The St. Johns herald., 1891-06-04
CoNsTANTlNOPLE'S LEPERs.
The Care of the Afflicted Disgrace tC
 Any Civilized Nation.

The Care of the Afflicted Disgrace to
 Any Civilized Nation.
 Miss Kate MarSden, the Englisl woman who is studying the manifesto tions of leprosy with the intention of devoting her life to the care of those afflicted with the disease, has reached Constantinople. In writing homo, says the Chicago Post, she says she had all idea that in this city of unused palaces. one or the other of them might have been turned into a bright hospital fCl' the lepers, where, tended by kind, we'll trained nurses, they might find such mitigation of their sufferings as skill ant gentleness could bestow; but one afte; the other of these palaces were left be hind and she knew that idea must be given up. Away through the crowded streets they drove and made no halt un til they reached a large open space out side the city; but if she expected tt, find tho lepers slowed away here shC was mistaken. The guide took boat and after 8 long row they landed on { cold, dreary-loolZing spot; here agaiI they took carriage and drove toward {; place which in tho distance looAed ilI. forest of cypress trees, and yet no The white stones just dlstinguishabl made her think it must be inhabited but, as the carriage drew nearer, sh saw that they were not houses, as sh imagined, but hundreds and thousand of graves, packed as closely as it wa possible to be, even in Turkey, with th tail, dark, gloomy cypress trees plante every few yards apart. She asked tn g1ide why the cypress trees weT planted there so thickly; his answc was, ''Dccause, madam, it helps to Ri. tho stench from the graves"
 She drove long way into the fores Of the dead and the cypress until a view Of the sea was gone and she foun herself shut in. Yet she was not alono for here in the very midst dwell tn poor, Outcast lcpers, driven here by thi Government. The guide was silnply mortified when he discovered Miss Kat, Marsden's intention of going in anon, them all; he absolutely refused to go !; step nearer.
 As she stood within the leper house she was dumb with astonishment tha any nation, however barbarous, coult in the face of civilization subject any portion of it's people to such a misera- ble condition. No sun sheds it's health ful rays there, and the chill whicl struck her as she remained within the house gave her an idea of what the lepcrs must suffer. She said she did SC long to tell them how she sympathizcC with them and how gladly she would take their burden from them; how sh( hoped and prayed in her heart that no where in thc world were the poor leper. treated as hero in the paradise anon. cities, Constantinoplc.
 There is 8 ray of light here, however. and that is the good doctor, who is doing every thing in his power to induce the Sultan to provide properly for them and he is devoted to their cause; but il such a country and with such people hC is salnost pOwerlcsS. His name is Pasch2 Zambaco; he is Q very kind man, ant the misery of the lepers weighs heavily upon him.
 The wind camc howling through thC gloomy trees, and blew in sharp blast. through the door, and some of the poo. lepers standing outside leaning upor the graves shuddercd and drew closer round their miserable bodies the rags which helped to cover them, but whicl were quite unfit to keep out the colo even from people in health, much less from those suffering from such a disease as lcprosy. Miss Marsden says that what she saw is really too awful to de scribe, but it has taught her the neces- sity of seeing for herself the condition of the lepers, if she is to be of the slightest use to them in the future. A she left them they sang ''The Lepers ,5ong'- such dismal vail! but whicl was truly in keeping with their condi ton. It made her shiver; indeed, hcl whole being quivercd with agony at the sight of such awful depths of misery.