A WOMAN TO NURSE THE LEPERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 58, 9 March 1889, Page 3 (Supplement)

A WOMAN TO NURSE THE LEPERS.

Miss Fabian, an English Catnolic, on Her Way to Join Father Daraien.

New York, February 9.—Among, the English passengers stranded upon the shoals of our Custom-house on the arrival of a steamer la3t week was a pale, frail little woman with spectacles. She was in severe distress. She was explaining to an inspector how some dozen of black silk half hose and a large supply of red flannel underwear of such sbrongry masculine persuasion arid such abnormal length could possibly be for her own personal use. _ . ~ . 'They are for Father Dam ten, the leper Driest of the Sandwich Islands, and I am taking them out,' she said. This made no impression whatever upon the sordid soul of the inspector, and he insisted that the owner should pay 50 per cent, duty. When seen at, her pleasant quarters in this city Miss Fabian 1 willingly told the story of the vestments, and also the story of her strange mission to the Sandwich Islands. 'I am going out to Molokai as a volunteer nurse to the lepers there. It has bcenmv intention for two year* pastbub it is only now that there is a hospital er< cted to furnish suitable shelter for women, that I could go. As soon as this was done I was notified, and now I am on my way « But when do you return to England ? « Return? why.l can never return. >Vhen once I take up my work I am an exile and an outcast, as much as one of the.poor wretches I shall nurse.. I have a brother and two sisters living in England whom I Sail never Bee again, but it is sc• comrfeHy a spiritual ambition with me that I have been able to conquer even lovejortb«^. For two years I have been waiting. 1 have studied everything possible, theoretically peaking! on the subject of leprosy andhave gone through a course ot hospital training we Of °ourse there ar6v ° °PP Ort T Um' ?L for studying the actual disease n London, though I did see one instance in a h0?$fll you be the only woman nurse out th'No! there are si* more Two years or 00!Y£"»lS''hM been for sixteen ye.n. He from ?f^^f^some disease He njb ce* b]e thafc he yea™aß°'^ ut n^?o ? ÜBeJeSlU B eJeSl yearn before, his condition now is very bad ; that, lep when my time comes. I <"», ""'^ 3 for notoriety for '™»to»for & S^rSriSln'eifcondfiion.eep, spread of the di&ease. jpresent 100 leper orphans on the gieao settlement.