Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-08-15
T is clear night on Molokai. The |
full tropical moon sheds a serene
light over landscape dotted with

light over landscape dotted with
little white cottages, from whose
windows come gleam of mellow
radiance. A mild breeze from the
salty stretches of the open sea blows
inland, gently rustling the leaves of
the cocoa palms and cottonwoods and
tanning the cheeks of the people with
welcome GOODNESS. The silvery radi-
ance Of the moonlight accentuates
the silence till the hum Of hushed
voices in quiet conversation is quite
audible to him who listens. There is a
great peace-a great quiet In the at
mosphere, something differentiated
to explain, but beautiful. Its presence
fills the heart with wonder that the
world is so good, so kind a place to
live In, and instills into the soul un-
altering faith that much better, much
greater things must surely be in store
for us out there beyond after this great
life has been left behind.
In quiet veranda corner overlook
Ing the silver ripples of the sea are a
dozen men and women, lounging in
comfortable wicker chairs, speaking at
intervals. but mostly silent in attention
to the voices of the night. One of the
party is younger man. He joined his
Trends as late as two years previous,
and he knows much more of that great
world out there beyond the waves than
they.
The hillsides have become check
erboard Of silver and jet and the roofs
Of the cottages are plated with won
derful silver. There is quiet laughter
from the party on the veranda and
from somewhere out under the trees
come the low notes of woman's voice,
which ceases. calling forth a deeper
echo. Lovers.
A sudden veering Of the wind bears
Up afresh the ceaseless wash of the
waves upon their countless rocks and
The sound Of eternal roaring as they
ruitlessly exhaust their force upon
he unfiinching faces of the cliff. The
wind settles. The moon moves on.
From afar off are heard the voices OF
Sruso and Tettrazini as they join
with others in the great sextet from
Lucia" played on a phonograph. One
BY one the lights go out, the parties
break up and all Is quiet. Molokai is
MISUNDERSTANDING the sleep Of the
lust. the pure in heart, the weary of
body-and you are alone with the
moonlight. the breeze and the restless
waves,
Life on the Island.
Peace and quiet and happiness, beau.
~. cleanliness and contentment, work
play and study-there is probably not
,ne person in thousand who asso-
:iates these with Molokai, island of
epers. How can there be aught but
iorror and loneliness and heartbreak,
rou ask, where people are ill-loath,
lonely ill-and cut off forever from
friends and home ties? Well, that can
'nly be answered by one who has lived
lmong these outcasts, studied their
ways and discovered their point of
iew. Not long ago Albert ]. Arroll.
~ hhSAiSoh Pdobcu IWO We6kS-l4
happy days he states-as the guest of
he superintendent of the island, and
Iome Of the facts which most i'm.
pressed Mr.. Arroll are retold in this
,rticle. In the first place he discovered
hat Molokai is beautiful prison, that
3. the part Of the island inhabited by |
he lepers-a plain, we'll watered and |
rielding nourishment for every con.
,eivable form Of plant life. The coast
ls is well known, is stormy and rock.
bound and looking inland from the set.
dement, which is situated upon a YER.
liant peninsula the island is seen to
dse higher as the eye recedes, until
he vision is terminated by an impas.
able wall Of mountains which tower
thousands of feet above the sea. No
nan has ever scaled these peaks. no
me has ever crossed them.
OF the 1000 souls who inhabit the
sland 500 have no external mark by
which 1t could be suspected that they
re other than perfectly healthy. -Four
hundred have some marl.o soot