father damien- 第4部分

the　Reverend　Dr。　Hyde　and　the　Reverend　H。　B。　Gage：　the　Apia　bar…

room；　the　Honolulu　manse。



But　I　fear　you　scarce　appreciate　how　you　appear　to　your　fellow…men；

and　to　bring　it　home　to　you；　I　will　suppose　your　story　to　be　true。

I　will　suppose　…　and　God　forgive　me　for　supposing　it　…　that　Damien

faltered　and　stumbled　in　his　narrow　path　of　duty；　I　will　suppose

that；　in　the　horror　of　his　isolation；　perhaps　in　the　fever　of

incipient　disease；　he；　who　was　doing　so　much　more　than　he　had

sworn；　failed　in　the　letter　of　his　priestly　oath　…　he；　who　was　so

much　a　better　man　than　either　you　or　me；　who　did　what　we　have　never

dreamed　of　daring　…　he　too　tasted　of　our　common　frailty。　　〃O；　Iago；

the　pity　of　it！〃　　The　least　tender　should　be　moved　to　tears；　the

most　incredulous　to　prayer。　　And　all　that　you　could　do　was　to　pen

your　letter　to　the　Reverend　H。　B。　Gage！



Is　it　growing　at　all　clear　to　you　what　a　picture　you　have　drawn　of

your　own　heart？　　I　will　try　yet　once　again　to　make　it　clearer。　　You

had　a　father：　suppose　this　tale　were　about　him；　and　some　informant

brought　it　to　you；　proof　in　hand：　I　am　not　making　too　high　an

estimate　of　your　emotional　nature　when　I　suppose　you　would　regret

the　circumstance？　that　you　would　feel　the　tale　of　frailty　the　more

keenly　since　it　shamed　the　author　of　your　days？　and　that　the　last

thing　you　would　do　would　be　to　publish　it　in　the　religious　press？

Well；　the　man　who　tried　to　do　what　Damien　did；　is　my　father；　and

the　father　of　the　man　in　the　Apia　bar；　and　the　father　of　all　who

love　goodness；　and　he　was　your　father　too；　if　God　had　given　you

grace　to　see　it。










End