father damien-第4部分

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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　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