The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-27
Tho Honolulu Lepers.

detention hospital put on the outskirts o
the city and on the bank OF the beaut
full bay. Then they are examined b.
the doctor who decides whether it is
case of leprosy or not. Once declared
leper the person is civilly dead, ant
is incapable 0f suing in the courts
being sued. At the hospital there arc
accommodations for about 120. 1t u
filed every two months. The establish
ment consists OF a plot of ground, sav
live acres, around which is very high
picket fence, with deep ditch outside
of it. Within are cottages or wards.
There is little shade, except that madb
by the houses, no sward nor running
water. The construction of the house
is primitive, their furnishing plain t.
the verge of discomfort, but they arc
clean. To the north rises the grotesqu
form of the Punch Bowl, the crater o'
an extinct volcano, and beneath it are
the green slopes and lower lands OF tn
beautiful city. Sweeping around to the
east is Wekiki, with its graceful forest
of cocoa palms, and in front the gree
sea splashes and roars over the cora!
reefs that form the harbor bar, In TIN
place the leper must give up all hope.
Before his admission here he had a
least the expectation of dying anon,
friends friends so loyal that they hide
their afflicted relatives in the mount
aims, and bring them poi and water H.
calabashes. But now comes the hars.
discipline OF q government institution
No wandering in the cool Algeroba for
est or bathing in the loved surf, bu
simply period of suffering and waitin}
for death by mercenary, If cruel law
and from whose horrible provision
there is no escape.
The hospital full, steamer comes TO
take to the Island of Molokai those
whose condition is most advanced
there to remain until death. 1t wa
with such party that Travelled finalli
to Molokai, his excellency having q.
last exhausted his reasons for my no.
going. 1t was not my lot TO witnes,
many sad scenes, but none of them ep-
preached in any way those which at
tended the separation of families a.
these handful of lepers sailed away t.
their exile Daughters reached out
their arms to mothers whom they
might not embrace; wives held up
their mouths for kisses which their hus
bands could not give; babes, held in thc
arms of strangers, laughed and cooeG
10 their mothers, TO whose breaking
hearts they might not be held in one last,
loving clasp. And sobs-such sobs.
"alas! that come from the depths
hearts wrung with the misery of hope
less condition Presently the line
were cast off, the little steamer turned
her head away and steamed slowly to.
ward the bar. / went into the little
cabin set apart for the captain and
closed the door, determined to hear no
more and see no more Of such grief.
The little port was open, when sudden
ly it was darkened, and, looking up, l
saw the dark but beautiful face OF d
woman whose young husband was OH
his way to Molokai. She had swan,
out to intercept the steamer, and being
-as indeed are all her race-as muc!,
ut home in water as on land, she had
no difficulty in accomplishing her pur'
pose. "Ah," she said, "you are not "a
doctor nor II constable. Tell my hus
band TO look over the side to me, and
God will bless you"
went on deck. We were steaming
slowly, waiting for the Government in
spector TO complete his task before
taking his own boat for the shore. Thr
lepers had become quiet, or compara
: lively so, except for pain. A few
women were rocking on their hauncht
and moaning, a young half-white CIR
had flung herself on the deck in q will
, abandonment of grief, and behind tn
smoke-stack found the husband kneel
! ing in prayer. His face, serrated b
, the leprous sores, was held toward th'
l sun, the tears were streaming down hi
: disease-cut features, softening them b.
their agony of supplication.
"William," / said, "your wife J.
alongside. Go quietly TO the place
shall point out to you and you will se'
her."
The man sprang up, and for mo
ment was perfectly beautiful, such
Joy as came in his face. Then he turne,
a and ran to the place indicated. Hal
3 an hour afterward | saw him alone
We were then under a full head o
steam, passing Diamond Head.
"Where Is shep" i asked. He pointe'
Q astern. and there, not an eighth OF
mile away, we saw her. swimming to
, ward some fishing-boats, her soft blac'
: hair floating out behind her and he
: arm every now and again waving to v
= good-by. te
!. The leper settlement is generAN
called Molokai, but that, in fact, isdb
" name Of the island upon which Ill
. placed. Kalawai is the olscial nafAt Z
= the town or village. 1t is siuabaT 1
!. the foot of great ravine, tfitAjfig
q which at some time a stream 1t 1fp
has poured. On either side ara1gftt
!. prccipices reaching far into thae w
!. At their bases the surf beaQa sh4gl
,e sometimes breaking as high ~ tUl
n brown. hard fronts rs seveHtE otf9'
o Here the northeast trades roSl snh "
y: y: seas they gather in passags gse0sbtlw,
n. thousand miles over an upobstt4fte
,,Ss ocsan. Bat the rocks stop SdA %
N sullenly they fall back afs, So,y the,
!. heavy monotone. The tQQ1HSlf ,oof
% backward in sharp ascentS dlk al, |,
Al meet over tho narrow pass bto,.
10 which admission to the lefeT fdtfietlS :
q BY land is alone possible. Org saaSS
nj nature had made priscp[ BRfa JIifsf