Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-19

islands. They had no houses but fimsy huts,
no decent clothing, no medical attendance
worthy of the name, and but the poorest
kind of food. The oldest of the miserable
creatures sank into a kind of apathy and
laid down and died. Among the youngest
after the first few years had killed hope 10
their hearts, began what may only be termed
the orgies of despair. They abandoned
themselves to excesses. They made native
alcohol and ki-root beer. The outrageous
hula dances were matters of continual occur
renee The Hawaiian government paid no
attention to them. In the opening sentences
of his story Father Damien has told what he
found there. 1t is doubtful If there was upon
the face of the wide earth at the time OF
Damiens coming in 1873 such scene OF mad
ness, wretchedness and despair as at the
settlement at kalawao.
Father Damien arrived at Honolulu at the
time of the beginning Of the segration of the
lepers, in 1864. He went out to join the
Catholic missionaries in Hawaii. He was
twenty four years old, a native of Belgium,
and member of the Society of Picpus. He
had labored for some time in England. He
was looked upon as young man OF ability,
ana his superiors predicted for hm great
future. Nine years after going to Honolulu
he one day heard his bishop wish that some
priest would volunteer to go out among the
iepers at Molokai. Damien pondered over
the matter for week, during which time IL
was clearly brought to his attention that If
he went to Molokai he must not only stay
pility, die leper's death.
HE OFFERED HIMSELF FOR THE PLACE,
and his offer was accepted. In a few days
he was landed at Kalawao. He had no
money or no means of providing for himself.
He had TO trust entirely to the kind hearted
ones among the lepers The horrible scenes
| he met with at first appalled, him. There
| were so many people i'll the last agonies,
! and Damien spent so much time with them,
| that for time he was not able to build him.
h,,t md Ial l-aH fn cln ,otp pifrht nftnF
tree. The Hawaiian government treated
| him with sternness. Damien was
/ not permitted to go out to any Of
| the islands near by to meet brother
| priest for confession, and the sheriff at Mo-
| lokai had orders to put the priest in jail if he
! stirred off the gloomy peninsula on which
| the lepers were. Damien became at Kalawao,
| as he wrote himself, physician OF the soul
and body, magistrate, school teacher, car
penter, joiner, painter, gardener, house
| keeper, cook, and often undertaken and
grave-digger." The poor lepers came to
look upon him as their friend and assistant
IN every possible way. He moved among
! them and lived with them as one of them.
| selves His influence became unbounded.
! He was the arbiter of all disputes, the final
resource in every trouble. Finally the
| Hawaiian government came TO look upon
| Damien kindly. They put him on the same
footing as the medical inspector who at
times visited the colony, aud allowed him
| every privilege. Damien did not leave the
\ island, but remained constantly laDorinB
| among the lepers.
| In Danien's story which follows, there is a
| constant comparison between the leper set
tlemont as he found it, and the leper settle
| ment dozen years later. Now there are at
| Kalawao and the adjoining villages good
| frame houses, built of lumber, which was, OF
course, brought there from remote parts OF
| the island; several hospitals for both males
and females, attended by an efficient corps
| of physicians; generous supplies OF food and
! clothing given by the government; good
schools for the children, and an increase OF
| comfort in every way. But more surprising
| than this, there is IA strange change in the
| life and habits OF the lepers. The licentious
dances are no more heard OF. Comparatively
little of the native alcohol is distilled. The
lives OF the people are more moral, and the
| lepers have taken 10 cultiyating garden spots
| around their homes. Kalawao is peaceful
and
| APPARENTLY HAPPY COMMUSITY.
| With characteristic mOdesty, Damien
| merely states these wonderful changes with
| out accounting for them. But that they
| were due almost entirely 10 himself alone is
the instant verdict of all who have been
| conyersant with his life and work at Kala-
wac. Damien speedily saw when he went
| among the lepers that he could do little for
their spiritual welfare until they were better
| off tempOrally. In their miserable, hopeless
condition tney jeered at God and man and
rioted in a frenzied attempt 10 drown the
| Thoughts of their end. Damien immediately
began TO write letters TO the government de-