ANOTHER 'LEPER’S BRIDE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 491, 23 July 1890, Page 4

ANOTHER 'LEPER’S BRIDE.

A New Zealander Among the Siberian Lepers. The other day a lady dreseed in a neat, simple nurse's uniform called at this offico. On her dress she wore to my surprise the order of merit which is awarded by the Russian Red Cross Society, but which in mosb cases is not 1 bodily ’ bestowed. In her hand she carried what presently I found to be one of the most important budgets of documents that have ever been pub into the hand of woman by the Russian Government. The lady was Miss Kate Marsden, who hopes to start within a few days for a six months’ tour through the wide dominions of tho ‘ great White Tzar,’there to study the subject of leprosy, which had of late aroused so much attention and interest: — ‘ What is it,’ 1 asked Miss Marsden, after Blie had told mo of her intention, ‘what is it that induces you to turn your attention specially to leprosy when, for a trained nurse like yourself, there is a whole world of disease to which you can minister ?—‘ It came about in rather a strange way, and long before leprosy bad begun to attract much notice, even in the medical world. I was nurse, in tho Russo-Turkish war in 1877-78, and one day at Sistova I saw two lepers for tho first time in my life. The sight of tho disease was so loathsome, so altogether appalling, and the sufferings of the poor men were so beyond anything that I had ever seen, that there and then I vowed to devote my whole life and strength to lepers, if ever the opportunity were given to me. I was spellbound, and,_ though every sense rose in horror against the ghastly sight, I felt at once drawn to the sufferers by an irresistible attraction. And from that day forth I have waited for the opportunity to fulfil tho vow I made at tho sight of tho two Bulgarian lepers. The time was not yet, for many years. Several of my sisters were living : i they were very much opposed to my plan, but they have all died of consumption, one after the other, and there is now no longer any obstacle in my way, except one, which may, at the last moment, compel me to give up my plan.’ All this was said in a brisk, but very quiet way, nothing in Miss Marsden’s manner showing how all absorbing and all important the subject of many years’ hopes and fears and aspirations has become to her now that it seems so near realisation. The trained sick nurse has learned the lesson woll of keeping her own emotions down under a calm and cheerful appearance. * And what did you do while Availing all these years ?’— ‘ I first became deputy superintendent? of the Woolton Convalescent Home, Liverpool, where I remained for four and a half years. After a rest I went out to Now Zealand, whore my last sister was dying of consumption. A week after I arrived she died, and I accepted the place as lady superintendent at the Wellington Hospital. Then I heard of the miners in the South Island, many of whom live several days’ journey away from any place where they can get medical assistance in cases of accident. You can imagine what a man’s sufferings must be if he breaks or injures a limb, and has to remain unattended to for days and days till a doctor is brought to him, or till he is taken a long journey to where the nearest medical man lives. In order to enable them to help themselves and each other till medical assistance can be obtained, I went among the miners all over the islands and gave ambulance lectures. It was a strange experience. Sometimes I had to travel four or five days to get to them ; then 1 gave my lecture, sat with them by their camp fire, slept in a tent which they had specially put up for me, and rode off again next day bo another place. ‘On these tours I saw a good deal of lepto3y among the Maoris, and a few months ago I came home to England, thinking to go to Molokai and there make further studies of the disease.

* I should tell you that my final object has always been, and still is, to study leprosy and its various treatments as thoroughly as possible, and then to go to India to organise the care of lepers, who, in many cases, are terribly neglected. Soon after reaching London, I went to the Hawaiian Consul, Bond-street, to see what assistance he could give me, but he informed me at once that only Roman Catholics could be received at Molokai. That, of course, put an end to it, as I belong to the Church of England, and once more my hopes seemed to be baffled. ‘ At the first March Drawingroom this spring I was presented to the Queen, and three a ays after the Princess of Wales, whom, sotne of my friends had told of my intentions, telegraphed asking roe to come and see her at Marlborough House. . :. :

* I cannot toll you how kind the Princess was ; her sympathy and her great interest in the question gave me new courage, and she promised to write at onco to her sister, the Empress of Russia, from whom I was anxious to obtain the Red Cross Order, which had nominally been awarded to me after the Russo-Turkish war, but which I had not received. A few days later I was on my way to Russia, obtained the order without trouble, and was specially invited to come and see the Empress at Gatschino.

‘And there again I was received with such simple kindness and sympathy that I could hardly believe I was really in the presence of the highest Indy in the land. The Empress would not let me stand for a moment in her presence. So I sat down even while the Empress remained standing, and sho listened to nil I had to say, and when I ox pressed the wish to study the leper question in Russia sho promised her help and the Emperor’s. The rest is soon told. In this folio,’ continued Miss Mnreden, opening out one after the other the large white shoots stamped with mighty official seals, and signed by some of the most important and powerful men in Russia, ‘ I have papers entitling me me to go into the hospitals, all the prisons and to all places where I think I can find anything connected with the study of leprosy all over Russia, Siberia, the Caucasus and Asiatic Russia, and to see everything, get all information I can and take what notes and photographs I like about leprosy. Every official is bound to give me every assistance, and as in some parts of Russia leprosy is veiy prevalent indeed, I am convinced that I could obtain information of priceless value. So it seems, indeed, and ib Slmosb makes one’s head reel to think of what the judicions use of the pen and of the photographic camera in Russian hospitals, Siberian prisons and Caucasian fortresses might do for Russia, for the leper, and indirectly for ‘ all the people born beneath the throne’ of the great empire of the north.

* But the Empress has done more than that. I don’t speak Russian, and that would have been an obstacle. Therefore Dr. Duncan, the chief medical officer at St. Petersburg, is to accompany me on the whole tour, the Russian Government paying all his expenses. At Riga, Dr. Duncan is to meet me ; then we go on to Moscow and Central Russia to Siberia, and finally across the Caucasus to Tiflis, Baku, whence, after crossing the Caspian, we take the train to Samarkand, and enter Transcaspia, Central Asia. What I shall find remains to be seen, but it is beyond all doubt thatthe terribledisease is prevalent in all partsof the empire,and toanextentwhich has never yet been officially ascertained. Can you wonder that with the opportunities given me by the Russian Government, I am intensely anxious to go ?’ * And have you no fear of infection, Miss Marsden ‘Oh yes, I have. lam well aware of the risk I run, but is it not worth running the risk ? And, remember, lam a trained nurse with many years’ experience, and shall not neglect to take whatever precautions are possible.”—“ Pall Mall Gazette.”