The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-04-04
A LEPER LAzARETTO.
Fisit to the Hawaiian Hospital of Ka-
kaaO-.A Mysterious Disease.

kaaO-A Mysterious Disease.
[Cor San Francisco Alta-California.
BY this time we have arrived at the
la arctic of Oahu. 1t stands on tNe
,eashore and consists of several rows of
whitewashed houses, inclOsed by fence.
AT the southern entrance is a division
some fifteen feet in length, protected
only by large wooden grating, through
which, on certain days in the week, the
lepers inside are allowed to converse
with their friends. When we came up,
some dozen or so natives were seated on
the long bench outside the grating, chat
ting merrily to the prisoners. Where
were the tears and lamentations l ex-
pected-the agonized meeting of mother
and child, of husband and wife! Ger
tainly not apparent az this portion of
my visit, for the lepers inside seemed as
a lot of school boys and girls, exchang-.
ing Jokes and gossps through the play
ground gate with their friends outside.
The porter admitted us. The square
was traversed by numerous walks, trees
We're planted here and there, flower
beds laid out, and benches placed
throughout the grounds. A tall, we'll
proportioned native, neatly dressed,
gold chain spanning his white waistcoat
and newspaper in his hand, ap-
preached the doctor He greeted him
cordially in English, bowed to me, and,
in reply to the docter, stated that he
was feeling much better.
Surely that is not leper," said.
"He seems in perfect health and shows
no limb distortion, liberation, or any of
those signs which are associated in my
mind with the disease"
"Ah, yes; he's lepor." was the reply,
every one you meet here is leper,
with the exception of the Sisters of
Mercy and DreaVan Arnim, who has
been sent. here by the German govern
ment to make an exhaustive study of
the disease; and now, before we look
around the hospitals, we shall visit the
Sisters.
We found the Sisters decorating the
little chapel with rcd hibiscus and the
graceful mimosa blossoms. This chapel
is so arranged that the outer portion is
used for Episcopal services and the
inner for the Catholic mass. AS We
entered, native preacher, leper, of
course, was holding forth in Hawaiian
to dozen or so of his brethren. The
Sisters, both of whom were quite
comely, volunteered to accompany u>
through the wards. On the shoulder
of the younger sat perehed pet linnet,
which she had brought to a wonderful
stage of obedience and intelligence.
AT motion of her finger the bird
would fly away and circle around
her head, and return to it's perch when
she called. The Sister seemed quite
proud of the accomplishments of her
pet, and told, with much earnestness,
the story of how it fitted over the fence
one evening, and she had rescued ii
from the claws of the porter's cat. And
now we rested under broad yeranda
where groups of merry, laughing chill
dren were gathered, romping and sport
ing in the full en- oyment of life. 1t ap
| peared to me incredible that those
pretty, rosy checked youngsters
could be infected with the
horrible taint of leprosy. They
were as active and graceful as lot Of
= young fawns; their faces were clear
their eyes bright, their figures straight
and exquisitely nodded. Some of The
girls of ~ and 13, just on the threshold
OF womanhood, were positively 6eauti
full. "Yes, said the Sister sadly, 'they
are all lepers, all doomed to die withir
the next five, or at the most, sever
ears" and the doctor, calling a pretty
little maiden to him, opened her frocA
and showed me on the shoulder blade {
dark spot, not larger than half-dollal
piece.
THAT tells the story" he said; "but
see how happy they are" And he RAJ
after one of them, who fled with Shrek.
of laughter, while her companions hung
on to the doctors coat-tails and clGnl
around his legs, AMI rompcd with hin
to their heart content. 1t was q sen,
in the school play ground, and not ii
the confines of a laZaretto. In thC
woman wards we found a lot of smil
ing, good-natured creatures, glad to se'
the doctor, and with hearty aloha fo
the visitor. There was not mclan
chelly face in the group; there was no
one who might not be in the full enjoy
ment of all hfe's pleasures, so great an,
expressive of perfect contentment wer'
their features.
The men were quite as cheerful ant
ented-looking as the women, anC
thumbed their guitars and sang q
gayly as if they were miles away uude
the cocoas eating poe and watching tn
hulas. In those wards where the far
advanced patients were placed -thos
whose days were literally numbered
there was still nothing revolving to tn
eye. The apex of the disease was indi
Gated by extreme emaeiation men worl
to skeleton crouched upon their mat
ting, but had faint smile for the doc
tor when he entered. In one of thes