Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-22
AMONG THE LEPERs.
Heroes Who, Like Father Damien, Give
Their Lives to q Self-denying Task.

To the Editor Of TEE EVENING STAR:
A great deal Is being said at this time in the
papers about the loathsome lepers, and es-
pecialIy of those in Molokai, to whom the late
Father Damien gave the last years ct his life.
So much has been said Of this humane and self
denying priest that the impression Is likely to
be given that he stood and his successor stands
alone in ministering to these miserable crea-
lures. In the cause of truth and humanity il
will be of interest to your many readers to
know there are others who like Father Damien,
are willingly spending and being spent" in the
service Of these greatly-afiicted people.
compile the following from church periodicals
Of current dates:
The Rev. DIR. Macduff, q Protestant clergy
man, several years ago wrote about the lepers
outside the Jaffa gate at Jerusalem, where they
were nursed by Protestant Episcopal Moravian
church people. These are part of DR. Macduffs
words: ''Of all 'doleful memories the present
writer has of visit to Gods ancient city the
most dolorous, indeed the most horrible and
repellant, is that of the groups of these out
casts, seated nigh to the Jaffa gate; their
hideous appearance and croaking, stif1ed
appeals for succor-a living death and living
grave. Now, two miles outside this principal
entrance, has been built under the auspices of
the Moravian church, a leper home-a house
Of mercy'-where these pitiable objects are
gathered, waited upon, nursed and tended by
the same devoted brotherhood and sisterhood-
the suffering of their suffering frames soothed
and alleviated; their souls comforted and sus-
tanned with the gracious words and promises
Of Him who Himself was stricken, smitten of
God and afflicted"
Episcopalians are consecrating their lives to
this work at Jerusalem. OF them and their
noble work the Rev. Mr.. Chichester (rector of
the Church Of England, parish of Wolton,
Surry, Engand), writes: I'm Robben Island,
near the entrance of Table bay, Cape Town, the
government in the year 1916. built an hospital
and infirmary for lepers and other patients. In
1850 the government expressed desire that
competent teacher should be sent out to take
charge of the schools. Accordingly Brother
John Taylor, son OF an esteemed missionary
(and himself lame of his feet from his YOUTH,
left his widowed mother and relatives and
home comforts, and willingly followed the call
of the Lord to this desolated island Of kpers
and lunatics. Writing home, he says: Three
days q week keep school to about fifty lepers,
chronic sick. and blind patients, and we read
the Dutch Bible and hymn-book. They are very
attentive and eager to profit. Poor creatures,
some of them are dreadfully disfigured by lep-
rosy, and at times the effluvium is intolerable.'
For five years this earnest young brother con-
tinued his labor, till he was called to his eternal
rest on May n, 1866, and his remains rest in
the shade of the little church in Robben
Island"
should add that in the lepers' hospital out
side the walls of Jerusalem deaconesses from
the German Protestant religious houses have
given themselves to nurse and minister. year
after year these heroic women" as remarks q
leading current journal. without pretentious-
ness without any trumpeting Of their work,
almost unknown to the world, have waited upon
lepers while themselves literally dying by
inches. Their courage and constancy have
only come to light by the chance notice of trav-
elers, but doubtless their names. unknown on
earth, are written in the Lambs book of life."
All honor to Father Damien, the Roman
Catholic priest, but none the less honor to the
equally faithful, equally sympathetic, heroic,
and self-sacrificing Protestant Episcopal Mora
VANS and to the Protestant teacher, John Tay-
lor, who labored and died and was buried
among the lepsrs of Robben Island.
JUsTITIA