The Irish standard., 1886-11-13
NUMBER 2.

that personally having made VOW Of
poverty my wants are few. 4. draft
from the Bank Of England, on Bishop
e Co., bankers i'll Honolulu, will be the
simplest and the safest way for remit
tance. May the eternal blessing of God
be with you, your family, and those
| who may contribute in any way to the
relief Of my poor sick people. Yours
affectionately in our Lord,
J. DAMIEN DE VsNsrER,
I Catholic Priest for the Lepe.s.
T. S.-To give you some idea of our
place, I send you by same mail small
pamphlet The Lepers Of Molokai. Nav
| it be Of interest to you and your
friends. +. DAMIEN.
PROTESTANT CIERGYMANs LETTER.
Mr. Chapman, an admirable Anglican
minister, writes as follows to the Lon
don Times:
SrR,-An account of Father Damisn's
work, and the heroic penalty which he
has paid appeared notlonQ ago in most
| OF the papers. The case is as simpls as
it is sad. This manly priest. himself
under q vow Of poverty, lives in the
Island Of Molokai, which is confined to
|epers, among whom he has irretrley-
ably cast bis lot. He has himself fallen
a prey to the disease, and in cheerful
letter which he has lately written to
me SAYS that he would most gladly re-
ceive any contributions for his poor
people. [ have received the willing
sympathy OF Ills Eminence, the Cardi-
nal Archbishop, in the publication Of
his appeal, and shall be ehagpy to under
take all Acknowledgements and trans
missions. The case speaks for Itself,
though J. could nave wished it had q
!vorthier channel Of expression. ayn,
Sir, yonr obedient servant,
IL. =. CHAPMAN,
l77 Camden Grove North, Peckhaul, $. e. .Oc-
t0bo'' 16.
MISS LAalBERTs LETTER.
Miss Agnes Lambert, who has made
careful study Of the condition OF lepers.
writes to the same journal:
b1R,-Ihis morning my attent ton was
drawn to a sentence in the last number
of weekly review, declaring the sub
Ject OF the lepers to be SO repuIslve ssthat
nobody can possibly want to know any
more about them.' immediately after
wards some one else drew rry attention
to the paragraph in the Times. contain
ing the appeal of the Rev. H. q. Chap
man, Vicar OF St. Luke's. CamherWeH.
for the poor leper flock of the heroic
Father Damien in the Island OF Molo-
kai. 4, spite OF the opinion expressed
by your contemporary Of the hundreds
OF Jhousands-in our Indian Empire
alone there are l35,000-of human be-
ings afflicted at this moment with the
most terrible disease that can disfigure
and destroy mankind, will you let me,
in the hope OF assisting Mr.. Chapman's
efforts. supplement- his letter by re-
minding your readers that the increase
OF leprosy in the Sandwich Islands has
been SO great in recent years that the
government OF that little kingdom has
been obliged to enforce segregation Of
the affected, and has set apart the
island OF Molokai for the purpose? One
heroic priest after another has cut HIM
self Oft from his kindred and all that
makes lite glad, in order to devote HIM
self to their service. In 1873 Father
Damien, a young Belgian priest, just
ordained, volunteered his service fer
the settlement then numbering sou
lepers, of whom between 400 and 500
were Catholics, and who. dying at the
rate Of from eight to twelve per week.
had for long been without the aids and
comforts Of religion For thirteen
years, besides ministering to their
spiritual wants, Father Damien has
been doctor, nurse, magistrate, school
teacher, carpenter, painter, gardener
cook, and even il some cases under
taker and grave digger''-in fact, all
things for his stricken flock. But at
last be has himself fallen victim to
the terrible disease. In letter to MIR.
c. w. Stoddard. Father Damien tells
his story as no one else could tell it:
"Since March last my confrere, Father
Albers, has left N1olokai and this arch1-
pelago, and has returned to Tahiti and
the Poumoutous. I am now the only
priest on Molokai, aud am supposed to
be myself afflicted with the terrible dis
ease. Impossible for me to go
any more to Honolulu on account of the
leprosy breaking out On me. Il
Having no doubt myself of the true
character of my disease, I feel calm,
resigned, happier among my people.
Almighty God knows what is best for
my own sanct1fcation, and with that
conviction [ say daily good fiat vo-
luntas tua. Please pray for your af-
ficted friends, and recommend me and
my unhappy people to all servants of
the Lord.n think that few can refuse