The Hero Martyr Dead.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 298, 14 May 1889, Page 3

The Hero Martyr Dead.

POOR FATHER DAMIEN AT REST. News received at Honolulu notifies the death of Father Damien, known in England and America as the Hero Martyr, the brave laborer among the lepers of Molokai. It was well known that Father Damien would soon be no more. Leprosy had done its work upon him, in turns at his ears, eyes, nose, throat, hands, and lungs ! He was almost completely disfigured, and his voice was almost extinct. Father Comardy, a brave young Belgian priest who went to assist Father Damien, thus wrote of his noble leader If you could only see him as he lies, in his little room, on the floor, upon his bed of suffering. Tears would come into your eyes at the sight of that man, who has done so much for thousands of lepers, now himself reduced to so terrible a condition, and so very little can be done for him. People call it sacrifice to live with lepers ; but only ou seeing onese'f a leper, and nothing but lepers around, then only does the extent of the sacrifice become apparent. Father Comardy goes on to say—this was in December lastlt would be a sad thing fcr me if Father Damien were to leave me now, The Father has under his charge over ICO le er orphans, and the number is increas. irg every week. But these are not his only responsibilities :—“ The Father has also begun to build a new church, 40ft of which is of stone and the rest of wood. We have only me mason, a white leper, an Irishman, The poor man has already one foot very bad. His assistants, who make up the mortar, bring up the stone, etc., are all young lepers. Father Damien is head carpenter, his helpers being two or three leper boys. They have now, happily, got as far as the roof. Everything was ready to have the iron roofing put up, but on unloading this in a small boat the latter capsized. The iron is now at the bottom of the sea. It took five months to bring from England. May Heaven preserve the good father Damien at least one year longer, no matt r bow; for, after all, it is better to be two together than alone, I live with him ; we have our meals togethir, for I have entirely overcome my repugnance. lam now in ths hands of God. 8 metimes, when lam kneeling by the aide oj a poor leper, from whom exhales an odour that would put the most courageous to flight, I often think that I am doing a little of m.Y purgatory," Those prayers have been unavailing, and one of the best men that ever lived has been relieved by death from a lite of terrible agony. We may look in vain through the pages of history to find a nobler example of sell sacrifice in the qau?e of suffering humanity. “Oh I Death, where is thy sting " compared to such a life as that which Father D.mien chose to lead 1 Though it seems hard that such an one shquld lie removed frqm hie holy labors, it is a relief to ‘think that the dreadful tortures he endured should no longer be protracted, The pages of history ate now embellished with the deeds of military and other heroes, but when a record is added of the work done by Father Damien and hie assistants it will shine through them all like a star of the first magnitude oyer the lesser lights, May Father Comardy and the other workers be preserved from the terrible death that has been the lot of their leader. He had seen the population of exiles renew Itself three times.