• RIZAL’S INVENTIVE ABILITY

• One little- known fact about Rizal was that he was also an inventor. It should br
remembered that in 1887, while practicing medicine in Calamba, he invented a
cigarette lighter which he sent a gift to Blumentritt. He called it “sulpukan”. The
unique cigarette was made of wood. “It’s mechanism”, said Rizal. “is based on the
principle of compressed air”.
• During his exile in Dapitan, he invited a machine for making bricks. This
machine could manufacture about 6,000 bricks daily.
• Rizal wrote to Blumentritt on November 20, 1895 about the wooden
machine for making bricks anf he believe could make more or less 6,000
bricks a day, he also supposed that in Bohemia makes brick in a different
method.
• MY RETREAT
• In February, 1895, Teodora, with her eyesight fully restored, returned to Manila.
During her long stay in Dapitan, she saw how busy her talented son was and
regretted that he had neglected the Muses. She requested him to write poetry
again.
• In response to her request, Rizal wrote a beautiful poem about his serene
life as an exile in Dapitan and sent it to her on October 22, 1895.
• Rizal’s poem was entitled “Mi Retiro” (My Retreat), which is acclaimed
by literary critics as one of the best ever penned by Rizal.
• RIZAL AND JOSEPHINE BRACKEN
• In the silent hours of the night after the day’s hard work, Rizal was often sad
because:
• He missed his family and relatives, his good friends in foreign lands, the
exhilarating life in the cities of Europe and his happy days in Calamba.
• The death of Leonor Rivera on August 28, 1893 left a poignant void in his
heart. He needed somebody to cheer him up in his lonely exile.
• In God’s own time, this “somebody” came to Dapitan, like a sunbeam to
dispel his melancholy mood. She was Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl of
sweet eighteen, “slender”, a chestnut blond, with blue eyes, dressed with
elegant simplicity, with an atmosphere of light gayety.
• She was born in Hong Kong on October 3, 1876 of Irish parents --- James
Bracken, a corporal in British garrison and Elizabeth Jane Macbride.
• Her mother died in childbirth, and she was adopted by Georgr Taufer, who
later became blind.
• No ophthalmic specialist in Hong Kong could cure Mr. Taufer’s blindness
so that he accompanied by his adopted daughter Josephine went to Manila
to seek the services of the famous ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. Rizal.
• They heard in the city that Dr. Rizal was in Dapitan, where they proceeded
--- accompanied by a Filipina companion, Manuel Orlac. They presented
to Rizal a card of introduction by Juli Llorente, his friend and schoolmate.
• Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each other at first sight. After a
whirlwind romance of one month, they agreed to marry. But Father Obach,
the priest of Dapitan, refused to marry then without the permission of the
Bishop of the Cebu.
• When Mr. Traufer heard of their projected marriage:
• He flared up in violent rage, unable to endure the thought of losing
Jospehine.
• He tried to commit suicide by cutting off his throat with a razor, Rizal,
grabbed his wrists and prevented him for killing himself.
• He went away blind and uncured because his ailment was venereal in
nature, hence incurable.
• He returned alone to Hong Kong while Josephine stayed in Manila
with Rizal’s family.
• He and Father Obach was scandalized, and many unsavory tales were
circulated by gossips in Dapitan.
• Rizal and Josephine lived happily in Dapitan. In several letters to his
family, Rizal praised Josephine and revealed his new happiness. He was
no longer lonely. Dapitan had become for him a heaven of bliss.
• At one time, Rizal wrote a poem for Josephine entitled “Josephine,
Josephine” which runs as follows:

Josephine, Josephine

Who to these shores have come

Looking for a nest, a home,
Like a wandering swallow;
If your faith is taking you
To Japan, China or Shanghai,
Don’t forget on these shores
A heart for you beats high.