father damien-第4章

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

imitation　on　the　ground　that　His　sacrifice　was　voluntary。　　Does　Dr。

Hyde　think　otherwise？



Damien　DID　NOT　STAY　AT　THE　SETTLEMENT；　ETC。



It　is　true　he　was　allowed　many　indulgences。　　Am　I　to　understand

that　you　blame　the　father　for　profiting　by　these；　or　the　officers

for　granting　them？　　In　either　case；　it　is　a　mighty　Spartan　standard

to　issue　from　the　house　on　Beretania　Street；　and　I　am　convinced　you

will　find　yourself　with　few　supporters。



Damien　HAD　NO　HAND　IN　THE　REFORMS；　ETC。



I　think　even　you　will　admit　that　I　have　already　been　frank　in　my

description　of　the　man　I　am　defending；　but　before　I　take　you　up

upon　this　head；　I　will　be　franker　still；　and　tell　you　that　perhaps

nowhere　in　the　world　can　a　man　taste　a　more　pleasurable　sense　of

contrast　than　when　he　passes　from　Damien's　〃Chinatown〃　at　Kalawao

to　the　beautiful　Bishop…Home　at　Kalaupapa。　　At　this　point；　in　my

desire　to　make　all　fair　for　you；　I　will　break　my　rule　and　adduce

Catholic　testimony。　　Here　is　a　passage　from　my　diary　about　my　visit

to　the　Chinatown；　from　which　you　will　see　how　it　is　（even　now）

regarded　by　its　own　officials：　〃We　went　round　all　the　dormitories；

refectories；　etc。　…　dark　and　dingy　enough；　with　a　superficial

cleanliness；　which　he〃　＇Mr。　Dutton；　the　lay…brother＇　〃did　not　seek

to　defend。　　'It　is　almost　decent；'　said　he；　'the　sisters　will　make

that　all　right　when　we　get　them　here。'　〃　　And　yet　I　gathered　it　was

already　better　since　Damien　was　dead；　and　far　better　than　when　he

was　there　alone　and　had　his　own　（not　always　excellent）　way。　　I　have

now　come　far　enough　to　meet　you　on　a　common　ground　of　fact；　and　I

tell　you　that；　to　a　mind　not　prejudiced　by　jealousy；　all　the

reforms　of　the　lazaretto；　and　even　those　which　he　most　vigorously

opposed；　are　properly　the　work　of　Damien。　　They　are　the　evidence　of

his　success；　they　are　what　his　heroism　provoked　from　the　reluctant

and　the　careless。　　Many　were　before　him　in　the　field；　Mr。　Meyer；

for　instance；　of　whose　faithful　work　we　hear　too　little：　there　have

been　many　since；　and　some　had　more　worldly　wisdom；　though　none　had

more　devotion；　than　our　saint。　　Before　his　day；　even　you　will

confess；　they　had　effected　little。　　It　was　his　part；　by　one

striking　act　of　martyrdom；　to　direct　all　men's　eyes　on　that

distressful　country。　　At　a　blow；　and　with　the　price　of　his　life；　he

made　the　place　illustrious　and　public。　　And　that；　if　you　will

consider　largely；　was　the　one　reform　needful；　pregnant　of　all　that

should　succeed。　　It　brought　money；　it　brought　（best　individual

addition　of　them　all）　the　sisters；　it　brought　supervision；　for

public　opinion　and　public　interest　landed　with　the　man　at　Kalawao。

If　ever　any　man　brought　reforms；　and　died　to　bring　them；　it　was　he。

There　is　not　a　clean　cup　or　towel　in　the　Bishop…Home；　but　dirty

Damien　washed　it。



Damien　WAS　NOT　A　PURE　MAN　IN　HIS　RELATIONS　WITH　WOMEN；　ETC



How　do　you　know　that？　　Is　this　the　nature　of　conversation　in　that

house　on　Beretania　Street　which　the　cabman　envied；　driving　past？　…

racy　details　of　the　misconduct　of　the　poor　peasant　priest；　toiling

under　the　cliffs　of　Molokai？



Many　have　visited　the　station　before　me；　they　seem　not　to　have

heard　the　rumour。　　When　I　was　there　I　heard　many　shocking　tales；

for　my　informants　were　men　speaking　with　the　plainness　of　the

laity；　and　I　heard　plenty　of　complaints　of　Damien。　　Why　was　this

never　mentioned？　and　how　came　it　to　you　in　the　retirement　of　your

clerical　parlour？



But　I　must　not　even　seem　to　deceive　you。　　This　scandal；　when　I　read

it　in　your　letter；　was　not　new　to　me。　　I　had　heard　it　once　before；

and　I　must　tell　you　how。　　There　came　to　Samoa　a　man　from　Honolulu；

he；　in　a　public…house　on　the　beach；　volunteered　the　statement　that

Damien　had　〃contracted　the　disease　from　having　connection　with　the

female　lepers〃；　and　I　find　a　joy　in　telling　you　how　the　report　was

welcomed　in　a　public…house。　　A　man　sprang　to　his　feet；　I　am　not　at

liberty　to　give　his　name；　but　from　what　I　heard　I　doubt　if　you

would　care　to　have　him　to　dinner　in　Beretania　Street。　　〃You

miserable　little　…〃　（here　is　a　word　I　dare　not　print；　it

would　so　shock　your　ears）。　　〃You　miserable　little　；〃　he

cried；　〃if　the　story　were　a　thousand　times　true；　can't　you　see　you

are　a　million　times　a　lower　…　for　daring　to　repeat　it？〃　　I　wish

it　could　be　told　of　you　that　when　the　report　reached　you　in　your

house；　perhaps　after　family　worship；　you　had　found　in　your　soul

enough　holy　anger　to　receive　it　with　the　same　expressions；　ay；　even

with　that　one　which　I　dare　not　print；　it　would　not　need　to　have

been　blotted　away；　like　Uncle　Toby's　oath；　by　the　tears　of　the

recording　angel；　it　would　have　been　counted　to　you　for　your

brightest　righteousness。　　But　you　have　deliberately　chosen　the　part

of　the　man　from　Honolulu；　and　you　have　played　it　with　improvements

of　your　own。　　The　man　from　Honolulu　…　miserable；　leering　creature　…

communicated　the　tale　to　a　rude　knot　of　beach…combing　drinkers　in　a

public…house；　where　（I　will　so　far　agree　with　your　temperance

opinions）　man　is　not　always　at　his　noblest；　and　the　man　from

Honolulu　had　himself　been　drinking　…　drinking；　we　may　charitably

fancy；　to　excess。　　It　was　to　your　〃Dear　Brother；　the　Reverend　H。　B。

Gage；〃　that　you　chose　to　communicate　the　sickening　story；　and　the

blue　ribbon　which　adorns　your　portly　bosom　forbids　me　to　allow　you

the　extenuating　plea　that　you　were　drunk　when　it　was　done。　　Your

〃dear　brother〃　…　a　brother　indeed　…　made　haste　to　deliver　up　your

letter　（as　a　means　of　grace；　perhaps）　to　the　religious　papers；

where；　after　many　months；　I　found　and　read　and　wondered　at　it；　and

whence　I　have　now　reproduced　it　for　the　wonder　of　others。　　And　you

and　your　dear　brother　have；　by　this　cycle　of　operations；　built　up　a

contrast　very　edifying　to　examine　in　detail。　　The　man　whom　you

would　not　care　to　have　to　dinner；　on　the　one　side；　on　the　other；

the　Reverend　Dr。　Hyde　and　the　Reverend　H。　B。　Gage：　the　Apia　bar…

room；　the　Honolulu　manse。



But　I　fear　you　scarce　appreciate　how　you　appear　to　your　fellow…men；

and　to　bring　it　home　to　you；　I　will　suppose　your　story　to　be　true。

I　will　suppose　…　and　God　forgive　me　for　supposing　it　…　that　Damien

faltered　and　stumbled　in　his　narrow　path　of　duty；　I　will　suppose

that；　in　the　horror　of　his　isolation；　perhaps　in　the　fever　of

incipient　disease；　he；　who　was　doing　so　much　more　than　he　had

sworn；　failed　in　the　letter　of　his　priestly　oath　…　he；　who　was　so

much　a　better　man　than　either　you　or　me；　who　did　what　we　have　never

dreamed　of　daring　…　he　too　tasted　of　our　common　frailty。　　〃O；　Iago；

the　pity　of　it！〃　　The　least　tender　should　be　moved　to　tears；　the

most　incredulous　to　prayer。　　And　all　that　you　could　do　was　to　pen

your　letter　to　the　Reverend　H。　B。　Gage！



Is　it　growing　at　all　clear　to　you　what　a　picture　you　have　drawn　of

your　own　heart？　　I　will　try　yet　once　again　to　make　it　clearer。　　You

had　a　father：　suppose　this　tale　were　about　him；　and　some　informant

brought　it　to　you；　proof　in　hand：　I　am　not　making　too　high　an

estimate　of　your　emotional　nature　when　I　suppose　you　would　regret

the　circumstance？　that　you　would　feel　the　tale　of　frailty　the　more

keenly　since　it　shamed　the　author　of　your　days？　and　that　the　last

thing　you　would　do　would　be　to　publish　it　in　the　religious　press？

Well；　the　man　who　tried　to　do　what　Damien　did；　is　my　father；　and

the　father　of　the　man　in　the　Apia　bar；　and　the　father　of　all　who

love　goodness；　and　he　was　your　father　too；　if　God　had　given　you

grace　to　see　it。










End