father damien-第3部分

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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　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

tel