The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-10

npoioGetc information that there were no
changes OF clothes for the children and when
dress or pair of trousers must be washed
Its owner had to stay in bed until the gar
uent was dried
INFORMATION EXTENDED.
That night, through jealous Quartermas-
ter Bean, Miss Barton called a meeting of
the ladies' of Santa Clara to devise ways
and means of sustaining the Benefcencia-
The first idea Of the Santa Clara ladies was
the common one in Cuba-viz., that rich
"American pigs" might be graciously al
lowed the privilege OF squandering their
surplus millions in the island they had lib
Grated. and that the Red Cross Of Geneva.
with unlimited means at its back, be con-
descendingly permitted to carry on the
work in its own way. When we run
against such cases-which not infrecuently
happens-Miss Barton's opinions as to the
true state Of affairs are never long shroud-
cd in obscurity and during the next half
hour those ladies received more wholesome
enlightenment than ever before in the
course of their lives. The outcome was
that the Red Cross gave little judicious
help TO the Beneficencia, enough to place 1t
firmly on its feet, together with the clear
understanding that no more assistance
would be given and that it must henceforth
be locally maintained. And then Miss Bar
ton rented another house, had ii cleaned
and disinfected, established therein three Of
her nurses and relieved the overcrowded
Benefcencia of half its children.
Next we drove by a winding road TO the
edge of the town-to the Lepers' Home,
opposite the cemetery, on top Of breezy
hill. The long, one-storied wooden build
ing painted sky blue, with the legend
Hospital de San Lazaro'' in black letters
over the wooden arch of its gateway, looks
very bright and clean amid the surround
ing verdure. Its apartments are ranged
around wide central patio, open to every
breeze-male patients on one side, females
on the other, Offices in front, kitchens and
storerooms in the rear. surprising num-
Der of lepers are here, almost as many as
in the big San Lazaro Hospital of Havana.
The majority of these are negroes, and, as
always. the worst cases are Chinese. Why
IS 1t, wonder, that the loathsome disease
finds its most congenal ground in Oriental
bodies? One smiling old fellow, who. in
spite of his infirmity. retains scanty rem
nant of precious pigtail, eked out with
braided shoestring, lost his eyelids long ago,
together with most of his features. The
curious thing about the case is that kindly
Mother Nature fastened to supply a sub
stitute for the missing eyelids in the shape
of a thick film. which shades the tender
orbs something as an owls eyes are pro-
tected. Others have lost hands and feet.
ears, lips, noses-suffering more pain
when the scaly members dropped OF than
a snake does in shedding its skin.
THE LEPER'S LIFE.
was particularly interested in young
mulatto woman, tall, slender and apparent
~ IA perfect health. She sat in a dark
ened corner. with eyes downcast and hands
hidden in the folds of her gown, oblivious
of present surroundings, as if wrapped in
a cloud of memories. It's her hands" said
the brusque attendant. 1.-THE fingers are
falling of. Come. show them, Isabel"
refused the heartless invitation TO look, but
dropped my bunch of roses in her lap and
turned away. At sight of the flowers her
slumbering soul seemed TO suddenly wake
up and look through its darkened window
Sits. She instantly arose, made an obeis-
ance worthy the first lady of the land and
rnurmured, mil gracias, senorita; Vaya cor
Dios" "a thousand thanks. lady; God &C
with you.) So rich in Spanish courtesy are
the poorest of these creoles.
The doctor says that twenty years is the
limit of a leper's life, and that they suffer
little physical pain, beyond slight burning
sensation at first. Meanwhile disease In
any other form passes them by. No matter
how yellow fever, cholera, smallpox or an,
other scourge may be raging, these wretch
es who long for death are exempt. AT the
beginning they are always extremely sensi
tive and try to hide from human sight
After time they usually become resigned
90 their affection. and even happy. and
strange to say, as they grow more and more
hideous they seem actually proud of tina
which makes them disgusting and deligh
to show themselves off TO strangers. Sucl
queer streaks has our poor human nature
akin to that which leads men and womel
IN higher circles to regard their age. whel
nearing the fifty mark as something to b
ashamed of and concealed; yet when 1T ap
proaches the unusual century mileston
they are proud of II and inclined to deceiv
In the other direction.
They trailed after us to the gate as w
left the place. dreadful procession. worth
OF Dante's inferno, except that these mutt
lated shades were cheerful even to chum
miness. "Adios. Adios!" they cried tn
familiar words often coming from liples
Jaws and the smiling Chinaman with owl
eyelids piped in a voice shrill a south
easter, Good bly,, Mclean leddies, Goo
bly,
How sweet the sunshine, the odor of flow
ers. butterflies zig-zalging in the summe
breeze and trees touching finger tips acros
the road, after that awful place of God
mysterious dispensationsi The Unite
States army hospital, at the opposite end c
the town, fresh. clean and orderly, locke
like small heaven in contrast to TN
places we had visited. Not one of our so
diers is now seriously i'll in Santa Clar;
and the hospital is almost empty. 1 nc
ticed a copy of the Journal lying on a CO
proving the presence of some Indiana hoy
In blue"
The great city hospital, called the Sa
Juan de Dios Saint Juan of Cod, is
woefully bad condition. A green cessoot
sn the middle OF the house vents its deadl
gases unhindered. and dirt reigns suprem
The doctor complained that there is no d
vision between the wards of men an
women and no privacy for either, insult
cient medicines for the sick and no foe
suited to convalescents. In one corner
the patio exposed to view, the wan hou:
o. a freed soul lay untenanted, and in al
other corner, covered from head to fo'
with a sheet. as If already dead, lay