father damien-第2章

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the　honour　of　not　having　done　aught　conspicuously　foul；　the　honour

of　the　inert：　that　was　what　remained　to　you。　　We　are　not　all

expected　to　be　Damiens；　a　man　may　conceive　his　duty　more　narrowly；

he　may　love　his　comforts　better；　and　none　will　cast　a　stone　at　him

for　that。　　But　will　a　gentleman　of　your　reverend　profession　allow

me　an　example　from　the　fields　of　gallantry？　　When　two　gentlemen

compete　for　the　favour　of　a　lady；　and　the　one　succeeds　and　the

other　is　rejected；　and　（as　will　sometimes　happen）　matter　damaging

to　the　successful　rival's　credit　reaches　the　ear　of　the　defeated；

it　is　held　by　plain　men　of　no　pretensions　that　his　mouth　is；　in　the

circumstance；　almost　necessarily　closed。　　Your　Church　and　Damien's

were　in　Hawaii　upon　a　rivalry　to　do　well：　to　help；　to　edify；　to　set

divine　examples。　　You　having　（in　one　huge　instance）　failed；　and

Damien　succeeded；　I　marvel　it　should　not　have　occurred　to　you　that

you　were　doomed　to　silence；　that　when　you　had　been　outstripped　in

that　high　rivalry；　and　sat　inglorious　in　the　midst　of　your　well…

being；　in　your　pleasant　room　…　and　Damien；　crowned　with　glories　and

horrors；　toiled　and　rotted　in　that　pigsty　of　his　under　the　cliffs

of　Kalawao　…　you；　the　elect　who　would　not；　were　the　last　man　on

earth　to　collect　and　propagate　gossip　on　the　volunteer　who　would

and　did。



I　think　I　see　you　…　for　I　try　to　see　you　in　the　flesh　as　I　write

these　sentences　…　I　think　I　see　you　leap　at　the　word　pigsty；　a

hyperbolical　expression　at　the　best。　　〃He　had　no　hand　in　the

reforms；〃　he　was　〃a　coarse；　dirty　man〃；　these　were　your　own　words；

and　you　may　think　it　possible　that　I　am　come　to　support　you　with

fresh　evidence。　　In　a　sense；　it　is　even　so。　　Damien　has　been　too

much　depicted　with　a　conventional　halo　and　conventional　features；

so　drawn　by　men　who　perhaps　had　not　the　eye　to　remark　or　the　pen　to

express　the　individual；　or　who　perhaps　were　only　blinded　and

silenced　by　generous　admiration；　such　as　I　partly　envy　for　myself　…

such　as　you；　if　your　soul　were　enlightened；　would　envy　on　your

bended　knees。　　It　is　the　least　defect　of　such　a　method　of

portraiture　that　it　makes　the　path　easy　for　the　devil's　advocate；

and　leaves　the　misuse　of　the　slanderer　a　considerable　field　of

truth。　　For　the　truth　that　is　suppressed　by　friends　is　the　readiest

weapon　of　the　enemy。　　The　world；　in　your　despite；　may　perhaps　owe

you　something；　if　your　letter　be　the　means　of　substituting　once　for

all　a　credible　likeness　for　a　wax　abstraction。　　For；　if　that　world

at　all　remember　you；　on　the　day　when　Damien　of　Molokai　shall　be

named　a　Saint；　it　will　be　in　virtue　of　one　work：　your　letter　to　the

Reverend　H。　B。　Gage。



You　may　ask　on　what　authority　I　speak。　　It　was　my　inclement　destiny

to　become　acquainted；　not　with　Damien；　but　with　Dr。　Hyde。　　When　I

visited　the　lazaretto；　Damien　was　already　in　his　resting　grave。

But　such　information　as　I　have；　I　gathered　on　the　spot　in

conversation　with　those　who　knew　him　well　and　long：　some　indeed　who

revered　his　memory；　but　others　who　had　sparred　and　wrangled　with

him；　who　beheld　him　with　no　halo；　who　perhaps　regarded　him　with

small　respect；　and　through　whose　unprepared　and　scarcely　partial

communications　the　plain；　human　features　of　the　man　shone　on　me

convincingly。　　These　gave　me　what　knowledge　I　possess；　and　I　learnt

it　in　that　scene　where　it　could　be　most　completely　and　sensitively

understood　…　Kalawao；　which　you　have　never　visited；　about　which　you

have　never　so　much　as　endeavoured　to　inform　yourself；　for；　brief　as

your　letter　is；　you　have　found　the　means　to　stumble　into　that

confession。　　〃LESS　THAN　ONE…HALF　of　the　island；〃　you　say；　〃is

devoted　to　the　lepers。〃　　Molokai　…　〃MOLOKAI　AHINA；〃　the　〃grey；〃

lofty；　and　most　desolate　island　…　along　all　its　northern　side

plunges　a　front　of　precipice　into　a　sea　of　unusual　profundity。

This　range　of　cliff　is；　from　east　to　west；　the　true　end　and

frontier　of　the　island。　　Only　in　one　spot　there　projects　into　the

ocean　a　certain　triangular　and　rugged　down；　grassy；　stony；　windy；

and　rising　in　the　midst　into　a　hill　with　a　dead　crater：　the　whole

bearing　to　the　cliff　that　overhangs　it　somewhat　the　same　relation

as　a　bracket　to　a　wall。　　With　this　hint　you　will　now　be　able　to

pick　out　the　leper　station　on　a　map；　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how

much　of　Molokai　is　thus　cut　off　between　the　surf　and　precipice；

whether　less　than　a　half；　or　less　than　a　quarter；　or　a　fifth；　or　a

tenth　…　or；　say　a　twentieth；　and　the　next　time　you　burst　into　print

you　will　be　in　a　position　to　share　with　us　the　issue　of　your

calculations。



I　imagine　you　to　be　one　of　those　persons　who　talk　with　cheerfulness

of　that　place　which　oxen　and　wain…ropes　could　not　drag　you　to

behold。　　You；　who　do　not　even　know　its　situation　on　the　map；

probably　denounce　sensational　descriptions；　stretching　your　limbs

the　while　in　your　pleasant　parlour　on　Beretania　Street。　　When　I　was

pulled　ashore　there　one　early　morning；　there　sat　with　me　in　the

boat　two　sisters；　bidding　farewell　（in　humble　imitation　of　Damien）

to　the　lights　and　joys　of　human　life。　　One　of　these　wept　silently；

I　could　not　withhold　myself　from　joining　her。　　Had　you　been　there；

it　is　my　belief　that　nature　would　have　triumphed　even　in　you；　and

as　the　boat　drew　but　a　little　nearer；　and　you　beheld　the　stairs

crowded　with　abominable　deformations　of　our　common　manhood；　and　saw

yourself　landing　in　the　midst　of　such　a　population　as　only　now　and

then　surrounds　us　in　the　horror　of　a　nightmare　…　what　a　haggard　eye

you　would　have　rolled　over　your　reluctant　shoulder　towards　the

house　on　Beretania　Street！　　Had　you　gone　on；　had　you　found　every

fourth　face　a　blot　upon　the　landscape；　had　you　visited　the　hospital

and　seen　the　butt…ends　of　human　beings　lying　there　almost

unrecognisable；　but　still　breathing；　still　thinking；　still

remembering；　you　would　have　understood　that　life　in　the　lazaretto

is　an　ordeal　from　which　the　nerves　of　a　man's　spirit　shrink；　even

as　his　eye　quails　under　the　brightness　of　the　sun；　you　would　have

felt　it　was　（even　today）　a　pitiful　place　to　visit　and　a　hell　to

dwell　in。　　It　is　not　the　fear　of　possible　infection。　　That　seems　a

little　thing　when　compared　with　the　pain；　the　pity；　and　the　disgust

of　the　visitor's　surroundings；　and　the　atmosphere　of　affliction；

disease；　and　physical　disgrace　in　which　he　breathes。　　I　do　not

think　I　am　a　man　more　than　usually　timid；　but　I　never　recall　the

days　and　nights　I　spent　upon　that　island　promontory　（eight　days　and

seven　nights）；　without　heartfelt　thankfulness　that　I　am　somewhere

else。　　I　find　in　my　diary　that　I　speak　of　my　stay　as　a　〃grinding

experience〃：　I　have　once　jotted　in　the　margin；　〃HARROWING　is　the

word〃；　and　when　the　MOKOLII　bore　me　at　last　towards　the　outer

world；　I　kept　repeating　to　myself；　with　a　new　conception　of　their

pregnancy；　those　simple　words　of　the　song　…



〃　'Tis　the　most　distressful　country　that　ever　yet　was　seen。〃



And　observe：　that　which　I　saw　and　suffered　from　was　a　settlement

purged；　bettered；　beautified；　the　new　village　built；　the　hospital

and　the　Bishop…Home　excellently　arranged；　the　sisters；　the　poctor；

and　the　missionaries；　all　indefatigable　in　their　noble　tasks。　　It

was　a　different　place　when　Damien　came　there　and　made　this　great

renunciation；　and　slept　that　first　night　under　a　tree　amidst　his

rotting　brethren：　alone　with　pestilence；　and　looking　forward　（with

what　courage；　with　what　pitiful　sinkings　of　dread；　God　only　knows）

to　a　lifetime　of　dressing　sores　and　stumps。



You　will　say；　perhaps；　I　am　too　sensitive；　that　sights　as　painful

abound　in　cancer　hospitals　and　are　confronted　daily　by　doctors　and

nurses。　　I　have　long　learned　to　admire　and　envy　the　doctors　and　the

nurses。　　But　there　is　no　cancer　hospital　so　large　and　populous　as

Kalawao　and　Kalaupapa；　and　in　such　a　matter　every　fresh　case；　like

every　inch　of　length　in　the　pipe　of　an　organ；　deepens　the　note　of

the　impression；　for　what　daunts　the　onlooker　is　that　monstrous