The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-09


is naturally interested in the condition Of
the people who hail from his own country.
So it was with the writer at Molosai.
Being an American / first sought out the
unfortunates Of my native land, and, though
hopeless of being able to alleviate their
distress, ] determined if my pen proved
equal to the task, to faithfully depict their
hapless condition of involuntary servitude
to iUhomsoever might have patience to per-
ezsthese lines.
WHERE LOVE Is DEAD.
No man can understand the complete
revolution which is worked in the human
breast by q few months confinement at the
leper settlement. The complete subordina-
ton of every tender instinct, the eradica-
ton of love from every heart, the deaden-
ing Of hope, the Punishment OF sympathy,
the utter destruction of everything that is
human and the uplifting and enhancement
of all that is animal and bestial. Here hope
dies, for what is there to hope fors Here
love is impossible, for loathsome things
cannot inspire tenderness; here sympathy
cannot take root, for this beauteous flower
requires far different nutriment than that
contained in the soil Of mutual hatred and
disgust. WHAT then must be the lot. the
life, of the leper at Molokai. Once within
the gates l stood aghast, dumbfounded, in
the midst of 1000 beings from whose ma
Tires every human instinct had been rooted
any whose only remaining semblance to
humanity was the physical form and figure
of man. And even this las though fate had
determined upon a thorough metamor
phosis) is changed into hideous distortion
of its former likeness. How could l ques-
ton such as these. How could under
stand them, engage their attention, interest
them in the affairs of the world which they
had long since left behind and which now
existed only in their memories of the past!
AMONG THE UNcLEAN.
The difficulties in the way of the seeker
after information at Molokai are numerous
and great, but l finally managed to over
come them and induced number of the
white lepers TO talk about themselves. One
of these is a woman nearly fifty years old.
Though she has been at the settlement
Eiumber of years, she is almost entirely free
+ rom any visible faint of the dread disease.
Her face is without blemish, and she would
be even handsome If one could forget while
one looks upon her that she is leper.
Moreover, she is highly intelligent woman,
and it must be believed from her own story
that she was, not many years ago, society
lady of influence and popularity in city
not great distance from San Francisco.
E'You must not mention my name" said
y
and consented to tell her story, ''for,
though l have husband and several child
rem, to say nothing OF large circle of
friends, in the United States, there is only
one person. if, indeed she be still alive, who
knows anything Of my condition or where
abouts.
81 propose to talk to you frankly con-
tinued the unfortunate woman, II have
sinned-sinned grievously, and sometimes
/ think this is my punishment. Be that as
it may, / am here and must remain for life
care not how soon the end comes; the
sooner the better-but to my story.
A woMAN's STORY.
my father was Methodist minister in
Connecticut town. | was educated at an
eastern college. When / was nearly twenty
1 accompanied my parents on visit TO
Washington, D. c. Dear old Washington !
1t was there | met my husband-or, to be
more accurate, the gentleman who was to
be my husband few months later. He
was New York man, but had been to Cal
ifornia where he then had valuable mining
and landed interests. Within year from
the time we met we were man and wife and
.settled down in one of the cosieSt little
homes in all the west. The town in which
1--WE lived grew rapidly into city of impor-
lance. My husband became very wealthy
man.
''Four sons and two daughters were born
to US, and we were the happiest family in
the world. went great deal into society.
My husband hated the social world, but
that did not deter me. / went just the
same; and | led ruled the highest cir
cles.
sit has been fifteen years since lady
friend of nine, induced me to accompany
her on a visit to some of her acquaintance
at Honolulu. At that time a trip across the
ocean was not what it is now, but nothing
daunted, we started on the journey and in
the course of time reached our destination.
AT Honolulu / met a man-no, not mau q
monster in mans shape human devil, q
fiend. May Gods curse rest upon him
q wherever he is. He onght TO be here, but
@Ibut-this doesn't concern you. l met
him. Oh, his oily tonguei Oh, his fattery
and his promises! / sinned, as l have said
1t was the first crime of my life. L must
not dwell upon this, for it drives me to dis
traction. The shame of it. the horror of it
seized upon me and, forcing my friend Il
cut short her visit we hurried away acros:
the sea aagin.
THE WAGES OF SIN.
'sMy husband and children met me with
open arms and loving kisses. But skulkeC
among them, a wretched traitress to every
trust. my load of shame heavy on my heart
/ Stunned society and held my polluted sci
aloof from all my friends My life was {
duQ L lOnSSo lOl oCeoiA
L don't know why | didn't, in that sore trial
cut the thread of life and set free my sin
laden soul
Throughout all this / never blamed any
one but myself-never until years after N,
return home, when / made a discovery
/Oh, that was worse than the bitteres
4 misery, it was utter damnationi / fet
u from home in frenzy of excitement ant
rage which was entirely new TO me. Th'
friend whom | had accompanied across tn,
sea years before, now bore me compan,
across the same watery waste. But it wa.
not a trip for pleasure this time. a thirs
for vengeance filled my heart. 1t was
mission of murder.
''My real object was not confded to N,
companion until we were far out al sea.
then told her all. At first she sought Il
dissuade me from my purpose, but failing
in this she soon fell in with my design (o
seemed to, AZ least. Some times | thin
she deceived me)
"On the day, nay the hour, Of our arrivs
at Honolulu [ yelled nay face, caught up
pistol. hailed rass NJ hackman and wa
driven straight 70 Gae business house of tn
man VINO had wrecked my life and wilfull
Attained ne to a living, loathsome death.
fairly gloated over the prospect of quic
revenge. How the vile seducer would ia
when struck by my avenging bullet HOY
his coward heart would quake and his poi.
oned, leperous blood would gush forth
pay the price of a monsters pleasure!