NEWSPAPER CRITICISM--“TRUTH” AND MR. PRINSEP--“THE QUEEN.”
As I have already mentioned, the remarks I wrote about the Calcutta
Leper Asylum made the honorary officials of that institution “mad” at
being “shown up” (which was a necessary consequence of the appearance
of a true account of that institution) as mere _poseurs_, and not
as workers, as they fain would have appeared before the Government
from whom they received pay, and expected preferment. Being the head
of the institution, and never having visited it, to my knowledge,
except on the occasion of the official visit I have described in the
previous chapter, Mr. Prinsep was, of course, my bitterest opponent.
Consequently appeared the following extract in _Truth_ of the 10th of
July last year:--
On May 15th reference was made in _Truth_ to a deplorable account
of the Leper Asylum, Calcutta, given by Mrs. Alice Hayes, in a
local paper called _Hayes’ Sporting News_. I have now received from
Mr. Justice Prinsep, president of the District Charitable Society,
which has the control of the Asylum in question, a letter in which
the writer states that the statements in _Hayes’ Sporting News_
“are absolutely without foundation, and are merely the careless and
inaccurate reports of a hysterical, irresponsible woman seeking for
notoriety.” Mr. Justice Prinsep does not deal with the whole of the
statements specifically, but he states (1) that in only one of the six
buildings “can it be pretended that there is any overcrowding at all;”
(2) “that the medical attendance is appropriate;” (3) “that a person
referred to by Mrs. Hayes as a native doctor is the ‘compounder;’” and
(4) that he could, if it were worth while, “similarly refute all Mrs.
Hayes’s statements.” He also sends me a copy of a letter addressed on
behalf of the management to the local press; but I find here quite
as much admission of the impeachment as denial. I find further that
in subsequent articles in _Hayes’ Sporting News_, Mrs. Hayes adheres
to her original statements, and points out that many of them are
unanswered or unanswerable. It is impossible for me at this distance
of time and space to go further into the matter, but the impression
left on my mind is that Mr. Justice Prinsep’s abusive language of
Mrs. Hayes is entirely unjustified, and that this Leper Asylum will
probably be all the better for the light that has been turned on it.
Mr. Prinsep, being a lawyer (he was Judge in the Calcutta High Court),
was well acquainted with the old legal maxim: “when you have got no
case, abuse the other side.” Consequently his strong language--however
unbecoming it was in a man of his high official position, and addressed
to a woman--was a convincing proof that the words I had written were
true. His assertion that I made a mistake in the designation of the
medical attendant, proves how sorely he was pressed to find something
to refute; for the fact of a “compounder” being lower in grade than a
“native doctor” made my case all the stronger.
I received not only a kindly pat on the back from Mr. Labouchere; but
a most sympathetic article under the heading, “A Lady’s Work Among the
Lepers,” appeared on the 22nd of the following November in _The Queen_,
as follows:--
A Calcutta correspondent writes:--“Perhaps your readers may be
interested to hear what a woman has done for the lepers in the
Calcutta Leper Asylum. Mrs. Alice Hayes, lady correspondent of a local
weekly entitled _Hayes’ Sporting News_, edited by her husband Captain
Horace Hayes, lately commenced writing in her husband’s paper a series
of articles on Calcutta Charities, visiting each one for this purpose,
amongst them the Calcutta Leper Asylum. She found entombed there about
seventy lepers--men and women, and one or two children. Amongst the
inmates are some Eurasian and European men and women. The latter seem,
from Mrs. Hayes’ accounts, to be badly furnished with the comforts of
life. Two of the women had been students in some of our large public
schools before the disease showed itself, and were hidden away here by
parents and friends anxious to put such a visitation from the world’s
gaze. Mrs. Hayes was much touched at the sad loneliness of these poor
creatures, and describes their condition most vividly in the paper
before mentioned, inviting the help of the public to form a small fund
to provide them with small creature comforts which the asylum had
omitted to supply, such as sufficient clothes, sheets, washstands,
fruit, jam, illustrated papers, &c., and proposing personally to visit
the asylum weekly, and distribute amongst the afflicted people the
small offerings. Her appeal has been very generously responded to, and
money, clothing, etc., have been sent to her. Nobly too, does she,
week after week fulfil her self-imposed mission, going among these
poor outcasts, and cheering their loneliness with sprightly talk and
news of the outside world, and leaving each time some memento of her
kindly presence. Leprosy in our tropical climate assumes its most
loathsome aspect, and many of the inhabitants of our Leper Asylum are
in a very advanced stage of the disease. The sight, as described by
others whom curiosity or pity perhaps has tempted there, is enough to
appal any man. I hardly think a second visit is paid, however good the
intention of doing so. Mrs. Hayes, on the contrary, as I have said
before, has never failed a single Tuesday to visit her poor suffering
fellow-creatures. We read with admiration of the deeds of Florence
Nightingale, Sister Dora, Sister Gertrude, and I think we should add
to this list the name of our brave young citizen, Mrs. Alice Hayes,
whose kindness and courage are certainly unequalled in India.”
I had a great deal of criticism in the Indian papers. The Calcutta
ones, which are largely dependent on the support of the local
officials, chiefly backed up the principle that the king can do no
wrong; while the journals that were free from Calcutta official
influence, as a rule, took my side. The result, however, was
favourable; for subscriptions from all parts of India came to our fund,
which, since our departure from the East, has, I am very sorry to say,
decreased. As I can now no longer personally stimulate support, I am
doing the next best thing by writing this book.