ne, and Father Damien wrote at once to
Honolulu the news of the plight they were in.

In a very short time a ship arrived with materials to enable the lepers
to have comfortable houses, and carpenters to put them up. Of course
these carpenters lived quite separate from the inhabitants of the
island, and as long as they did not touch the lepers, or anything used
by them, were in no danger of catching the disease; while in order to
hasten matters the Father turned his own carpentering talents to
advantage, and with the help of some of the leper boys built a good many
of the simpler houses, in which the poorer people were to live. Those
who were richer, or who had rich friends, could afford more comforts;
but all the houses were made after one pattern, with floors raised above
the ground, so that no damp or poisonous vapours might affect them.

But while all this was being done, Father Damien knew that it was
impossible to keep the village clean and healthy unless it had a better
supply of water. He had been too busy since he came to the island to
explore the country in search of springs, but now he began to make
serious inquiries, and found to his joy that there existed at no very
great distance a large and deep lake of cold fresh water, which had
never been known to run dry. At his request, pipes were sent over from
Honolulu by the next steamer, and Father Damien was never happier in
his life than when he and some of the stronger men were laying them down
from the lake to the villages with their own hands. Of course there were
still some who preferred to be dirty, but for the most part the lepers
were thankful indeed for the boon.

Little by little things began to improve, and the king and queen of the
islands were always ready and eager to do all they could to benefit the
poor lepers and to carry out Father Damien's wishes. Regular allowances
of good food were sent weekly to the island, a shop was opened, some
Sisters of Mercy came to nurse the sick and look after the children, a
doctor established himself in the island, and one or two more priests
and helpers arrived to share Father Damien's labours and to comfort him
when he felt depressed and sad; while from time to time a ship might be
seen steaming into Molokai from Honolulu filled with the relations and
friends of the poor stricken people. The sick and the healthy could not,
of course, touch each other--_that_ was forbidden--but they might sit
near enough to tal