One Moment Of Tragedy

The other day, there arrived in Tahiti, Mons. Raoul Follereau, Presi dent of the Order of Charity, 96 Rue Erlanger , Paris \6e, France. He travels around the French Colonial Empire, organising financial and other help for lepers of those countries.

This is one of his experiences, as recounted to a representative of the

Pi M .

A FEW weeks ago, 1 was in Mada gascar. I went to the leper-station

at Manankavaly.

“Come and see our new mother”, said one of the nurses (a leper). I followed her into a maternity ward.

The baby was only a few days old —a plump little fellow, gurgling and waving his hands. His mother, a sheet drawn up to her chin, watched him, with a world of love and tenderness in her eyes.

I took the baby in my arms.

“You see!” I exclaimed to the mother. “He squeezes my finger hard.

He will be a strong fellow, this.”

But the woman did not answer, and looked away, sadly. Had I hurt

her by caressing her baby?

“Well,” I said. “He is yours—a fine child. Take him,”

I held out the child to her. She made no move. She stared at me like a hunted creature; her great eyes could have been those of someone tortured. I was momentarily em barrassed.

Suddenly she threw back the sheet, held out both arms to her baby.

The shock to me was terrible.

She had no hands. There were only two livid stumps, the sores re

cently healed.

She was reaching out for her baby with hands that were no longer there.

The horror and pathos of it hit me like a blow.

Then her arms fell, and she burst into tears. I could say nothing. I gently laid the chuckling baby down beside her, and came away. . .

Those are the memories that re main with us, and drive us along in the task of seeking funds to help these helpless people. There are 12 millions of lepers in the world—but only 100,000 of them are really beipg taken care of. If we only had the a mount that the world to-day spends in one hour on armaments, we would have enough to do what we want— and then we could eradicate leprosy from the world within ten years.

I appeal to all charitable folk everywhere to send us a donation— at the address shown above.

M. Tony Bambridge, of Papeete, who is putting great initiative and drive be hind the Tahiti organisation for the assistance of lepers, greets at the airport M. Raoul Follereau, director of the French world-wide appeal for lepers.

Tahiti now is co-operating with the Lepers Trust Board in New Zealand, and ex cellent work is being done.