father damien-第3章

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

the　impression；　for　what　daunts　the　onlooker　is　that　monstrous　sum

of　human　suffering　by　which　he　stands　surrounded。　　Lastly；　no

doctor　or　nurse　is　called　upon　to　enter　once　for　all　the　doors　of

that　gehenna；　they　do　not　say　farewell；　they　need　not　abandon　hope；

on　its　sad　threshold；　they　but　go　for　a　time　to　their　high　calling；

and　can　look　forward　as　they　go　to　relief；　to　recreation；　and　to

rest。　　But　Damien　shut…to　with　his　own　hand　the　doors　of　his　own

sepulchre。



I　shall　now　extract　three　passages　from　my　diary　at　Kalawao。



A。　　〃Damien　is　dead　and　already　somewhat　ungratefully　remembered　in

the　field　of　his　labours　and　sufferings。　　'He　was　a　good　man；　but

very　officious；'　says　one。　　Another　tells　me　he　had　fallen　（as

other　priests　so　easily　do）　into　something　of　the　ways　and　habits

of　thought　of　a　Kanaka；　but　he　had　the　wit　to　recognise　the　fact；

and　the　good　sense　to　laugh　at〃　＇over＇　〃it。　　A　plain　man　it　seems

he　was；　I　cannot　find　he　was　a　popular。〃



B。　　〃After　Ragsdale's　death〃　＇Ragsdale　was　a　famous　Luna；　or

overseer；　of　the　unruly　settlement＇　〃there　followed　a　brief　term　of

office　by　Father　Damien　which　served　only　to　publish　the　weakness

of　that　noble　man。　　He　was　rough　in　his　ways；　and　he　had　no

control。　　Authority　was　relaxed；　Damien's　life　was　threatened；　and

he　was　soon　eager　to　resign。〃



C。　　〃Of　Damien　I　begin　to　have　an　idea。　　He　seems　to　have　been　a

man　of　the　peasant　class；　certainly　of　the　peasant　type：　shrewd；

ignorant　and　bigoted；　yet　with　an　open　mind；　and　capable　of

receiving　and　digesting　a　reproof　if　it　were　bluntly　administered；

superbly　generous　in　the　least　thing　as　well　as　in　the　greatest；

and　as　ready　to　give　his　last　shirt　（although　not　without　human

grumbling）　as　he　had　been　to　sacrifice　his　life；　essentially

indiscreet　and　officious；　which　made　him　a　troublesome　colleague；

domineering　in　all　his　ways；　which　made　him　incurably　unpopular

with　the　Kanakas；　but　yet　destitute　of　real　authority；　so　that　his

boys　laughed　at　him　and　he　must　carry　out　his　wishes　by　the　means

of　bribes。　　He　learned　to　have　a　mania　for　doctoring；　and　set　up

the　Kanakas　against　the　remedies　of　his　regular　rivals：　perhaps　（if

anything　matter　at　all　in　the　treatment　of　such　a　disease）　the

worst　thing　that　he　did；　and　certainly　the　easiest。　　The　best　and

worst　of　the　man　appear　very　plainly　in　his　dealings　with　Mr。

Chapman's　money；　he　had　originally　laid　it　out〃　＇intended　to　lay　it

out＇　〃entirely　for　the　benefit　of　Catholics；　and　even　so　not

wisely；　but　after　a　long；　plain　talk；　he　admitted　his　error　fully

and　revised　the　list。　　The　sad　state　of　the　boys'　home　is　in　part

the　result　of　his　lack　of　control；　in　part；　of　his　own　slovenly

ways　and　false　ideas　of　hygiene。　　Brother　officials　used　to　call　it

'Damien's　Chinatown。'　　'Well；'　they　would　say；　'your　Chinatown

keeps　growing。'　　And　he　would　laugh　with　perfect　good…nature；　and

adhere　to　his　errors　with　perfect　obstinacy。　　So　much　I　have

gathered　of　truth　about　this　plain；　noble　human　brother　and　father

of　ours；　his　imperfections　are　the　traits　of　his　face；　by　which　we

know　him　for　our　fellow；　his　martyrdom　and　his　example　nothing　can

lessen　or　annul；　and　only　a　person　here　on　the　spot　can　properly

appreciate　their　greatness。〃



I　have　set　down　these　private　passages；　as　you　perceive；　without

correction；　thanks　to　you；　the　public　has　them　in　their　bluntness。

They　are　almost　a　list　of　the　man's　faults；　for　it　is　rather　these

that　I　was　seeking：　with　his　virtues；　with　the　heroic　profile　of

his　life；　I　and　the　world　were　already　sufficiently　acquainted。　　I

was　besides　a　little　suspicious　of　Catholic　testimony；　in　no　ill

sense；　but　merely　because　Damien's　admirers　and　disciples　were　the

least　likely　to　be　critical。　　I　know　you　will　be　more　suspicious

still；　and　the　facts　set　down　above　were　one　and　all　collected　from

the　lips　of　Protestants　who　had　opposed　the　father　in　his　life。

Yet　I　am　strangely　deceived；　or　they　build　up　the　image　of　a　man；

with　all　his　weakness；　essentially　heroic；　and　alive　with　rugged

honesty；　generosity；　and　mirth。



Take　it　for　what　it　is；　rough　private　jottings　of　the　worst　sides

of　Damien's　character；　collected　from　the　lips　of　those　who　had

laboured　with　and　（in　your　own　phrase）　〃knew　the　man〃；　…　though　I

question　whether　Damien　would　have　said　that　he　knew　you。　　Take　it；

and　observe　with　wonder　how　well　you　were　served　by　your　gossips；

how　ill　by　your　intelligence　and　sympathy；　in　how　many　points　of

fact　we　are　at　one；　and　how　widely　our　appreciations　vary。　　There

is　something　wrong　here；　either　with　you　or　me。　　It　is　possible；

for　instance；　that　you；　who　seem　to　have　so　many　ears　in　Kalawao；

had　heard　of　the　affair　of　Mr。　Chapman's　money；　and　were　singly

struck　by　Damien's　intended　wrong…doing。　　I　was　struck　with　that

also；　and　set　it　fairly　down；　but　I　was　struck　much　more　by　the

fact　that　he　had　the　honesty　of　mind　to　be　convinced。　　I　may　here

tell　you　that　it　was　a　long　business；　that　one　of　his　colleagues

sat　with　him　late　into　the　night；　multiplying　arguments　and

accusations；　that　the　father　listened　as　usual　with　〃perfect　good…

nature　and　perfect　obstinacy〃；　but　at　the　last；　when　he　was

persuaded　…　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you；　you

have　done　me　a　service；　it　would　have　been　a　theft。〃　　There　are

many　（not　Catholics　merely）　who　require　their　heroes　and　saints　to

be　infallible；　to　these　the　story　will　be　painful；　not　to　the　true

lovers；　patrons；　and　servants　of　mankind。



And　I　take　it；　this　is　a　type　of　our　division；　that　you　are　one　of

those　who　have　an　eye　for　faults　and　failures；　that　you　take　a

pleasure　to　find　and　publish　them；　and　that；　having　found　them；　you

make　haste　to　forget　the　overvailing　virtues　and　the　real　success

which　had　alone　introduced　them　to　your　knowledge。　　It　is　a

dangerous　frame　of　mind。　　That　you　may　understand　how　dangerous；

and　into　what　a　situation　it　has　already　brought　you；　we　will　（if

you　please）　go　hand…in…hand　through　the　different　phrases　of　your

letter；　and　candidly　examine　each　from　the　point　of　view　of　its

truth；　its　appositeness；　and　its　charity。



Damien　was　COARSE。



It　is　very　possible。　　You　make　us　sorry　for　the　lepers；　who　had

only　a　coarse　old　peasant　for　their　friend　and　father。　　But　you；

who　were　so　refined；　why　were　you　not　there；　to　cheer　them　with　the

lights　of　culture？　　Or　may　I　remind　you　that　we　have　some　reason　to

doubt　if　John　the　Baptist　were　genteel；　and　in　the　case　of　Peter；

on　whose　career　your　doubtless　dwell　approvingly　in　the　pulpit；　no

doubt　at　all　he　was　a　〃coarse；　headstrong〃　fisherman！　　Yet　even　in

our　Protestant　Bibles　Peter　is　called　Saint。



Damien　was　DIRTY。



He　was。　　Think　of　the　poor　lepers　annoyed　with　this　dirty　comrade！

But　the　clean　Dr。　Hyde　was　at　his　food　in　a　fine　house。



Damien　was　HEADSTRONG。



I　believe　you　are　right　again；　and　I　thank　God　for　his　strong　head

and　heart。



Damien　was　BIGOTED。



I　am　not　fond　of　bigots　myself；　because　they　are　not　fond　of　me。

But　what　is　meant　by　bigotry；　that　we　should　regard　it　as　a　blemish

in　a　priest？　　Damien　believed　his　own　religion　with　the　simplicity

of　a　peasant　or　a　child；　as　I　would　I　could　suppose　that　you　do。

For　this；　I　wonder　at　him　some　way　off；　and　had　that　been　his　only

character；　should　have　avoided　him　in　life。　　But　the　point　of

interest　in　Damien；　which　has　caused　him　to　be　so　much　talked　about

and　made　him　at　last　the　subject　of　your　pen　and　mine；　was　that；　in

him；　his　bigotry；　his　intense　and　narrow　faith；　wrought　potently

for　good；　and　strengthened　him　to　be　one　of　the　world's　heroes　and

exemplars。



Damien　WAS　NOT　SENT　TO　MOLOKAI；　BUT　WENT　THERE　WITHOUT　ORDERS。



Is　this　a　misreading？　or　do　you　really　mean　the　words　for　blame？　　I

have　heard　Christ；　in　the　pulpits　of　our　Church；　held　up　for

imitation　on　the　ground　th