Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-01-16
The Leper's Last Parting.
Iron a PHILADELPHIA Times Letter

lcIOm q Rn1lauelpl1a Times LeSter.l
When leper is reported to the police
OF any district any officer is sent to fetch
him or her to Honolulu, where there is
detention hospital put on the ont
skirts of the city and on the bank of the
beautiful bay. Then they are examined
by doctor, who decides whether it is
a case of leprosy or not. Once declared
a leper the person is civilly dead, and is
incapable of SUNG in the courts or being
sued. At the hospital there are accom-
modatiOns for about 120. It is filed
every two months. In this place the
leper must give up all hope. Before bis
admission here he had at least the ex-
pectation of dying among friends =
friends so loyal that they hide their af-
ficted relatives in the mountains and
bring them poi and water in calabashes.
But now comes the harsh discipline of
government institution. No wander
ing In the cool Algeroba forests or bath
ing in the loved surf, butsimply period
of suffering and waiting for death by
necessary, if cruel, law, and from whose
horrible 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. It was with such
party that travelled finally to Molokai.
It has been my lot to witness many sad
scenes, but none of them approached in
any way those which attended the sep
aration of families as these handful of
lepers sailed away to their exile.
Daughters stretched out their hands to
mothers, whom they might not embrace;
wives held up their mouths for kisses
which their husbands could not give:
babes, held in arms of strangers, laughed
and cOoed to their mothers, to whose
breaking hearts they might not be held
In one last, loving clasp. And sobs-
such sobs, "alas! that came from the
depths of hearts wrung with the misery
of a hopeless condition." Presently the
lines we're cast of, the little steamer
turned her head away and steamed slow
~ toward 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 lit
tie port was open when suddenly it was
darkened, and, looking up, / saw the
dark, but beautiful face of woman
whose young husband was on his way to
Molokai. She had swan out to inter-
cept the steamer, and being-as, indeed,
are all her race-as much at home in
water as on land, she hadno difficulty in
accomplishing her purpose. ''Ah," she
said, ''yOu are not doctor nor con-
stable. Tell my husband 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. The lepers
had become quiet or comparatively 30,
except for pain. A few women were
rocking and moaning, Young half
white girl had flung herself on deck in a
wild abandonment of grief, and behind
the smoke-stack [ found the husband
kneeling in prayer. His face, serrated
by the leprous sores, was held toward
the sun, the tears were streaming down
his cheeks and disease cut features, soft
ening them by their agony of supplica-
tiOn.
William" said, "your wife is
alongside. Go quietly to the place I
shall point out to you and you shall see
her."
The man sprang up, and for amoment
WaS PERFECTLY U0huGIAuI, SuCu Joy Cdu0
In his face. Then he turned and ran to
the place indicated. Half an hour after
ward I saw him alone. We were then
under full head of steam passing Dia-
mond Head.
Where is she ?" I asked. He point
ed astern, and there, not an eighth of a
mile away, we saw her, swimming to-
ward some fishing boats, her soft, black
hair floating out behind her and her arm
every now and again waving to us a
good-by-