father damien-第1章

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Father　Damien



by　Robert　Louis　Stevenson






AN　OPEN　LETTER　TO　THE　REVEREND　DR。　HYDE　OF　HONOLULU









SYDNEY；

FEBRUARY　25；　1890。



Sir；　…　It　may　probably　occur　to　you　that　we　have　met；　and　visited；

and　conversed；　on　my　side；　with　interest。　　You　may　remember　that

you　have　done　me　several　courtesies；　for　which　I　was　prepared　to　be

grateful。　　But　there　are　duties　which　come　before　gratitude；　and

offences　which　justly　divide　friends；　far　more　acquaintances。　　Your

letter　to　the　Reverend　H。　B。　Gage　is　a　document　which；　in　my　sight；

if　you　had　filled　me　with　bread　when　I　was　starving；　if　you　had　sat

up　to　nurse　my　father　when　he　lay　a…dying；　would　yet　absolve　me

from　the　bonds　of　gratitude。　　You　know　enough；　doubtless；　of　the

process　of　canonisation　to　be　aware　that；　a　hundred　years　after　the

death　of　Damien；　there　will　appear　a　man　charged　with　the　painful

office　of　the　DEVIL'S　ADVOCATE。　　After　that　noble　brother　of　mine；

and　of　all　frail　clay；　shall　have　lain　a　century　at　rest；　one　shall

accuse；　one　defend　him。　　The　circumstance　is　unusual　that　the

devil's　advocate　should　be　a　volunteer；　should　be　a　member　of　a

sect　immediately　rival；　and　should　make　haste　to　take　upon　himself

his　ugly　office　ere　the　bones　are　cold；　unusual；　and　of　a　taste

which　I　shall　leave　my　readers　free　to　qualify；　unusual；　and　to　me

inspiring。　　If　I　have　at　all　learned　the　trade　of　using　words　to

convey　truth　and　to　arouse　emotion；　you　have　at　last　furnished　me

with　a　subject。　　For　it　is　in　the　interest　of　all　mankind；　and　the

cause　of　public　decency　in　every　quarter　of　the　world；　not　only

that　Damien　should　be　righted；　but　that　you　and　your　letter　should

be　displayed　at　length；　in　their　true　colours；　to　the　public　eye。



To　do　this　properly；　I　must　begin　by　quoting　you　at　large：　I　shall

then　proceed　to　criticise　your　utterance　from　several　points　of

view；　divine　and　human；　in　the　course　of　which　I　shall　attempt　to

draw　again；　and　with　more　specification；　the　character　of　the　dead

saint　whom　it　has　pleased　you　to　vilify：　so　much　being　done；　I

shall　say　farewell　to　you　for　ever。



〃HONOLULU；

〃August　2；　1889。



〃Rev。　H。　B。　GAGE。



〃Dear　Brother；　…　In　answer　to　your　inquires　about　Father　Damien；　I

can　only　reply　that　we　who　knew　the　man　are　surprised　at　the

extravagant　newspaper　laudations；　as　if　he　was　a　most　saintly

philanthropist。　　The　simple　truth　is；　he　was　a　coarse；　dirty　man；

headstrong　and　bigoted。　　He　was　not　sent　to　Molokai；　but　went　there

without　orders；　did　not　stay　at　the　leper　settlement　（before　he

became　one　himself）；　but　circulated　freely　over　the　whole　island

（less　than　half　the　island　is　devoted　to　the　lepers）；　and　he　came

often　to　Honolulu。　　He　had　no　hand　in　the　reforms　and　improvements

inaugurated；　which　were　the　work　of　our　Board　of　Health；　as

occasion　required　and　means　were　provided。　　He　was　not　a　pure　man

in　his　relations　with　women；　and　the　leprosy　of　which　he　died

should　be　attributed　to　his　vices　and　carelessness。　　Other　have

done　much　for　the　lepers；　our　own　ministers；　the　government

physicians；　and　so　forth；　but　never　with　the　Catholic　idea　of

meriting　eternal　life。　　…　Yours；　etc。；

〃C。　M。　HYDE〃　（1）



（1）　From　the　Sydney　PRESBYTERIAN；　October　26；　1889。



To　deal　fitly　with　a　letter　so　extraordinary；　I　must　draw　at　the

outset　on　my　private　knowledge　of　the　signatory　and　his　sect。　　It

may　offend　others；　scarcely　you；　who　have　been　so　busy　to　collect；

so　bold　to　publish；　gossip　on　your　rivals。　　And　this　is　perhaps　the

moment　when　I　may　best　explain　to　you　the　character　of　what　you　are

to　read：　I　conceive　you　as　a　man　quite　beyond　and　below　the

reticences　of　civility：　with　what　measure　you　mete；　with　that　shall

it　be　measured　you　again；　with　you；　at　last；　I　rejoice　to　feel　the

button　off　the　foil　and　to　plunge　home。　　And　if　in　aught　that　I

shall　say　I　should　offend　others；　your　colleagues；　whom　I　respect

and　remember　with　affection；　I　can　but　offer　them　my　regret；　I　am

not　free；　I　am　inspired　by　the　consideration　of　interests　far　more

large；　and　such　pain　as　can　be　inflicted　by　anything　from　me　must

be　indeed　trifling　when　compared　with　the　pain　with　which　they　read

your　letter。　　It　is　not　the　hangman；　but　the　criminal；　that　brings

dishonour　on　the　house。



You　belong；　sir；　to　a　sect　…　I　believe　my　sect；　and　that　in　which

my　ancestors　laboured　…　which　has　enjoyed；　and　partly　failed　to

utilise；　and　exceptional　advantage　in　the　islands　of　Hawaii。　　The

first　missionaries　came；　they　found　the　land　already　self…purged　of

its　old　and　bloody　faith；　they　were　embraced；　almost　on　their

arrival；　with　enthusiasm；　what　troubles　they　supported　came　far

more　from　whites　than　from　Hawaiins；　and　to　these　last　they　stood

（in　a　rough　figure）　in　the　shoes　of　God。　　This　is　not　the　place　to

enter　into　the　degree　or　causes　of　their　failure；　such　as　it　is。

One　element　alone　is　pertinent；　and　must　here　be　plainly　dealt

with。　　In　the　course　of　their　evangelical　calling；　they　…　or　too

many　of　them　…　grew　rich。　　It　may　be　news　to　you　that　the　houses　of

missionaries　are　a　cause　of　mocking　on　the　streets　of　Honolulu。　　It

will　at　least　be　news　to　you；　that　when　I　returned　your　civil

visit；　the　driver　of　my　cab　commented　on　the　size；　the　taste；　and

the　comfort　of　your　home。　　It　would　have　been　news　certainly　to

myself；　had　any　one　told　me　that　afternoon　that　I　should　live　to

drag　such　a　matter　into　print。　　But　you　see；　sir；　how　you　degrade

better　men　to　your　own　level；　and　it　is　needful　that　those　who　are

to　judge　betwixt　you　and　me；　betwixt　Damien　and　the　devil's

advocate；　should　understated　your　letter　to　have　been　penned　in　a

house　which　could　raise；　and　that　very　justly；　the　envy　and　the

comments　of　the　passers…by。　　I　think　（to　employ　a　phrase　of　yours

which　I　admire）　it　〃should　be　attributed〃　to　you　that　you　have

never　visited　the　scene　of　Damien's　life　and　death。　　If　you　had；

and　had　recalled　it；　and　looked　about　your　pleasant　rooms；　even

your　pen　perhaps　would　have　been　stayed。



Your　sect　（and　remember；　as　far　as　any　sect　avows　me；　it　is　mine）

has　not　done　ill　in　a　worldly　sense　in　the　Hawaiian　Kingdom。　　When

calamity　befell　their　innocent　parishioners；　when　leprosy　descended

and　took　root　in　the　Eight　Islands；　a　QUID　PRO　QUO　was　to　be　looked

for。　　To　that　prosperous　mission；　and　to　you；　as　one　of　its

adornments；　God　had　sent　at　last　an　opportunity。　　I　know　I　am

touching　here　upon　a　nerve　acutely　sensitive。　　I　know　that　others

of　your　colleagues　look　back　on　the　inertia　of　your　Church；　and　the

intrusive　and　decisive　heroism　of　Damien；　with　something　almost　to

be　called　remorse。　　I　am　sure　it　is　so　with　yourself；　I　am

persuaded　your　letter　was　inspired　by　a　certain　envy；　not

essentially　ignoble；　and　the　one　human　trait　to　be　espied　in　that

performance。　　You　were　thinking　of　the　lost　chance；　the　past　day；

of　that　which　should　have　been　conceived　and　was　not；　of　the

service　due　and　not　rendered。　　TIME　WAS；　said　the　voice　in　your

ear；　in　your　pleasant　room；　as　you　sat　raging　and　writing；　and　if

the　words　written　were　base　beyond　parallel；　the　rage；　I　am　happy

to　repeat　…　it　is　the　only　compliment　I　shall　pay　you　…　the　rage

was　almost　virtuous。　　But；　sir；　when　we　have　failed；　and　another

has　succeeded；　when　we　have　stood　by；　and　another　has　stepped　in；

when　we　sit　and　grow　bulky　in　our　charming　mansions；　and　a　plain；

uncouth　peasant　steps　into　the　battle；　under　the　eyes　of　God；　and

succours　the　afflicted；　and　consoles　the　dying；　and　is　himself

afflicted　in　his　turn；　and　dies　upon　the　field　of　honour　…　the

battle　cannot　be　retrieved　as　your　unhappy　irritation　has

suggested。　　It　is　a　lost　battle；　and　lost　for　ever。　　One　thing

remained　to　you　in　your　defeat　…　some　rags　of　common　honour；　and

these　you　have　made　haste　to　cast　away。



Common　honour；　not　the　honour　of　having　done　anything　right；　but

the　honour　of　not　having　done　aught　conspicuously　foul；　the