The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-17
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The Lepcr's Last Parting.

When Il ieper is reported to the d l.
lice of any district, any oilicer is sent
! to fetch him or her IL Honolulu.
where there is detention hospital
| put on the outskirts of the city and
on the bank of the beautiful blv.
Then they are examined by the doc
| tor, who decides whether it is a case
| of leproay or not. Once declared n
leper, the person is ciYilly dead, anil is
incapable of suing IN the courts DIR
being sued. At the hospital there aire
accommodations for about l20. 1T is
filled every two months. In this plAce
the leper must give up all hope. he
fore his admission here he had ut east
the expectation of dying am ons,
friendS-friends so loyal that they
hide their afflicted relatives in the
mountains and bring them poi a.pd
water IN balabashes. But now comes
the harsh discipline of a government
institution. No wandering in the coo.
Algeroba forests or bathing in the
loved surf, but simply period of Suf-
fering and waiting for death by a
necessary, if cruel law, and from
WI ose provisions 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. IL was
with such Il party that Travelled
finally to Molokhi. 1t has been my
lot to witness many sad scenes. but
none Of them approached in any way
those which attended the separation
of families rs these handful of lepers
sailed away to their exile. Daughters
stretched out their hands to mothers,
hnF AttrI %
wives held up their mouths for kisses
which their husbands could not give:
babes, held in arms of straDge,s,
laughed and cooed 70 their mothers,
10 whose breaking hearts they might
not be held in one last, loving clasp.
Ard sobS such SOLE, "alaS.
that came from the depths
of hearts wrung with the
misery of hopeless condition" Prs /,
emily the lines were cast off, the little
steamer turned lcr head away aud
steamed slowly toward the bar.
went into the little cabin set apart for
the captain and clCstd the Gutr, tie
termincd to hear !. o more and St no
more of such GRIEF. The little port
was open when sudtienly it was dark
ened, and, looking up, saw the dark,
but beautiful face of a woman whose
young husband WIS on his WAY to
Molokai. She had 81 II cut to inter-
cept the steamer, aUd DcigE-aS i'll
deed, are all her rIce-;ls much IS
home III water as Oh ljtlid, She hHd no
dittl3alty i'll accomplishing hcr pur.
pose. 'Ah,' she said, you are not
doctor nor a constable. Fell lny huS.
band to look over lac side TO he and
God will bless YOU"
| went on deck. We were sieaming
Slowly, waiting for the government
inspector to complete his task before
taking his own boat for tn; shore.
The leperS had become quiet or COM
paratively so, except for pain. A lew
women were rocking and moaning,
young half-white girl had dung her
self on the deck in Il wild abandon
ment of grief, and behind the smoke
stack l found the husband kneeliDgin
prayer. His face, Serra.ed by the lep-
rouS sores, was held toward the sun,
the tears were streaming down his
checks and disease-cut features, soft
ening them by their agony of suppli-
cation.
"Yilliam," | said, your wife is
alongside. Go quietly to the place
shall point out to you and you shall
see her"
The man sprang up, and for a mo-
ment was perfectly beautiful, such a
joy as came in his face. Then he
turned add ran to the place indi-
Gated. Half IN hour afterwariI saw
him alone. We were then under
full head of steam passing Diamond
Head.
where is she - asked. lie pointed
astern, and there, not an eighth of u
mile away, we saw her, swimming to-
ward some fishing boats, her sofg
black hair floating out behind her and
her arm every now and again waving
TO us a good by