DEPARTURE OF MISS FOWLER FOR MOLOKAI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2757, 15 March 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

DEPARTURE OF MISS FOWLER FOR MOLOKAI.

Miss Amy Fowler, who ha 3 resolved to devote herself to attendance upon the lepers of Molokai, Sandwich Islands, left Liverpool recently, iu the Cunard steamer Bothnia, for New York, Miss Fowler bade farewell to her parents at their residence in Bath, and travelled alone to Liverpool, where she arrived at six o'clock on Friday evening, being met by the Rev. John Bridger, of St. Nicholas' church. The Rev. H. Chapman, of Chaniberwell, secretary ot the Father Damien Fund, travelled to Liverpool to say fatewell to Miss Fowler, who waß also met by a lady friend. Miss Fowler was cheerful, and spoke in hopeful tones of her future work. She will stay no longer in America than is .necessary to see one of her brothers who is settled there, and will afterwards proceed by steamer from San Francisco to Honolulu. There she will drop her proper name, and assume that of Sister Rose Gertrude. The journey from Liverpool to Honolulu occupies about twenty-four days. Miss Fowler will take the first opportunity that offers of proceeding thence to her ultimate destination, Molokai. Mr Bridger, from his experience of lepers, was able to hold out more encouraging \ prospects to Miss Fowler than those which appear to have taken possession of 1 the public mind. It might be. he observed, that with precautions and good 1 fortune the heroic lady might escape the 1 affliction herself for many years. Miss 1 Fowler received these solacing remarks with quiet serenity, and it was clear from her remarks, as well as her manner, that she has fully made up her mind to face the whole of the contingencies of her self-chosen lot, whatever they 1 may be, in a spirit of en« 1 tire and trustful obedience to divine will. Tho weather in the afternoon, after a beautiful and sprink-lifto morning, grew gloomy and threatening, and there 1 wns every appearance of a storm. The 1 saloon passengers by the M othnia were very few, numbering about 35. The Rev. Hush B. Chapman, vicar of St. Luke's, Camborwell, writes:—"l have been requested by Sinter Rose Gertrude, vtho sailed on Saturday for Mol'ikai, to express hor humble and deep ! gratitude for the many proofs of kindness received in answer to the appeal on her behalf. The money given amounted to £120, and five oases of various articled have been dispatohed to the leper island. A society will shortly be formed . for th* regular supply of extra oomfortß which may bo required, and which willembrace other leper communities conspicuous for similar sadness and similar heroism. Sister Rose Gertrude begged me, as a last favour, to ask that her secular namo might not be mentioned, and expressed her intense regret that she had fallen an unwilling victim to a most distasteful publicity. I need only say that her heroism is not more romarbable than her humility. God grant that her example may do much to shame us men out of our selfishness by tho sight of what a woman can do when she truly loves ! She left her nountry absolutely alone, and without a sixpenco of ber o »n. For many months she supported her«elf by writinpr small books in order to keep herself during her medical training, and for a loop time failed to find anyone willing to advance her passage money, though she was willinsr to sacrifice her life. I have never met a oaso which so raised womanhood in my esteem, or one which so revealed to me the utter humbug of tho cheap " roliarioua talk" which obtains iu tho prcaent day." The London correspondent of the Manchester Gnardian says:—"Tho English public have been deeply intero»ted in the I personality and heroism of their country, woman ; but all that thoy have known of her wan the fact, mentioned a few days asro by tho Prince of Wales, that Bhe was the daughter of a Church of England clergyman. I have, of coarse, respected the natural desiro of the new missionary to avoid publicity prior to her departure from England ; but it may now with proprietory be mentioned that tho lady is a Miss Fowler, of Bath, who was originally enarasred in literary pursuits in Paris, and worked for some time under M. Pasteur before she took her vows in the Order of the Dominicans. Sister Rose will take out with her a large contribution of comforts and necessaries from charitable persons in fchig constry for tho lepers of Motykoi,