.
That's too long," answered the son
of George, I've been married again. u
All Ethiopians are not exactly like
this fascinating cook, with 1.-the body
intelligent looking face, high forehead
thin lips and bush hair. Some keel
their wives longer, but usually moi
very long Marriages are recurrent
and divorces easy.
There are several different kinds OF
conjugal obligations. The very modest
and genial Ethiopian. who takes care
Of the writer's mules, looks like a
paragon Of virtue and undoubtedly Is
but his marital arrangements are
strange.
His wife's village is hundred miles
from Adds Ababa and she spends the
rainy season there looking after a few
possessions she received from her
divorced husband.
On departing this year she left her
bright, 6-year-old son with his STEP
father, the writer's mule man, and
also brought humble woman called
Tahuni, to his hut to take her place
80 Hapta lives with his stepson and
hired wife during his regular wife's
temporary absence.
Must Hunt New Job.
When Miriam. the mother, returns,
which will be soon, Tahuni will have
to hunt a similar position with an
other man whose spouse happens to
be away.
Ordinarily when a boy and girl
wish to marry, they call in their
parents, elder relations and a sort of
local official. They exchange pres
entS, with the most generosity usually
coming from the groom, then eat
drink and revel. And that's all
They're married.
When either party gets tired OF
( the other, the same witnesses are
again assembled. all the common
property is scrupulously divided into
two equal parts, and they separate
They're divorced.
The children all belong to the
father but when young the mothe,
continues to look after them for which
she is paid.
Ethiopia is land wnere children
are loved and neglected. And none
Of them is illegitimate. A mans child
by his female slave or servant has the
same legal standing as his child by his
wife. And he must pay for its sup
port. Yet no insult is more deadly
for an Ethiopian than to have his
paternity questioned.
The child of a slave mother and free
father is free. as we'll as the child Of
a slave father and free mother. AL
children, male or female may In.
herit property. In cases of divorce
the children all belong to the father
Infant Mortality High.
Infant mortality is very high. Con.
sequently families are small. The II
brothers and sisters of the present
Emperor all died young. And tina
was superior family. Among com
mon people more children die thar
are left.