FATHER DAMIEN AT HOME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2115, 22 April 1889, Page 3

FATHER DAMIEN AT HOME.

The "Church Army Gazette" publishes the following letter, dated December SOth, just received from Mr Edward Clifford, treasurer of the Churoh Army, who haß gone on a visit to the leper settlement at Molokai, Sandwich Islands:"! have now been here nearly a fortnight. There are 1,030 lepers here, well oared for, not generally suffering pain, and m most cases seeming lightljeatted and happy. The air b very soft and pleasant, even wben the wind is high and gusty. Enormons cliffs close m the leper settlement, and make it almost inaccessible from the other parts of the island, and the sea is so wild that often even a boat cannot land, When 1 arrived I had to come on shore at a precipitous rock at Borne distance from the village. Father Damien met me there, having with him about twenty lepers. He gave me a hearty welcome, and as it was too rough to have my large case landed* 1 had it unpacked m the boat, and all the presents iaken out one by one, handed across the waves and carried by tbe lepers to K>lawao. The engraving of " The Good Shepherd," from Lady Mount-Temple, came first, and then a m»glo lantern (which I have since been three times showing), the Arlston (a little sort of barrel organ, w»th many hymn tunes— the lepers love to turn it), and many pictures and books. Mr Bnrne-Jonea' beautiful picture I had myself carried all the way from London, and It Is now hung In Father Damlen's room.

"He la just what you would expeot him to be — a simple, sturdy, hard-working, devout man. No job Is too menial for him— building, carpentering, tending tbe j sick, washing the dead, and many other such things form part of hla daily work. He Is always cheerful, sometimes playfa), and one of the most truly bumble men I ever sew. The leprosy bas disfigured him very muoh, but I never find It anything but a pleasure to look at him ; and alreidy tbe guriun oil whloh I brought la making a manifest difference m his face and hvnds, and In his power of sleeping. How far the cure will reaoh It la of course Impossible to tay. He Is suoh a busy man that sometimes I fear be will not find time to do tbe msdclne full justice. Tbe English »ff ctlon and sympathy touch blm very much Indeed. Pray for him, for there must be many times when he Is tempted to be die eouraged tnd over sad at all tbe terrible eases— bodies and souls— arcund him. I was very glad to be here at Christmas. You would have enjoyed the hearty way In which tbe lepers lang, ' 0 come, all ye faithful.' "