Damien

da'mi-en, Father, a Belgian priest noted for self-sacrificing missionary work in the Hawaiian Islands. In order to stamp out leprosy the government of these islands requires all lepers to retire to the little island of Molokai as soon as the first sign of leprosy is seen. Even young mothers are obliged to leave their homes and children. No return is permitted; no further intercourse with relatives is possible. As leprosy eats away the extremities of the body first, and creeps toward the vital organs slowly, these unfortunate wretches drag their rotting limbs about for years, it may be, before death comes to their relief. This young priest was so stirred by the misery of the exiled colony, several hundred in number, that he cut himself off from the outside world and went into voluntary residence among them. From 1877 until the time of his death, twelve years later, he toiled heroically, feeding the hungry, dressing loathsome wounds, comforting the dying, and burying the dead. From the very nature of his work Father Damien knew he would become a leper sooner or later. After eight years at Molokai spots of leprosy appeared on his hands and feet. He was a doomed man. At his death a bishop-missionary, resident in Honolulu, the capital city of the islands, wrote a note to a friend belittling the priest's work, defaming his character, and styling him a "coarse, dirty, bigoted, headstrong man." This letter was published in the Sydney Presbyterian, October 26, 1889, and fell into the hands of Robert Louis Stevenson, who was well acquainted with the facts. Stevenson was indignant, and addressed the bishop an open letter, since published under the title of Father Damien, in which he contrasts the luxury, sloth, and jealousy of the bishop with the poverty, toil, and sacrifice of the priest. This remarkable article is one of the keenest pieces of invective in the English language. The prominence of the writer, the merit of the topic, and the skill of the writing render the incident one of note. The services and the self-sacrifice of Father Damien are commemorated in an imperishable bit of literature and cannot now be forgotten. See Leprosy