THEODORE'S HOUSEHOLD AND PRIVATE LIFE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 371, 8 October 1868, Page 2

THEODORE'S HOUSEHOLD AND PRIVATE LIFE.

(Prom the pall-mall gazette.) Theodore had all the dislike of the roving bedouin for towns and cities. He loved camp life, the free breeze "of the plains, the sight of his army so gracefully encamped around the hillock he had selected for himself ; and preferred to the palace the Portuguese had erected at Gondar for a "more sedentary king, the delights of roaming about incognito during the beautiful cool nights of Abyssinia. His household was well regulated; the same spirit of order which had introduced something like discipline into his army showod itself also in the arrange-

Inents of his domestic affairs. Every department was under the control of a chief, who was responsible to him directly, and answerable for every thing connected with the department entrusted to him.

Stance to say, he preferred as his personal attendants those who had Berved with Europeans. His valet, the only one who stood by him to the last, had been a servant of Barouni, •the vice-consul at Massowah. Another, a young man named Paul, was a former servant of Mr Walker ; others had at one time been in the service of Mr Plowden, Bell, and Cameron. Exrept his valet, who was almost constantly near his person, the others, although they resided in the same inclosure, had more specially to take care of his guns, swords, spears, shields, &c. He had also around him a great number of pages ; not that I believe he required their presence, but it was

an "honour" he bestowed on chiefs entrusted with distant commands or with the government of remote provinces. Almost all the duties of the household were performed by women ; they baked they carried water and wood, and swept his tent or hut, as the case might be. The majority of them were slaves whom he had seized from slave dealers at the time he made manly efforts to put a stop to the trade. Once a week, or more often as the case required, a colonel and his regiment had the honor of proceeding to the nearest stream, and ■wash the Emperor's linen and that of the Imperial household. No one, not even the smallest page, conld under "the penalty of death enter his harem. He had a large number of eunuchs, most of them Grallas, or soldiers and chiefs who had recovered from the mutilation the Q-allas inflict on their, wounded foe. The queen or the favourite of the day had a tent or house to herself, and several eunuchs to attend upon her ; at night at tendants slept at the door of her tent, and were made responsible for the virtue of the lady entrusted to their care. As for the ordinary women, the objects of passing affections or of deeper passions that time had quenched, a tent or hut in common for ten or twenty, one or two eunuchs, and a few female slaves for the whole, was all the ttate be allowed the neglected ladies.

Though lie could read and write, he never condescended to correspond personally with any one, but was alwavs accompanied by several secretin es, to whom lie could dictate Ins letters ; and so wonderful was his memory that he could indite an answer to letters received months, nay years, before, or dilate on subjects and events that had occurred at afar remote period. Theodore was always an early riser ; indeed, he indulged in sleep but very little. Sometimes at two o'clock, at the latest before four, he would issue from his tent and give judgment on any case brought before him. Of late his temper was such that litigants kept out of his way ; he nevertheless retained his former habits, and would be seen long before daybreak sitting quite alone on a stone, in deep meditation or in silent prayer. He was always verv abstemious in his food, and never indulged in excesses at the table.