The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-06-07
A HE'LL TO DWELL IN.

/ A HE'LL TO DWELL IN.
It Is not the fear of possible infection
That seems a little thing when com
pafed with the pain, the pity and tht
disgust Of the VISITORS surroundings
and the atmosphere of affection, disease
and physical disgrace in which he
brdathes. I do not think l am man
more than usually timid; but nrvel
recall the days and nights spent upon
that island promontory (eight days and
seven nights) without heartfelt thank
fulpess that / am somewhere else.
find in my diary that / speak of m7
stay as "a grinding experience" l have
once jotted in the margin, "HarroWinq
Is the word''; and when the Moko'i
bore me at last toward the outer world,
I Kept repeating to myself. with a new
conception Of their pregnacy, those
simple words of the song:
'Tts the most distresstul country
4 That ever yet was seen.
And observe: that which saw and
suffered from was settlement. purged
bettered. beautified; the new village
built, the hospital and the Bishop Home
Eexcellenty arranged; the sisters, the
doctor AMI the missionaries all inde-
fatigable In their noble tasks. 1t was a
different place when Damien, came
there, and made his great rem nunciation
and slept that first night under tree
amidst his rotting brethren, alone with
pestilence, and looking forward (with
what courage, with what pitiful sink
ings of dread, God only kpows) to a
lifetime of distressing sores and stumps.
You will say, perhaps, I am too. SEN
sitive, that sights as painful abound in
cancer hospitals, and are confronted
daily by doctors and nurses. have
long learned to admire and envy the
doctors and the nurses But there is
no cancer hospiual,so large and popu-
lous as Kalawao and Kalaupapa; and.
in such a matter, every fresh case, like
everv inch of length ia the pipe of an
organ, deepens the note Of the impres-
sion; for what daunts the on:ooker is
that monstrous sum of numan suffering
bv which he stands surrounded. Lastly
no doctor or nurse is called upon to
enter once for all the doors of that
gehenna; they do not say farewell, they
need not abandon hope on its sad
thresholds; they but 60 for a time to
their high calling, and can look forward
as they go to relief, to recreation and
to rest. But Damien shut to with his
own hand the doors Of his own sepul-
chre. [ take it that. you are one
of those who have an eye for faults and
failures; that you take pleasure to
find and publish them, and that. having
found them. you forget the overvaillng
virtues and the real success, which had
alone introduced them to your know
ledge. 1t is a dangerous frame OF
mind. That you may understand how
dangerous, and into what a situation it
has already brought you, we Will lif you
please, go hand in hand through the
different phrases of your letter, and
candidly examine each from the point
of view of it's truth, it's appositeness
and it's charity.
Damien was coarse.
It is very possible. You make us
sorry for the lepers, who had only a
coarse old peasant for their friend and
father. But you, who were so refined,
why were you not there to cheer them
With the lights Of culture? Or may {
remind you that we have some reason
to doubt it John the Baptist were gem
teel; and, in the case of Peter, on whose
career you doubtless dwell approvingly
in the pulpit. no doubt at all that he
was a ''coarse, headstrong' fisherman.
Yet even in our Protestant Bibles Peter
is called saint.
Damien was dirty.
He was. Think of the poor lepers
ANNOYED with this dirty comrade! But
the clean DR.. HYDE was at his food in
a fine house.
#t DAMIEN WAS aEAUSV11ON0s
/ believe you are right again; and I
thank God for his strong head and
hears.
Damien was bigoted.
[ am not fond Of bigots myself, be-
cause they are not fond Of me. But
what is meant by bfgotrv, that we
should regard it as blemish in priest3
Damien believed his own religion with
the simplicity Of a peasant or child; as
I would / could suppose that you do.
For this wonder at him some way Off,
and had that been his only character
should nave avoided him in life. But
the point Of interest in Damien which
has caused him to be SO much talked
about and made him at last the subject
Of your pen and mine, WAS that, in him,
his bigotrY, his intense and narrow.
faith. wrought potently for good. and
strengthened him TO be one Of the
world heroes and exemplars.
Damien was not sent to MOl0kai. but