The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-11
WOULD LABOR
On MOLOkAI

t-o1LA1l1E1 1T0TG rage tfE9-1
spend the remainder Of his life with
the Iepers.
This offer Of seIf-abnegation comes
from Iong-studled plan OF assuaging
some Of the worlds misery. When
the world heard Of Father Damien. the
Belgian priest who offered himself u
as sacrifice 10 the Iepers Of the Ha-
waiian isle nearly two decades ago,
Mrs. French. then q young girl living
at home IN Dublin, was fired with a
desire 10 do the same thing. She was
not Salvati0nist al the time. but
the idea OF devoung her life 70 q re-
lg1ous cause became 3 fxity in her
mind. she met young French, an Eng
hshman, who had just entered the Sal
walton Army. and welded him. The
young couple thought seriously 81 GO
ing TO join the Iepers and laboriug for
their temporal and spiritual good IN
conjunction with the mission father on
a neutral basis Of religion The COM
ing Of their first child, however. pre-
Guided the practicability Of the project,
and other babies followed, SO the earn
est enthusiasts had to be content with
the work they could accomplish IN the
ranks Of the Salvationists.
The time has now come, according
10 the vocation Of the evangelists, when
they can see the fuIfllment Of their
aspiration. The flight of years has
witnessed the growth Of their children
and the development of the Salvation
Army to d point where others can taks
up the work where they would leave
it off.
That It would mean the abandon
ment Of ali that the world calls dear
is fully realized by both Colonel and
Mrs. French, bur both face the future
and its doings in the isle Of sorrow
with fearless intrepidity- IF the au-
thorities Of Honolulu viii but give an
official consent 10 the starting Of a
mission as outlined by the Salvation
lists they viii go as soon as arrange
meuts can be carried out
Mrs. French, who is a motherly little
soul with gentle eyes and quiet man
ner, disclaims any credit for her stand
She viii tell you that there is no dan
ger, that the Lord, with plenty OF an
tfseptfcs, will see that no harm viii
come to her from contact with the IN
fortunates. But underneath her calm
discussion of the situation one cannot
fail to detect a shudder braveIy efTaced
by logged determination to face the
danger which she knows is ahead.
When Colonel French went 70 the
islands short time ago it was for
the ostensible purpose Of opening Ash
a1ic missions there. and, indeed, he has
done much toward that end. But it
is known by those intimate with his
plans that he has been trying quietly
TO see what could be done for the lep-
ers Should he succeed arrangements
will be made 10 have a band and full
corps Of lepers, with officers Of their
own condition. Later on the same plan
viii doubtless be effected IN the case OF
the Iepers of the Philippine islands.
i was as much surprised as anyone
when / read the report said the
Colonel 1T is true that both Mrs
French and myself have long felt an
interest in the unfortunates on Molo-
kai and would 60 there if there was
any necessity for II, But my trip
here is not with any such object. 1
have never discussed the matter OF
going with the President Of the Board
of Health, nor have I seriously thought
Of going there. It is true, as stated,
that Mrs. French has the willingness 70
GO and would go if she were needed,
but there was no question Of either Of
Us going when left homo for this trip.
But, as say. there are doubtless plen-
ty Of Salvation Army officers who
would go if there was need Of them
Il have just returned from Kauai,
where found the Army work going
ahead in splendid shape. Much OF our
work is necessarily among the Orient
ais, especially among the Oriental
children. It would probably surprise
you to know that last year We had
an enrolment Of forty thousand in our
Sunday schools in the islands, Of which
at least twenty-five thousand were ORR
entails On Kauai we have a parucu-
larly aourishing Porto Rican- work as
well"
Tonight Colonel French win address
the japanese Army converts. Of whom
there are many IN Honolulu. and VIII
sail on Friday for Maui. where the diff
ferent outposts wifi be Inspected