that　high　rivalry；　and　sat　inglorious　in　the　midst　of　your　well…
  being；　in　your　pleasant　room　…　and　Damien；　crowned　with　glories　and
  horrors；　toiled　and　rotted　in　that　pigsty　of　his　under　the　cliffs
  of　Kalawao　…　you；　the　elect　who　would　not；　were　the　last　man　on
  earth　to　collect　and　propagate　gossip　on　the　volunteer　who　would
  and　did。
  I　think　I　see　you　…　for　I　try　to　see　you　in　the　flesh　as　I　write
  these　sentences　…　I　think　I　see　you　leap　at　the　word　pigsty；　a
  hyperbolical　expression　at　the　best。　　〃He　had　no　hand　in　the
  reforms；〃　he　was　〃a　coarse；　dirty　man〃；　these　were　your　own　words；
  and　you　may　think　it　possible　that　I　am　come　to　support　you　with
  fresh　evidence。　　In　a　sense；　it　is　even　so。　　Damien　has　been　too
  much　depicted　with　a　conventional　halo　and　conventional　features；
  so　drawn　by　men　who　perhaps　had　not　the　eye　to　remark　or　the　pen　to
  express　the　individual；　or　who　perhaps　were　only　blinded　and
  silenced　by　generous　admiration；　such　as　I　partly　envy　for　myself　…
  such　as　you；　if　your　soul　were　enlightened；　would　envy　on　your
  bended　knees。　　It　is　the　least　defect　of　such　a　method　of
  portraiture　that　it　makes　the　path　easy　for　the　devil's　advocate；
  and　leaves　the　misuse　of　the　slanderer　a　considerable　field　of
  truth。　　For　the　truth　that　is　suppressed　by　friends　is　the　readiest
  weapon　of　the　enemy。　　The　world；　in　your　despite；　may　perhaps　owe
  you　something；　if　your　letter　be　the　means　of　substituting　once　for
  all　a　credible　likeness　for　a　wax　abstraction。　　For；　if　that　world
  at　all　remember　you；　on　the　day　when　Damien　of　Molokai　shall　be
  named　a　Saint；　it　will　be　in　virtue　of　one　work：　your　letter　to　the
  Reverend　H。　B。　Gage。
  You　may　ask　on　what　authority　I　speak。　　It　was　my　inclement　destiny
  to　become　acquainted；　not　with　Damien；　but　with　Dr。　Hyde。　　When　I
  visited　the　lazaretto；　Damien　was　already　in　his　resting　grave。
  But　such　information　as　I　have；　I　gathered　on　the　spot　in
  conversation　with　those　who　knew　him　well　and　long：　some　indeed　who
  revered　his　memory；　but　others　who　had　sparred　and　wrangled　with
  him；　who　beheld　him　with　no　halo；　who　perhaps　regarded　him　with
  small　respect；　and　through　whose　unprepared　and　scarcely　partial
  communications　the　plain；　human　features　of　the　man　shone　on　me
  convincingly。　　These　gave　me　what　knowledge　I　possess；　and　I　learnt
  it　in　that　scene　where　it　could　be　most　completely　and　sensitively
  understood　…　Kalawao；　which　you　have　never　visited；　about　which　you
  have　never　so　much　as　endeavoured　to　inform　yourself；　for；　brief　as
  your　letter　is；　you　have　found　the　means　to　stumble　into　that
  confession。　　〃LESS　THAN　ONE…HALF　of　the　island；〃　you　say；　〃is
  devoted　to　the　lepers。〃　　Molokai　…　〃MOLOKAI　AHINA；〃　the　〃grey；〃
  lofty；　and　most　desolate　island　…　along　all　its　northern　side
  plunges　a　front　of　precipice　into　a　sea　of　unusual　profundity。
  This　range　of　cliff　is；　from　east　to　west；　the　true　end　and
  frontier　of　the　island。　　Only　in　one　spot　there　projects　into　the
  ocean　a　certain　triangular　and　rugged　down；　grassy；　stony；　windy；
  and　rising　in　the　midst　into　a　hill　with　a　dead　crater：　the　whole
  bearing　to　the　cliff　that　overhangs　it　somewhat　the　same　relation
  as　a　bracket　to　a　wall。　　With　this　hint　you　will　now　be　able　to
  pick　out　the　leper　station　on　a　map；　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how
  much　of　Molokai　is　thus　cut　off　between　the　surf　and　precipice；
  whether　less　than　a　half；　or　less　than　a　quarter；　or　a　fifth；　or　a
  tenth　…　or；　say　a　twentieth；　and　the　next　time　you　burst　into　print
  you　will　be　in　a　position　to　share　with　us　the　issue　of　your
  calculations。
  I　imagine　you　to　be　one　of　those　persons　who　talk　with　cheerfulness
  of　that　place　which　oxen　and　wain…ropes　could　not　drag　you　to
  behold。　　You；　who　do　not　even　know　its　situation　on　the　map；
  probably　denounce　sensational　descriptions；　stretching　your　limbs
  the　while　in　your　pleasant　parlour　on　Beretania　Street。　　When　I　was
  pulled　ashore　there　one　early　morning；　there　sat　with　me　in　the
  boat　two　sisters；　bidding　farewell　（in　humble　imitation　of　Damien）
  to　the　lights　and　joys　of　human　life。　　One　of　these　wept　silently；
  I　could　not　withhold　myself　from　joining　her。　　Had　you　been　there；
  it　is　my　belief　that　nature　would　have　triumphed　even　in　you；　and
  as　the　boat　drew　but　a　little　nearer；　and　you　beheld　the　stairs
  crowded　with　abominable　deformations　of　our　common　manhood；　and　saw
  yourself　landing　in　the　midst　of　such　a　population　as　only　now　and
  then　surrounds　us　in　the　horror　of　a　nightmare　…　what　a　haggard　eye
  you　would　have　rolled　over　your　reluctant　shoulder　towards　the
  house　on　Beretania　Street！　　Had　you　gone　on；　had　you　found　every
  fourth　face　a　blot　upon　the　landscape；　had　you　visited　the　hospital
  and　seen　the　butt…ends　of　human　beings　lying　there　almost
  unrecognisable；　but　still　breathing；　still　thinking；　still
  remembering；　you　would　have　understood　that　life　in　the　lazaretto
  is　an　ordeal　from　which　the　nerves　of　a　man's　spirit　shrink；　even
  as　his　eye　quails　under　the　brightness　of　the　sun；　you　would　have
  felt　it　was　（even　today）　a　pitiful　place　to　visit　and　a　hell　to
  dwell　in。　　It　is　not　the　fear　of　possible　infection。　　That　seems　a
  little　thing　when　compared　with　the　pain；　the　pity；　and　the　disgust
  of　the　visitor's　surroundings；　and　the　atmosphere　of　affliction；
  disease；　and　physical　disgrace　in　which　he　breathes。　　I　do　not
  think　I　am　a　man　more　than　usually　timid；　but　I　never　recall　the
  days　and　nights　I　spent　upon　that　island　promontory　（eight　days　and
  seven　nights）；　without　heartfelt　thankfulness　that　I　am　somewhere
  else。　　I　find　in　my　diary　that　I　speak　of　my　stay　as　a　〃grinding
  experience〃：　I　have　once　jotted　in　the　margin；　〃HARROWING　is　the
  word〃；　and　when　the　MOKOLII　bore　me　at　last　towards　the　outer
  world；　I　kept　repeating　to　myself；　with　a　new　conception　of　their
  pregnancy；　those　simple　words　of　the　song　…
  〃　'Tis　the　most　distressful　country　that　ever　yet　was　seen。〃
  And　observe：　that　which　I　saw　and　suffered　from　was　a　settlement
  purged；　bettered；　beautified；　the　new　village　built；　the　hospital
  and　the　Bishop…Home　excellently　arranged；　the　sisters；　the　poctor；
  and　the　missionaries；　all　indefatigable　in　their　noble　tasks。　　It
  was　a　different　place　when　Damien　came　there　and　made　this　great
  renunciation；　and　slept　that　first　night　under　a　tree　amidst　his
  rotting　brethren：　alone　with　pestilence；　and　looking　forward　（with
  what　courage；　with　what　pitiful　sinkings　of　dread；　God　only　knows）
  to　a　lifetime　of　dressing　sores　and　stumps。
  You　will　say；　perhaps；　I　am　too　sensitive；　that　sights　as　painful
  abound　in　cancer　hospitals　and　are　confronted　daily　by　doctors　and
  nurses。　　I　have　long　learned　to　admire　and　envy　the　doctors　and　the
  nurses。　　But　there　is　no　cancer　hospital　so　large　and　populous　as
  Kalawao　and　Kalaupapa；　and　in　such　a　matter　every　fresh　case；　like
  every　inch　of　length　in　the　pipe　of　an　organ；　deepens　the　note　of
  the　impression；　for　what　daunts　the　onlooker　is　that　monstrous　sum
  of　human　suffering　by　which　he　stands　surrounded。　　Lastly；　no
  doctor　or　nurse　is　called　upon　to　enter　once　for　all　the　doors　of
  that　gehenna；　they　do　not　say　farewell；　they　need　not　abandon　hope；
  on　its　sad　threshold；　they　but　go　for　a　time　to　their　high　calling；
  and　can　look　forward　as　they　go　to　relief；　to　recreation；　and　to
  rest。　　But　Damien　shut…to　with　his　own　hand　the　doors　of　his　own
  sepulchre。
  I　shall　now　extract　three　passages　from　my　diary　at　Kalawao。
  A。　　〃Damien　is　dead　and　already　somewhat　ungratefully　remembered　in
  the　field　of　his　labours　and　sufferings。　　'He　was　a　good　man；　but
  very　officious；'　says　one。　　Another　tells　me　he　had　fallen　（as
  other　priests　so　easily　do）　into　something　of　the　ways　and　habits
  of　thought　of　a　Kanaka；　but　he　had　the　wit　to　recognise　the　fact；
  and　the　good　sense　to　laugh　at〃　＇over＇　〃it。　　A　plain　man　it　seems
  he　was；　I　cannot　find　he　was　a　popular。〃
  B。　　〃After　Ragsdale's　death〃　＇Ragsdale　was　a　famous　Luna；　or
  overseer；　of　the　unruly　settlement＇　〃there　followed　a　brief　term　of
  office　by　Father　Damien　which　served　only　to　publish　the　weakness
  of　that　noble　man。　　He　was　rough　in　his　ways；　and　he　had　no
  control。　　Authority　was　relaxed；　Damien's　life　was　threatened；　and
  he　was　soon　eager　to　resign。〃
  C。　　〃Of　Damien　I　begin　to　have　an　idea。　　He　seems　to　have　been　a
  man　of　the　peasant　class；　certainly　of　the　peasant　type：　shrewd；
  ignorant　and　bigoted；　yet　with　an　open　mind；　and　capable　of
  receiving　and　digesting　a　reproof　if　it　were　bluntly　administered；
  superbly　generous　in　the　least　thing　as　well　as　in　the　greatest；
  and　as　ready　to　give　his　last　shirt　（although　not　without　human
  grumbling）　as　he　had　been　to　sacrifice　his　life；　essentially
  indiscreet　and　officious；　which　made　him　a　troublesome　colleague；
  domineering　in　all　his　ways；　which　made　him　incurably　unpopular
  with　the　Kanakas；　but　yet　destitute　of　real　authority；　so　that　his
  boys　laughed　at　him　and　he　must　carry　out