The Holly chieftain., 1913-07-04

IT'S clear night on Molokai The
full tropical moon sheds sesane
light over landscape dotted with
little white cottages from whose
windows come CLEAN 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
n welcome coolness. 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 different-hard
10 explain. but beautiful. Its presence
fills the heart with wonder that the
world is SO good. SO kind place to
live in, and instills into the soul un-
Altering faith that much better, much
greater things must surely be In store
Tor US out there beyond after this great
life has been left behind.
In q quiet veranda corner overlook
ting the silver ripples of the sea are o
dozen men and women, lounging In
comfortable wicker chairs, speaking at
intervals. but mostly silent In attention
10 the voices Of the night. One OF the
party Ia a younger man. He Joined his
friends 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 a check.
erhoard of silver and Jet and the roofs
of the cottages are plated with won
1erfui silver. There is quiet laughter
srom the party on the veranda and
from somewhere out under the trees
come the low notes OF woman's voice.
which ceases, calling forth deeper
4cho. Lovers.
A sudden yeering of the wind bears
ap afresh the ceaseless wash of the
waves upon their countless rocks and
the sound of eternal roaring as they
truitlessly exhaust their force upon
the unflinching faces OF the cliff. The
wind settles. The moon moves on.
From afar off are heard the voices OF
Caruso and Tettrazini as they join
With others in the great sextet from
Lucia" played on phonograph. One
by one the lights so out, the parties
break up and all is quiet. Molokai is
sleeping the sleep of the
fust. the pure in heart, the weary of
body-and you are alone with the
waves.
Life on the island.
Peace and quiet and happiness, beau.
y. cleanliness and contentment. work,
9lay and study-there is probably not
one person in a thousand who asso-
sepers. How can there be aught but
horror and loneliness and heartbreak.
Fou ask. where people are ill-loath.
tomely ill-and cut off forever from
friends and home ties? Well. that can
,nly be answered by one who has lived
among these outcasts, studied their
ways and discovered their point of
REV. Not long ago Albert J. Arroll,
an American passed two weeks-14
happy days he states-as the guest OF
the superintendent of the island, and
some of the facts which most i'm
pressed MIR. Arroll are retold In this
article, In the first place he discovered
hat Molokai is beautiful prison, that
8, the part OF the island inhabited by
he lepers-a plain. well watered and
Yielding uourishment for every CON
.eivable form of plant life. The coast,
as is we'll known, is stormy and rock.
bound and looking inland from the set.
.iement which is situated upon yer.
liant peninsula the island Is seen to
Use higher as the eye recedes, until
he vision is terminated by an impas.
sable wall of mountains which towe.
thousands OF feet above the sea No
man has ever scaled these peaks. nc
one has ever crossed them.
OF the 1000 souls who inhabit the
asland 500 have no external mark By
which it could be suspected that they
ARE other than perfectly healthy. -Four
hundred have some mark-a spot. q