The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-08-16


Father Damien's labors began then at
l9 and ended with his death at 40 years
OF age. In his choice of mission field
| che was not disobedient unto heaven
lY vision" He welcomed path strewn
with thorns and mournful death at
the goal.
SO close is glory to our dust.
Sc near is God to man
When duty whispers low, "Thou must"
The man replies, II can.''
Father Damien worked for some years
on other Pacific islands and finally
reached Molokai in 1878. the report Of
the fearful condition Of the lepers caus
ing him to resolve to make his future
home among them. On first putting
his foot on the island he exclaimed to
himself, ''now Joseph my boy this is
your life work." AT the outset Father
Damien lived for several weeks under a
pandanus tree, which is still preserved
in the church yard. Of this period he
tells us that the housing for years was
terribly bad. The lepers had nothing
but small damp huts, and nearly all
were prostrate on their beds covered
with ugly sores and looking perfectly
miserable. In 1874 south wind blew
down most OF their wretched, rotten
abodes, and the poor sufferers lay shiv-
ering in the wind and rain, with clothes
and blankets wet through. In a few
days the grass beneath their sleeping
mats began to remit very unpleasant
vapor. MANY a time" he adds. IN full
filling my prlestly duty at their domi~
Giles, have been compelled to run out
side to breathe fresh air. To counter
act the bad smell, made myself accus
toned to the use OF tobacco, and the
use of the pipe preserved me somewhat
from carrying in nv clothes the noxious
odors of the lepers.'
But far better days soon began TO
dawn on Molokai. The Government OF
the Sandwich Islands at Father Da
MEMS suggestion furnished without
cost several schooner loads of lumber,
with which comfortable frame houses
were built. Father Damien, being a
carpenter himself, superintended the
work, which was completed with the
assistance of his band of leper bows.
He became not only the pastor of his
flock but nurse who dressed their
sores, often washing their bodies, ever
present at the death-bed, and frequent
" digging their graves. He pointed
the sufferers to One who was ever the
leper's friend, to One who even now is
as ready as when he walked the earth
though in far higher sense, to heal all
who but touch ''the hemn of his gar
ment." LAS there were so many dying
people," he says, ''my priestly duty
toward them often gave me the oppor-
tunity to speak to public sinners who
little by little became conscious of the
consequences of their wicked lives and
began to reform, and thus with the
hope in a merciful Savior gave up their
bad habits. am happy to say that, as
sisted by the local administration. my
labors here which seemed to be almost
in vain at the beginning have. thanks
to kind Providence, been greatly
crowned with success
A traveller who visited Father Da-
mien at Molokai a few months before
his death, gives the following descrip-
tlon of the island as he found it:
Father Damien is building church
with which he incorporates as a tran
sept the small building which has hith-
erto been in use. BY the side OF 1t grows
the palm tree, under which he lived for
some weeks when he first arrived at the
settlement in 1873. 1t was then a mis-
cradle place, the houses were wfetched.
undrained and unventllated The peo-
pie were lifted, i'll clothed and worse
unwashed. The water supply was very
bad. The sufferers were desperate and
lived vicious and laWless lives. Now
all these things are changed. The cot
tages are neat and convenient, raised
on trestles, so as not to be in contact
with the earth. The water is brought
in pipes from never failing supply and
is excellent in quality and quantity.
There are i've churches, there is q large
general shop, and the faces one sees are
nearly always happy faces. AS q rule
E5 Continued on Eighth Page.)