father damien-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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　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