father damien-第3部分

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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

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；　dr