The Indianapolis journal., 1890-07-23
ANOTHER "LEPER's BRIDE
The Self Sacrificing Life Ambition of q
Trained English Nurse.

Pail Mall Gazette.
The other day lady, dressed in neat.
simple nurses uniform, called at this Office.
On her dress she wore, to my surprise. the
order of merit which is awarded by the
Russian Red Cross Society. but which, in
most cases, is not bodily" bestowed. In
her hand she carried what presently i
found to be one of the most important
budgets of documents that have ever been
put INTO the hand of woman by the Russian
government. The lady was Miss Kate
Marsden, who hopes to start within few
days for six months tour through the
wide dominions of the great White Tar"
there to study the subject of leprosy. which
has of late aroused SO much attention and
interest.
What is it," asked Miss Marsden. after
she had told me of her intention, what is
1t that induces you to turn your attention
rather a strange way, and long before lep-
rosy had begun to attract much notice even
in the medical world. i was nurse in the
sso-Turkish war In 1878, and one day
time in my life The sight of the disease
was SO loathsome. so altogether appalling.
and the suffering of the pOOr men was so
beyond anything that had ever seen that
there and then l vowed to devote my whole
life and strength to lepers. If ever the op-
portunlty was given to me.
And from that day forth l have waited
for the opportunity to fulfill the VOW made
at the sight of the two Bulgarian lepers.
The time was not yet for many years. Sew
eral of my sisters were living. They were
very much opposed to my plan, but they
have all died of consumption, one after the
other. and there is now no longer any OBJ
stacle in nj way. except one, which may
at the last moment compel me to give up
"And what did you do while waiting all
these years"
II first became deputy superintendent
of the WooltOn Convalescent Home, Liver
pool. whore l remained for four and half
years. After rest / went out to New
Zealand, where my last sister was dying of
consumption. A week after / arrived she
died, and | accepted the place as lady
superintendent at the Wellington Hospital.
Then / heard of the miners in the South
island. many of whom live several days
journey away from any place where they can
get medical assistance In cases Of accident.
You can imagine what a mans sufferings
must be if he breaks or Injuries limb, and
has to remain unattended to for days and
days till doctor is brought to him, or till
he Is taken a long journey to where the
nearest medical man lives. In order to en-
able them to help themselves and each other
till medical assistance can be obtained, l
went among the miners all over the island
and gave ambulance lectures. 1t was q
strange experience. Sometimes had to
travel four or five days to get to them; then
L gave lecture, sat with them by their
specially put up for me. and rode Oft again
next day to another place.
ION these tOurs / saw good deal of
leprosy among the Maories. and few
months ago came home to En- gland, think
ing to go to Molokai. and there make
further studies of the disease.
Il should tell you that my final object
has always been, and still is. to study lep-
rosy and its various treatments as thorough
Iy as possible, and then 60 to India to or
game the care of lepers, who, in many
cases. are terribly neglected. Soon after
reaching London / went TO the Hawaiian
consul, Bond street, to see what assistance
he could, give me, but he informed me at
once that only Roman Catholics could be
received at Molokai That of course. put
an end to it. as belong to the Church of
England. and once more my hopes seemed
to be baffied.
''At the first March drawing-ro this
spring was presented to the Queen, and
three days after the Princess of Wales.
whom some of my friends had told of my
intentions. telegraphed. asking me to come
and see her at Marlborough House.
II cannot tell you how kind the Princess
was; she promised to write at once to her
sister, the Empress of Russia. from whom
was anxious to obtain the Red Cross Order,
which had. nominally. been awarded to me
after the Russo-Turkish war. but which
had not received. A few days later was
on my way to Russia. obtained the order
without trouble, and was specially invited
to come and see the Empress at Gatschina.
And there again 1 was received with
such simple kindness and sympathy that
could hardly believe that | was really in
the presence of the highest lady in the land.
The Empress would not let me stand for q
moment in her presence. So l sat down.
even while the Empress remained standing.
and she listened to all | had to say, and
when expressed the wish to study the
leper question in Russia she promised her
help and the Emperors. The rest is soon
told. In this folio" continuedl Miss Mars
den, opening out one after the other the
official seals, and signed by. some of the
most important and powerful men
in Russia, II have papers emitting
me to 60 into all the hospitals, all
the prisons, and to all places where think
l can find anything connected with the
| study of leprOsy all over Russia, Siberia,
| the Caucasus and Asiatic Russia, and to see
| every thing, get all information can, and
take what notes. and photographs l like
| about leprOsy. Every official IS bound to
| give me all possible assistance, and, as in
some parts of Russia leprOsy is very preva-
lent. indeed, L am convinced that could
obtain information of priceless value" SO
| it seems. indeed, and it almost makes ones
head reel to think what the judicious use
| of the pen and the Photographic camera in
Russian hospitals. Siberian prisons and
| Caucasian fortresses might do for Russia.
for the leper, and. indirectly. for "all the
| people born beneath the throne" of the
| great Empire of the North.
But the Empress has done more than
that. don't speak Russian, and that wouId
| have been an obstacle. Therefore DR.. Dun
can. the chief medical officer at ST. Peters
burg. is to accompany me on the whole tour
| the Russian government paying all his eX-
penses. AT Riga DR.. Duncan IS to meet me-
then we go on to Moscow and central Rus
sia, to Siberia. and finally across the eau
casus to Tiflis Baku, whence. after cross.
| ing the Caspian, We take train to Samark-
and and enter Transcaspia. central Asia
What shall find remains to be seen. but il
is beyond all doubt that the terrible disease
is prevalent in all parts of the empire and
to an extent which has never yet been