THE LEPERS OF MOLOKAI

New Zealand Tablet, 12 July 1906, Page 14

THE LEPERS OF MOLOKAI

AN ISLAND OF LIVING DEATH

In a recent issue of ' The New York World ' there is a touchine; account of a recent visit to Molokai by members of the Territorial Legislature. It describes the leper colony as ' a place where man and nature bar the way to escape for its""" doomed inhabitants, a place also of heroism and splendid self-sacrifice of men and women.'

Since the colony was established, half a century ago, says the correspondent of the ' World,' the lepers have been, allowed to marry. There, are now in the •colony _ nearly two ' hundred children, "born of these leper parents. A large proportion of Uiese children are not themselves lepers. Ihe girls, when they reach the age of eighteen, and are still free from, leprosy id their own bodies, are allowed to leave the island and go out into the world. Not so the boys. A boy bom in Molokai is doomed to spend his life there. Though not himself a leper he looks forward to .no future J)Ut a life always with lepes, and through this constant association to become oni^ day such as they are a victim to the foulest and most terrible of diseases. T.-'-agic Trips of the Leper Boat. When a person is found in Hawaii with symptoms of leprosy he is taVen to the receiving station at Kalahi, a suburb of Honolulu. There a final ck cision is rendered. The leper is then taken to Molokai by the ' leper boat,' a steamer which makes the 'trip to the leprosy settlement once a week. The Honoluluans are a sentimental people, and there are heartrending scenes when the ' leper boat ' leaves, conveying some father or son or brother or sister forever away from home and family and friends. Molokai is an island lying about sixty miles to the souih-east of Honolulu. From the superb cliffs whk line ita northern sEore it tapers to a narrow desert in the south. Under these cliffs there is a plateau about 60ft« acres in extent, washed on three sides by the tumultuous sea, while the fourth side is guarded by a precipitous mountain wall 2000 ft. in height. Although the leper settlement was found by the Government of Hawaii nearly 50 "years ago, not a single one of its involuntary inhabitants ever succeeded in escaping. The w&lls of adamant are too formidable, the frowning sea too tumultuous. On the other half of the Island of 'Molokai, separated from the settlement "by the impassible mountains, are some sugar plantations, extensive stock ranges, and a teeming deer park. Molokai also contains many small farms in which taro, potatoes, and rice are raised. Coffee is also successfully cultivated. But all this is forgotten when one speaks of Molokai. The picture that comes before one's eye is not of small farms and taro patches, but of men and women afflicted with the most dreadful disease which it is the lot of mam and to bear. Once every two years those who have relatives at the leper settlement a~c given passes allowing them to accompany the members of the Territorial Legislature and Senate on their customary visit to Molokai. The Hawaiian legislators and members of the press may roam at will through the settlement, but the interview between the lepers ond their relatives takes place in a stockade erected on the Kalupapa landing for this \ cry purpose. Heroism Greater Than in War. There are people in the world to-day who affect to believe that the age of Christian heroism is past. They 100k 1 to the battlefield as the only arena for the exhibition of heroism in its no-blest sense. Heroism to them signifies courage born of passion, patriotism, begotten of exciting times ! But they fail to see that this patriotism lacks humanity and charity. This ideal of our modern civilisation knows that his heroism will be recognised and that in the event of his survival he may confidently expect that a grateful nation will reward him for his heroism. But here, on Molokai Island, is a nobler heroism, ignored and unsung, rendered at the altar of humanity, with no expectation of reward, among the sick and dying, under conditions attended by vastly more danger to life and health than the risks of war. Such a hero was Father Damien, the martyr priest of Molokai. Such heroes and heroines are the men and women who are following in his footsteps. I accompanied the members of the Territorial Legislature on their recent tour of inspection of the leper settlement. Never shall I forget the sight that met my eyes when the frail-looking whaleboat which had taken us from the steamer Kinan approached the Kalaupana landing. Over 500 people, relatives and friends of the lepers, had obtained permission to accompany the legislators as far as the stockade built on the Kalaupapa landing, where they can speak to and see their leprous friends from a safe distance, but the surf was dashing no high on the beach that the authorities in charge decided that it would not be prudent to attempt landing such a great number of passengers. On the landing, awaiting; the arrival of the visitors stood Superintendent M' Veigh, Father Maxime, rthej priest of St. Francis' Church, and the Catholic Mission band, entirely composed of lepers, under the direction, of Brother Serapion. Outside the stockade hundreds of

lepers stood, gjwzingi with longing eyes toward the steamer lying at anchor off the settlement and on the deck of which were the relathes and friends— fathers and mothers, brothers and. sisters, and in some cases husbands and wives. As the first boat containing the House Committee and representatives of the press touched the landing a feeble cheer went up from the assembled Jepers, and the- band struck up a welcoming air. It was a sad and pathetic scene— a scene well adapted to melt the heart of the strongest of men. Rev. Father Maxime, on behalf of the residents of the settlement, welcomed the visitors and invited them to lauahi Hall, where a public meeting was held. Complaints, however, were few, and the suggestions made were for the improvement of conditions at the settlement. The question of a wine ami beer license brought up by a leper was opposed by the Superintendent and Father Maxime, and defeated on a rising vote -by an overwhelming majority. After the lunch, which was served at- the residence of the Superintendent, came an inspection of the Bishop Home for girls and the Baldwin Home for boys and men. These two institutions are a monument to the generosity of two prominent citizens of Hawaii They are supported by the Territorial Government, and are in charge, the former of the Franciscan Sisters and the latter of the Brothers of the Sacred- Heart. All honor to these brave and noble and unselfish men and women— American women-=for they are truly he-oes and hero/Ines all, who are giving their lives and always facing a peril worse than death itself for the sake of a host of miserable unfortunates who are not even of their own race. • The visitors were received at the door of the main building of the Bishop Home by the Mother Superior, who conducted them through the sixteen or seventeen buildings included in the institution, over which she presided. With bare heads and, without exception with eyes full of tears, we passed from building to building, from room to room, deeply moved by the scenes witnessed, proud of the American womanhood that can give the world aach heroines, "ashamed that such a visit was needed to make us acquainted with their work, their abnegation, their heroism. Well-bred, and well-educated, ladies of refinement, and perhaps' wealth, they are here for life, from choice, voluntarily, at the se-vice of the spiritual and temporal betterment of the most unfortunate of the human family The world ought to know their names :■ these ouchi' to be enshrined in the hearts of all our fellow-citi-zens. But Ihev never will be, for when the good Sist ers abandoned the world and exiled themselves on Molokai, far from home and kned ones, they left their names behind. The Bishop Home haMn^ been thoroughly explored a meeting was held in the hall, which serves as theatre and meeting-room to the inmates of the institution. The meeting was presided over by Senator Dowsett, Chairman of the Senate Health Committee, who paid a glowing and eloquent tribute to the devotion and heroism of the Brothers and Sisters of Molokai The inmates sang English and Hawaiian selections with a pe-fection hardly credible. Death Would Seem Happy Release. During one of the few moments the writer was able to pass in company of the Mother Superior he foolishly remarkied that in some of the bad cases it would' be a mercy to put an end to such a hopeless and nuseraJbJe life. The leper who called forth this remark was a Chinese, whom no stretch of imagination could dignify with the name of man. His right eye was affected by the disease, his nose was cut in two, his mouth and right jaw entirely gone. Both hands had been eaten by th-3 disease. In order to keep him alive a Sister is compelled to place with her own hands the food in an aperture which is supposed to be his mouth. I believe then that, death would be a mercy for any man in a position like .his • that 'a person who should help to bring about his death would perform a meritorious act.= Here is what thr Sister said in answer to the' suggestions— ' God giveth life; He will take it away in His own good time. In the meantime it . is our duty to make life as pleasant and as comfortable as possible for those S!n+° Ur -4h r " cr 4 eat "u? s J hom God has chosen t0 afflict wiiih this terrible disease.' «r 7?,? cßac Ba i d r in xT Ho ? c I s in char £ c oi tlle Brothers of the Sacred Heart. They are from France and BelglU^ I VI as Christian heroes they belong) to 4he world. The movansE spirit of this institution? 'however 1S • , an Amencan-Brdther Dutton, He was a co-worker Tver t™£r Damien ' an i has en at set Sent over twenty-five years. - Here also they have a brass band entirely composed of lepers.

1 listened to the music of this and of the Catholic Mission band. Every member thereof, including Brother Serapion, their teacher, is a leper ; some have lost a number of their fingers ; some - played their. inafcru-> ments with lips half destroyed, ulcerated and distorted. It was a scene it would be absolutely impossible to forget. ..--.- Brother Serapion von Hoff, the loader of the. . band and choirmaster of the settlement, who teaches the lepers music, is now himself a . leper, having contracted the dread disease. He is a Belgian, a talented man devoted heart and soul to his work of bringing such measures of joy as possible to this unfortunate people.' Once a year the two priests, who are the fathers, counsellors, and friends of the lepers, are permitted to leave JVlolokai and go to the Catholic Mission at Honolulu for the annual retreat. How are the priests, Brothers, and Sisters supported ? In part by the Territorial Government, in part by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith through his Lordship Bishop Libert, of the Catholic diocese of Hawaii. The Te~ritory furnishes them with rations similar to the rations issued by the lepers, and the Bishop supplies them with the necessities of their holy calling.