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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10022 ***
+
+WHITE QUEEN
+
+OF THE
+
+CANNIBALS
+
+
+_The Story of Mary Slessor of Calabar_
+
+
+by A.J. BUELTMANN
+
+
+
+
+_Contents_
+
+1.  A Drunkard's Home
+2.  A Brave Girl
+3.  In Africa
+4.  On Her Own
+5.  Into the Jungle
+6.  A Brave Nurse
+7.  Witchcraft
+8.  The Poison Test
+9.  Victories for Mary
+10. A Disappointment
+11. Clouds and Sunshine
+12. Among the Cannibals
+13. Blessings Unnumbered
+14. Journey's End
+
+
+
+
+#1#
+
+
+_A Drunkard's Home_
+
+"On the west coast of Africa is the country of Nigeria. The chief city is
+Calabar," said Mother Slessor. "It is a dark country because the light of
+the Gospel is not shining brightly there. Black people live there. Many of
+these are cannibals who eat other people."
+
+"They're bad people, aren't they, Mother?"  asked little Susan.
+
+"Yes, they are bad, because no one has told them about Jesus, the Saviour
+from sin, or showed them what is right and what is wrong."
+
+"Don't they have any missionaries out there, Mother?" asked blue-eyed Mary.
+
+"Yes, there are a few and they are doing wonderful things for Jesus, but
+there are still thousands and thousands of people who have never heard a
+missionary. They need many, many more missionaries."
+
+"When I get to be a big man, I'm going to be a missionary," said Robert,
+"and preach to the black people of Calabar and Nigeria."
+
+"I want to be a missionary; too," cried Mary, tossing her red hair about.
+
+"Girls can't be preachers," said Robert.
+
+"I want to preach to the black people," said Mary, the tears racing down
+her cheeks.
+
+"When I'm a missionary," said Robert, "I'll take you into the pulpit with
+me."
+
+This made Mary happy and she was much happier when Mother Slessor said,
+"Perhaps you can be a teacher and teach the little black children of
+Calabar. Now, children, I want to be sure you know your memory verse for
+Sunday school tomorrow. Let's all say it together."  And Mother Slessor and
+her six children joined in saying:
+
+Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
+
+As they finished reciting the memory verse they heard a hoarse voice
+singing:
+
+Gin a body-hic, meet a body-hic,
+Coming-hic, through the rye-hic.
+
+"It's your father, children. Off to bed with you quickly now. Oh, I do hope
+Robert has brought some money home with him so that we can buy some food
+for tomorrow."
+
+"Where'sh the shteps? Somebody alwaysh moving the shteps," said the father,
+Robert Slessor, as he staggered drunkenly to the door.
+
+Mother Slessor took hold of him and led him to a chair.
+
+"Hello, dear," he said thickly. "Howsh my, besht gurl? There ish no
+shoemaker's got a prettier wife-hic-than I have. Yesh shir, we drank a li'l
+toash to you, my dear."
+
+"Oh, Robert," said Mother Slessor to her husband, "I do hope you brought
+home some of your paycheck. We need it badly for food.  We don't have any
+money in the house. All the food we have is what I kept back from the
+children's supper so you could eat."
+
+"Shure, I brought money home," said Father Slessor. "All I did wash buy my
+friendsh a few drinksh."
+
+Mother Slessor's face brightened. At least they would be able to buy
+food. Her husband reached his hand into one pocket and brought it out
+empty. Then into another pocket and again brought it out empty. Finally
+trying several other pockets, he held out his hand with a small coin in it.
+
+"Shee, there ya' are, I brought money home. There'sh a thrippence for ye."
+
+"Oh, Robert!" said Mother Slessor in dismay as the tears filled her
+eyes. "Oh, Robert!"
+
+Then because she was used to these things, Mother Slessor heaved a sigh and
+said quietly, "Come and eat supper, Robert."
+
+The father staggered over to the table where Mrs. Slessor had placed the
+plate of food which the children had saved out of their own small helpings,
+that he might have something to eat.
+
+"Who wants shupper?" said Father Slessor, and he threw the precious food
+into the fire. He staggered to his bed and fell into drunken sleep. With a
+deep sigh Mother Slessor put out the light and she, too, retired for the
+night. Early the next morning she was up, preparing breakfast. Carefully
+she scraped every bit of oatmeal out of the container and boiled it for
+breakfast.
+
+"Come, children, it's time to get up. Sunday school this morning," called
+Mrs. Slessor.  Up jumped the six little Slessors. The older ones helped the
+smaller ones get dressed.  When they had eaten the little oatmeal that
+Mrs. Slessor had for breakfast, they lined up for inspection.
+
+"John," declared Mrs. Slessor, "you did not wash behind your ears. Go with
+Mary and let her scrub the dirt away. Now I'll put a bit of perfume on your
+hankies, and here's a peppermint for each of you. There, off we go to
+Sunday school and church."
+
+Father Slessor snored in his drunken sleep, while the family went off to
+hear God's Word and to sing His praises. When they returned, Father Slessor
+was awake. He was sitting on the side of the bed and holding his head. He
+had "morning after" sickness.
+
+"Come, Robert," said Mrs. Slessor, "and sit up to the table. Good Elder
+McDougal has given us a bit of meat and some bread, so we can eat this
+day."
+
+Father Slessor groaned, but sat up to the table and ate dinner with his
+family. It wasn't much of a dinner. It would have been even less were it
+not for the kindness and charity of friends, because Father Slessor had
+spent all their money for drink.
+
+After dinner the children did the dishes and ran out to play. When they
+were alone, Father Slessor hung his head and said,
+
+"Oh, my dear, what can I say? I am so ashamed. I did so want to bring my
+wages home that we might have food for the children.  And well--before I
+knew it, my wages were spent."
+
+"Robert," said Mrs. Slessor, "you have said again and again that 'tis your
+friends who lead you astray. Would it not be well to move away to some
+other town where you can find new friends who will not drink and who will
+not tempt you to drink?"
+
+"Aye, my dear, that no doubt would be the best. But where shall we go?"
+
+"I have heard that there is plenty of work in Dundee, with the mills and
+all. Let's sell our things here and move to Dundee."
+
+"Aye, let us do that. 'Tis certain it won't be worse than here for you and
+the children."
+
+"Very well, then. I shall tell the children and we shall move before the
+week is out."
+
+When Mother Slessor went outside to call the children, she found Mary
+seated on the steps with her stick dolls about her.
+
+"Well, Mary dear, what are you doing?"
+
+"I am the teacher and these are the black children of Calabar. I am
+teaching them about Jesus. I am telling them that He saved them from their
+sins."
+
+Mother Slessor hugged her little teacher and told her about the move they
+planned to make. Then the other children were called and told, too. There
+was much excitement, especially when the furniture was sold and the
+Slessors with their remaining possessions took the train to Dundee.
+
+It did not take long to find a place and get settled. Mother Slessor at
+once looked for a church they might attend. She found the Wishart Church,
+named for the famous preacher, George Wishart, who in 1544 had preached
+near the place where the church was built. Shortly afterward he was killed
+for preaching about Jesus.
+
+But Father Slessor did not do better in the new home. He could not overcome
+the drink habit, and probably did not try very hard to overcome it. In the
+meantime a new baby came to the Slessor home. They called the baby
+Janie. How happy her brothers and sisters were to welcome Janie! Mother
+Slessor was not altogether happy because she knew there was another mouth
+to feed. Father Slessor promised to give up drinking, but that did not mean
+anything, because he never kept those promises.
+
+The money they got from selling their furniture in Aberdeen slowly melted
+away. Sickness came to the Slessor home. Robert Junior, who was going to be
+a missionary to Calabar, became sick and died. Two other of the children
+also died, and only Mary, Susan, John, and Janie were left. But even that
+did not make Father Slessor give up his drinking.  The Slessors had less
+and less money to buy food. At last Mrs. Slessor went to work in one of the
+factories. Mary had to take care of the home. But the wages Mrs. Slessor
+received were very small. Somehow they had to find ways of getting more
+money. When she was eleven years old Mary went to work in the factory,
+too. Would she ever get a chance to be a missionary or must she give up
+that dream?
+
+"Mary, Mary," called Mrs. Slessor, "it's five o'clock. Time to get up and
+go to work."
+
+"Ho, hum," said Mary, "I'm still tired, but I'll get right up. I don't want
+to be late!"
+
+At six o'clock in the morning Mary was at work. She had to tend to the
+shuttles on the weaving machines. The weaving sheds where Mary worked were
+damp and dark. All morning long she heard the whirring of the belts and the
+clacking of the looms. In the afternoon she went to school. By the time she
+was fourteen years old she was an expert weaver.  She now began to work
+full time.
+
+The hours were long. Twelve hours every day for six days a week the
+fourteen-year-old girl worked in the factory. And the pay was very
+small. But it was a joy when she received her pay on Saturday night. Mary
+hurried home.
+
+"Mother, Mother," she called happily as she hurried into the house, "here
+is the money I earned this week."
+
+"Oh, Mary, that is so good of you," said Mother Slessor. She wiped tears
+from her eyes with the end of her apron. She felt sad that Mary had to work
+in a factory. She thought of her own childhood in a happy home where there
+was always plenty to eat and plenty of money to buy things that were
+needed. She quickly hid Mary's wages in the same place where she hid her
+own wages, so that her husband would not find the money and spend it for
+drink.
+
+Mary did not lose courage by the long hours in the factory. She remembered
+that David Livingstone, the great missionary, had worked in a weaving
+factory, too.
+
+"If I want to be a missionary, I must study," said Mary. "When can I find
+time?"  Again Mary remembered something David Livingstone did when he was a
+boy. He would take books to work and read them when the weaving shuttles
+were working right and did not have to have someone attend to them.  Mary
+did the same thing. She read many books from the Sunday school library. She
+read books like Milton's _Paradise Lost_. But most of all she read the
+Bible.
+
+Conditions at home grew worse. Mary's drunken father became meaner and
+meaner.  Saturday nights were the worst. Mary and her mother would sit
+waiting, after the younger children had been put to bed, for the father to
+stumble home. One night he was so mean to Mary, she had to run out of the
+house to get away from him. The whole family was unhappy because of
+Mr. Slessor's sinful habit. Finally, one morning he did not waken from the
+drunken sleep. In the night his soul fled to face the Judge in Heaven. The
+death of the father was really a great blessing to the family, for he had
+brought them only sorrow and trouble.
+
+Now the family felt free. The load they had borne was lifted. Mary at once
+began to take a more active part in church work.
+
+"If I want to be a missionary, I better have some practice. I know what I
+can do, I'll ask the Sunday school superintendent for a class to teach."
+She did, and was given a class of girls. She enjoyed teaching the girls
+very much. She called them her "lovable lassies."
+
+But Mary was not satisfied. She wanted to get more practice.
+
+On her way home from the factory Mary passed through the slums of the
+city. Mary herself did not live in a fine house; in fact, it was a very
+poor one. But in the slums the children lived in small, dark
+apartments. The streets on which they played were narrow and dirty. The
+children here did not know about the Saviour. They grew up rough and tough,
+cursing, swearing, stealing, and doing many mean things. Mary's heart ached
+for these children of the slums. She wanted to teach them that Jesus could
+make them happy. She talked with many people about it.
+
+At last her church opened a mission in the worst part of the slums. Mary
+went to the superintendent.
+
+"I want to teach a class in our mission," said Mary. "I am sure you can use
+me better there than you can here."
+
+"But Mary," said the superintendent, "you are doing a fine job here in the
+church; why do you want to go to the mission?"
+
+"There are many who will gladly teach a class here at the church, but not
+so many who are willing to teach at the mission. I am willing. I will teach
+there if you will give me a class. Please do."
+
+"But Mary, those children are tough and mean. You couldn't handle them. You
+could not make them behave. You are hardly more than a child yourself."
+
+"Oh, please let me try," said Mary, "I do so want to tell those boys and
+girls about my Saviour. Please let me try. Then if I don't make good, you
+can get someone else in my place."
+
+"Very well," said the superintendent, "I will give you a class, but I warn
+you those children are tough and mean and hard to handle."
+
+
+
+
+#2#
+
+
+_A Brave Girl_
+
+"Quit pestering us to come to church.  If you don't let us alone, we'll
+hurt you," shouted Duncan, the leader of a group of tough boys in the
+slums.
+
+Mary prayed God to make her brave and then said, "I will not stop trying to
+get you to come to church. I will not stop trying to tell you about Jesus,
+the Saviour. Do whatever you like."
+
+These boys had often tried to interrupt and break up the services, but Mary
+went out into the streets and tried to persuade and coax the young people
+to come and hear the Word of God.
+
+"All right then," said Duncan. "Here goes."  He took a piece of lead from
+his pocket and tied it to a long string. He began to swing it around his
+head. Each time he whirled the lead, it came closer to Mary's face. Mary
+did not move. The gang watched. They held their breath as it came closer
+and closer to her blue eyes. Mary did not blink. Finally, it grazed her
+forehead. Still Mary did not move.  Duncan dropped the piece of lead to the
+ground.
+
+"We can't scare her, boys," he said. "She's game."
+
+"There is Someone who is far braver than I am. He's the One who makes me
+brave.  Won't you come to the services and hear about Him?" asked Mary.
+
+"All right, Spunky, I will," said Duncan.  "And the rest of the fellows
+will, too. Come on, boys, we're going to the church tonight and no funny
+business."
+
+This was not the only time that Mary had to face the tough boys and girls
+of the slums.  But she had a Friend who was closer to her than even her
+dear mother. He made her strong and brave and true. Mary loved her Saviour,
+and was ready to do whatever He might want her to do.
+
+Her class grew larger all the time. She visited the members in their slum
+homes. She fitted herself into the family. If the baby needed tending, she
+tended to it. If someone was sick, she helped to nurse the sick person.
+Always she told the family about Christ and His power to save. The people
+of the slums came to love this home missionary and many of them were won to
+Christ through her work.
+
+The years went by. Did Mary still remember she wanted to be a missionary in
+Calabar?  Yes, she remembered, but now she had all she could do to support
+her family. Since Robert, the would-be missionary, had died, Mother Slessor
+hoped that her youngest son John would be a missionary. But God had other
+plans. John became sick. He was sent to New Zealand for his health, but
+died when he arrived in that country. Was there to be no missionary from
+the Slessor family?
+
+Whenever missionaries came to the Wishart Church or to Dundee, Mother
+Slessor, Mary, Susan and Janie would go to hear them.  At home they would
+read the stories of missionaries and their work. They read missionary
+magazines. They read about the missionaries in China, Africa, Japan, India,
+and even Calabar.
+
+One day William Anderson, a missionary to the West Coast of Africa, came to
+the little church. He told of the great need for missionaries in Africa. He
+told of the bad things which the people did who did not know Jesus.
+
+Sitting in church, listening to the missionary, Mary saw in her mind a
+picture of Africa. It was not a beautiful picture. She saw captured Negroes
+being taken to other lands as slaves. She saw alligators and crocodiles
+swimming in the muddy waters, ever ready to eat black children who would
+come too close to the river. She saw cannibal chiefs at their terrible
+feasts and fearful battles with spears and arrows. She saw villages where
+trembling prisoners dipped their hands in boiling oil to test their guilt;
+where wives were killed to go with their dead chief into the
+spiritland. But these things did not frighten the Scottish girl who was
+afraid to cross a field if a cow was in it. She longed to go to Africa.
+
+"Why don't I become a missionary?" Mary asked herself as she worked the
+looms in the factory. "Can I leave my home? Does Mother still need my help?
+Susan and Janie are working now. They could get along without me. But will
+I be brave enough? There are tropical jungles, and black men who eat
+people.  There are wild animals, sicknesses, and death. God can make me
+brave to face all of these things."
+
+Mary prayed, "O God, if it is Your will, let me go as a missionary to
+Calabar. Let me be a teacher to teach these black people the story of
+salvation. You have commanded us, Your disciples, to carry the Gospel to
+the farthest parts of the earth. Use me, O Lord, to help carry it to
+Calabar. Hear me, for the sake of Jesus, my Saviour."
+
+It was 1874. The news flashed around the world: "Livingstone is dead." The
+great missionary had died on his knees in Africa.  Everywhere people were
+talking of this great man who had given his life to tell the people of
+Africa about the Saviour. Mary made up her mind! She must go to Calabar!
+But what would her mother say? And if her mother agreed, would her church
+send her out to that field? Mary went to her mother.
+
+"I want to offer myself as a missionary," said Mary Slessor to her
+mother. "Are you willing?"
+
+"My child, I'll willingly let you go. You'll make a fine missionary, and
+I'm sure God will be with you."
+
+"Thank you, Mother," said twenty-six-year-old Mary. "I know God will be
+with me and will make me strong and brave to serve Him."
+
+Mother Slessor was very happy. There was going to be a missionary in the
+family after all. But there were some people who did not agree with Mother
+Slessor. They shook their heads in doubt. Others thought Mary was very
+foolish to risk her life in that way.
+
+"You're doing real well at the factory," said one of them. "And you're
+doing missionary work right down there at the mission.  Why rush away to
+those people way off in Africa? Seems to me missionary work ought to begin
+at home."
+
+"Yes," said Mary, "it should begin there, but not end there. There are some
+who cannot go to Africa. They can do the work at home. If God lets me, I
+want to take His Word to those people who have never heard of Him or His
+love."
+
+The next year, 1875, Mary offered herself to the Foreign Mission Board of
+her church.  She asked to be sent to Calabar. Then she waited. Waiting is
+hard sometimes. Mary had to wait until the Board had a meeting.  Then when
+the meeting was over, she had to wait for the secretary of the Board of
+Foreign Missions to write her a letter. Early in 1876 the letter came. How
+excited Mary was! Her hands shook as she tried to open the letter. Had they
+accepted her offer or refused it?
+
+"Mary dear," said her mother, "you are so nervous, you had better let me
+open that letter."
+
+"I'll manage, Mother," said Mary. She finally got it open, and she read:
+
+Dear Miss Slessor, I take great pleasure
+in informing you that the Board of
+Foreign Missions accepts your offer to
+serve as a missionary, and you have been
+appointed teacher to Calabar. You will
+continue your studies for the teaching
+profession at Dundee. May God richly
+bless you in His service.
+
+"Oh, Mother, I'm accepted! They're going to send me to Calabar!"
+
+"Praise God from whom all blessings flow," said Mother Slessor. "That is
+wonderful news indeed. To Calabar! Oh, I'm so happy I could shout for joy!"
+
+In March another letter came. This letter told her that she was to spend
+three months at a teachers' college in Edinburgh. All Mary's friends in
+Dundee gathered at the train as she got ready to leave for Edinburgh.
+
+"Come, Mary," said Duncan, the tough boy from the slums, who was now a
+grown man and a faithful worker at the mission, "give us a speech."
+
+"I can't make a speech," said Mary, "but I'll just ask you this: Pray for
+me."
+
+While Mary was at the school in Edinburgh, some of the other girls she met
+there tried to talk her out of being a missionary.  They did not want her
+to go off to Africa where there were wild animals and man-eating heathen,
+and all kinds of terrible sicknesses.
+
+"Don't you know that Calabar is the white man's grave?" asked one of her
+school friends.
+
+"Yes," answered Mary. "But it is also a post of honor. Since few volunteer
+for that section, I wish to go because my Master needs me there."
+
+At last the time had come for Mary to leave for Africa. For fourteen long
+years she had worked at the looms in the weaving factory.  As she worked,
+she had dreamed of Calabar. Now her dream was going to come true. Mary went
+to the city of Liverpool.  There she went on board the ship, the "S. S.
+Ethiopia." As she got on board she looked around. Everywhere were barrels
+of whiskey.
+
+"Hundreds of barrels of whiskey, but only one missionary," said Mary sadly.
+
+The boat whistle blew. The engines chugged.  The "S. S. Ethiopia" was on
+its way. It was August 5, 1876. Mary saw the shoreline of Scotland become
+dimmer and dimmer. She looked forward to seeing the coast of Africa and the
+land of Calabar.
+
+"At last I am on my way to Calabar," said Mary Slessor as the
+"S. S. Ethiopia," sailed southward. "How Mother would like to be with me!
+How often she prayed that God would send more missionaries to Calabar. I
+didn't think then that I would really be one of them."
+
+It did not take Mary long to make friends on board the ship. Among the
+friends she made were Mr. and Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"So you are going to Calabar," said Mr.  Thomson. "Aren't you afraid of
+that wild country?"
+
+"Oh, no," said Mary, "because God is with me. He will take care of
+me. Jesus said, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,'
+and I am trusting in His promise."
+
+"Do you know what this country is like?"  asked Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"Only what I have read about it," said Mary. "You've been there before,
+haven't you?"
+
+"Yes, we have," said Mrs. Thomson. "My husband wants to build a home where
+tired missionaries can rest and rebuild their strength for their wonderful
+work. He has explored the West Coast and chosen the Cameroon Mountains as
+the place for that home.  We are going there now to build this home for
+missionaries. Missionary work in Africa is so hard that missionaries need a
+place where they can rest from time to time."
+
+"I think that's wonderful of you!" said Mary. "I know the Lord will bless
+the work you are doing. Won't you tell me about Africa?"
+
+"Well," said Mr. Thomson, "the climate is very hot. The sun is so strong
+and hot that white people don't dare go out without a hat to protect their
+heads. The rivers are very muddy and often flow through dark, gloomy swamps
+that white people can hardly get through."
+
+"But often," broke in Mrs. Thomson, "there are beautiful green banks with
+the most beautiful flowers. You will see the prettiest birds in all the
+world dressed in the brightest reds and greens and blues and purples. You
+will see the long-legged cranes and the funny pelicans with their big
+beaks."
+
+"And don't forget the man-eating crocodiles that are swimming in the river
+or lying on the banks. They look like an old log, but if you get near them,
+look out! They seem lazy and slow, but they can snap off a leg or drag you
+into the river as quick as a wink.  Then in the jungles are the lions, and
+elephants, and other wild animals."
+
+"I am most frightened of the swift and terrible tornadoes," said
+Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"And, Miss Slessor," said Mr. Thomson, "don't forget that the natives are
+wild and fierce and many of them are cannibals who would be glad to eat
+you."
+
+"I shall not fear," said Mary. "God is leading me. He is my good
+Shepherd. He can protect me from fierce beasts and the wild people. I am
+happy He has chosen me to bring the messages of the Saviour to these wild
+people. He will call me home to Him when the work He has for me is
+done. Till then nothing can really harm me."
+
+Four weeks passed. The ship was plowing through the tropical sea. The air
+was warm, but the sea breezes made it very pleasant.  The ship turned
+landward and soon Mary could see the shore of Africa. How thrilled and
+happy she was--Africa at last! On September 11 the ship entered the
+tumbling, whirling waters of the Cross and Calabar Rivers which here joined
+and poured into the sea. Mary had read about these rivers, and now she
+actually saw them. She saw, too, the pelicans and the cranes. She saw
+crocodiles, about which Mr. Thomson had told her, lazily slide off the
+sandbanks into the muddy waters of the river.
+
+Mr. and Mrs. Thomson stood with Mary at the rail of the ship as it sailed
+up the river.  They would point out to her interesting sights as they
+passed along.
+
+"Look," said Mrs. Thomson, "there is Duke Town. That is where your mission
+is."
+
+Mary saw clay cliffs. She saw mud houses with roofs of palm leaves. Duke
+Town did not look in the least like Dundee or the other cities in Scotland
+which Mary knew. Duke Town did not look pretty, but Mary did not care. To
+her it looked beautiful, because here she would have the chance to serve
+the Lord.
+
+Soon native canoes came out to the steamer.  Then the boats of the
+traders. All was hurry and bustle as the great ship anchored and prepared
+to unload the part of its cargo that had been sent to Duke Town. Mary
+looked about, wondering how she was going to go ashore.
+
+A tall Negro came up to Mary. He bowed and said, "Are you the new white ma
+that is coming to the mission?" By ma the native meant lady. They called
+all white ladies "ma."
+
+"Yes, I am," said Mary.
+
+"Mr. Anderson sent me to bring you ashore and take you to the mission
+house."
+
+Mary was lowered from the great ship into a large canoe. Her baggage was
+brought down and placed in the boat. Then with powerful strokes the rowers
+sent the boat skimming across the water toward Duke Town.  Mary was helped
+ashore by the tall Negro who had come for her.
+
+"At last," she said to herself, "at last I am in Calabar."
+
+
+
+
+#3#
+
+
+_In Africa_
+
+"Welcome, welcome, Mary," said "Mammy" Anderson, as she hugged Mary.  Mammy
+Anderson and her husband, William Anderson, were among the first
+missionaries at Duke Town in Calabar. "This is Daddy Anderson," said Mammy
+Anderson, "and Daddy, this is Mary Slessor, just come from bonny Scotland
+to help us."
+
+Daddy and Mary shook hands. "Long ago you preached in our church in
+Dundee," said Mary. "You told how many missionaries were needed. I wished
+then I could help you.  I hope I can."
+
+Mary liked this fine Christian couple from the start. The mission house
+where they lived was high on a hill above the town.  Mammy took Mary around
+the house and the yard, which they called a compound. She showed Mary where
+the workers stayed who helped at the mission house. She showed her the
+school where the little black children were taught to read and write and
+told of the dear Saviour who had died for them, too, that they might be
+saved from sin and Hell and go to Heaven.
+
+"And here," said Mammy, "is the bell. I am putting you right to work. One
+of your jobs will be to ring the rising bell for morning prayers. You ring
+this at six o'clock.  Then everyone will get up, and we will have prayers
+in the chapel."
+
+That was Mary's first job, but alas! Mary often overslept and did not ring
+the rising bell in time. One morning she awoke and saw that it was very
+bright outside.
+
+"Dear me," said Mary, "I've overslept again." She jumped out of bed,
+slipped into her clothes and rang the bell, loud and long.  Soon the
+workers began coming, rubbing their eyes and yawning.
+
+"What's the idea of ringing the bell now?"  asked one of them. "It's much
+too early."
+
+"But look how bright it is," said Mary.
+
+Daddy Anderson laughed.
+
+"Mary, Mary," he said, "it's only two o'clock in the morning. The light you
+see is our bright tropical moon. It's not the sun."  And all the workers
+laughed, and Mary laughed with them.
+
+"I guess I'm not a very good bell-ringer," she said.
+
+Mary's real job was to teach the children in the school on Mission
+Hill. She remembered how she had played when she was a little girl that she
+was teaching the children of Calabar.  Now she was really doing it. She
+loved the little black children. After school she would take long walks
+with them into the bush. There they saw beautiful birds of many bright
+colors, and beautiful flowers of all kinds.
+
+Mary ran races with the black children.  How they loved that! She climbed
+trees as fast as any boy. The black children loved their white ma who
+taught them and played with them. But playing with the children often made
+Mary late for meals.
+
+"Mary, Mary," scolded Mammy Anderson gently, "you are late again. I am
+going to punish you. You go to your room. Since supper is over, you'll just
+have to go to bed without it."
+
+Mary went to her room. In a little while she heard a knock at her door.
+
+"It's Daddy, Mary," said a deep voice.  "Please open your door."
+
+Mary opened the door. There stood Daddy Anderson with his hands full of
+biscuits and bananas which he was bringing to her with Mammy's consent.
+
+"I thought you might be hungry," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"You and Mammy are perfect dears," said Mary. "I don't deserve all your
+kindness."  Mary soon began to visit the different yards or compounds in
+Duke Town. Missionaries had been here for thirty years, but there weren't
+many of them. They worked chiefly in Duke Town, Old Town, and Creek
+Town--three towns at the mouth of the Calabar River. They also had opened a
+station at Ikunetu and Ikorofiong on the Cross River.  One day Mary was at
+one of the stations with another missionary. When he finished his talk, he
+said, "Mary, won't you speak to these people?"
+
+Mary stood up. "Please read John 3:1-21," she said. The missionary
+did. Then Mary told the people how they could be born again.  She told them
+of the joy that they would have if they took Jesus into their hearts.  She
+told them of the hope of life after death with God in Heaven. The natives
+listened.  They liked her talk. After that whenever she came to that
+district, crowds would come to hear her speak.
+
+"Mammy," said Mary, after she had come from a trip to the outstations, "it
+hurts my heart to see how cruel these people are. And those awful, ugly,
+cruel gods they pray to.  The chiefs are so cruel and mean and have no
+mercy. And then that terrible secret society, the Egbo. I saw some of their
+runners dressed in fearful costumes scaring the people and whipping them
+with long whips. I saw a poor man whom they had beaten almost to
+death. Then there is that horrible drinking. They are worse than wild
+animals when they become drunk. And worst of all is that they have slaves
+and sell their own people as slaves."
+
+"Ah, lassie," said Mammy Anderson, "you haven't seen anything yet. There
+are millions of these black people in the bush and far back in the
+interior. Most of them are slaves. They don't treat a slave any better than
+a pig. The slaves sleep on the ground like animals. They are branded with a
+hot iron just as animals are. And just as the farmers back home fatten a
+pig for market, so the girls are fattened and sold for slave wives. The
+slaves can be whipped or sold or killed. When a chief dies, the tribe cuts
+off the heads of his wives and slaves and they are buried with him. The
+tribes are wild and cruel. Many of them are cannibals, who eat people. They
+spend their lives in fighting, dancing, and drinking. But the way they
+treat twins is one of the worst things they do."
+
+"What do they do to twins?" asked Mary.
+
+"They kill them," said Mammy Anderson.  "Sometimes they bury the twins
+alive and sometimes they just throw them out into the bush to die of
+hunger. The mother is driven into the bush. No one will have anything to do
+with her. She is left to die in the jungle or to be eaten by the wild
+animals."
+
+"But why do they do such cruel, wicked things to harmless babies?" asked
+Mary.
+
+"They believe that the father of one of the twins is an evil spirit or
+devil. But they don't know which one's father was a devil, so they kill
+both to be sure of getting the right one."
+
+"That must be stopped," said Mary. "I will fight it as long as I live. I
+will never give up. Jesus loves twins just as much as other children. The
+natives must learn that. They must learn that God said, 'Thou shalt not
+kill.' I'll teach them."
+
+Mary made many friends, not only among the children whom she taught, but
+also among the grown-up natives. One day she heard a chief speaking to his
+people about God and His love. He was a Christian. Mary thought that he
+made a very fine talk. She could tell he was very sincere. He talked so
+that everyone could understand him.
+
+"Who is that chief?" asked Mary of the man standing next to her.
+
+"That is King Eyo Honesty VII," said the man.
+
+"King Eyo Honesty? I must talk to him."
+
+As soon as she could, Mary went up to the chief.
+
+"King Eyo Honesty," said Mary, "I am Mary Slessor. Many years ago the
+missionaries told my mother about you. They told her what a fine Christian
+you were. She told us. She will be very happy when I tell her that I have
+met you."
+
+"I am very happy to have met you," said King Eyo Honesty. "Perhaps I could
+write a letter to your mother and tell her how happy I am that I have met
+you. I would tell her how happy I am that her daughter has come to teach my
+people about God."
+
+"Mother would be very happy, I know, to get a letter from you."
+
+For many years the African chief and Mary's Scottish mother wrote letters
+to one another.
+
+Every day when school was over, Mary went to visit the natives in their
+homes. She would tell them about Jesus and how He loved them. She told them
+Jesus wanted to save them. She told them that Jesus had paid for their sins
+by dying for them. If they loved and trusted in Jesus, He would take their
+sins away.
+
+One Sunday morning as she was walking through the village, she saw one of
+the old men who came to church all the time sitting at the door of his mud
+house. He looked very sad.
+
+"Ekpo," said Mary, "why aren't you on your way to God's house? Mr. Anderson
+will be looking for you. He will miss you."
+
+"If your heart were sad, would you go any place?" asked Ekpo.
+
+"But why is your heart sad?"
+
+"My son, my only son, is dead. Even now he is buried in the house."
+
+"Ekpo, let me tell you a story," said Mary.  "A long time ago there were
+two sisters.  They had a brother. They loved him very much. They loved him
+like you loved your son. He became sick. The two sisters sent a messenger
+to Jesus to tell Him. When Jesus came, the brother was dead. Martha, the
+one sister, said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here my brother would not
+have died. I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask Him.'
+
+"Jesus said, 'Your brother will get up from the grave.'
+
+"Martha said, 'I know that he will get up from the grave in the
+resurrection at the last day when all the dead shall come out of their
+graves.'
+
+"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
+me, even though he dies, he will live. Whoever lives and believes in me
+shall never die.'"
+
+"Did the brother get up from the grave?"
+
+"Yes, Jesus went to the grave and said, 'Lazarus, come out,' and Lazarus
+did. But, Ekpo, later Lazarus died again. Then his body stayed in the
+grave, but his soul was with God. He was happy. All Christians are happy
+with God. Your son was a Christian, wasn't he?"
+
+"Oh, yes, Ma, he was," said Ekpo's wife, who had come to the door while
+Mary was talking.
+
+"Then don't you see, God has taken him.  He is with God. He is happy. If
+you believe in Jesus, then some day you, too, will be with God and will see
+your son again."
+
+"Well," said Ekpo, "if God has taken him, it is not so bad."
+
+"Come, then," said Mary, "let's go to God's house and thank Him that your
+son was a Christian and is now with God in Heaven."
+
+Mary knew there was a great deal to do.  There were so many people who did
+not know about Jesus. There were so many who were terribly mean and
+cruel. But Mary knew that with the Lord on her side she would not lose in
+the fight against sin and wickedness.  Every day she would tell the natives
+about Jesus. Every day she would show them their sins and the Saviour.
+
+For three years Mary worked hard. Then she became sick. It was the terrible
+coast fever. Sometimes she was so sick, she did not know what was
+happening. She was very tired. She wished that she could see her mother and
+sisters.
+
+"Calabar needs a brave heart and a strong body," said Mary. "I don't have
+much of a brave heart, but I often feel the need of it when I am sick and
+lonely."
+
+"Mary, you must go home to Scotland and rest," said Mammy Anderson, "then
+you will get well from the fever. You will never get well here."
+
+"That's true, Mammy," said Mary, "but you know that I cannot leave my field
+of work was until the Board of Missions says I may."
+
+"That's right, but you have a furlough coming. I do hope we hear from the
+Board soon."
+
+In June, 1879, the letter came. Mary read it gladly. It told her that she
+could come home for a year's vacation. It did not take Mary long to
+pack. She left for Scotland on the next steamer. There were tears in her
+eyes as she stood on the deck. There on the shore were her black friends
+waving good-by to their white ma. They were crying, too.
+
+"Come back again! Come back again! God bless you and keep you!" they said.
+
+Mary waved to them.
+
+"I will be back," she said. Mary loved Africa. She loved the people there,
+but she knew if she wanted to get well she would have to go home. Then,
+too, she was anxious to see her mother and sisters again.
+
+The ocean trip did Mary much good. The cool ocean breezes blew the fever
+away. It made her cheeks pink again. Every day she prayed for the people of
+Africa. She prayed that she might go back again. She prayed that more
+missionaries would be sent out to show these poor people the way to Heaven.
+
+How happy Mary's mother and two sisters were to have her with them again!
+And how happy Mary was to be with them! They could not hear enough about
+Calabar. It made Mary's mother very happy to know that her daughter had
+taught the black children the way to Heaven. She was glad to hear about the
+other missionary work which Mary had done. But other people, too, were
+anxious to hear about Calabar. So Mary had to speak at Wishart Church and
+other churches.
+
+Mary told about the heathen, the wicked things the heathen natives did to
+twins, the mean way they treated slaves, and the many other cruel, wicked
+things these people did.
+
+"There is only one thing that will change these people," said Mary. "There
+is only one thing that will turn these heathen from their sins. That is the
+Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news about the Saviour. But who will tell
+these people about Jesus? We need many, many more missionaries. If you
+cannot go yourself, you can send gifts and offerings for this work. We need
+money so the missionaries can buy food and clothing. We need money so that
+they can build homes and churches and hospitals. Have pity on these poor
+people! Pity the poor little children! Help them now!  Above all, pray for
+these people, and pray for your missionaries that God will bless their work
+with these lost souls."
+
+Everywhere Mary went she won friends for Calabar. The people who heard Mary
+wanted to help make Christians of the heathen people. Many prayed. Many
+gave. Men and women gave gifts of money for the work.  Boys and girls
+brought their little gifts, too.  They knew the hymn:
+
+If you cannot give your thousands
+You can give the widow's mite.
+And each gift you give for Jesus
+Will be precious in His sight.
+
+Mrs. Slessor was not well. Living in the crowded, dusty, smoky city made
+her sick.  Mary found a little home out in the country.  Here were clear
+blue skies and pleasant fields.  Mary's mother was much better after they
+moved her. Mary's sisters enjoyed it also.  The months passed quickly. Soon
+the year would be over.
+
+"What do you want to do when you go back?" asked Mrs. Slessor.
+
+"I want to go on up the river. I want to go where missionaries have never
+been. I want to go to Okoyong and tell the people there about Jesus. I am
+praying God that sooner or later He will let me go and work there."
+
+"Isn't it much more dangerous there?"  asked Mrs. Slessor.
+
+"Yes, it is," answered Mary, "but I am not afraid because I know that God
+is with me and His angels are watching over me."
+
+June came. Mary had been home a year.  Now she was in good health
+again. She wanted to get back to Africa. July, August, September went by
+and then the good news came. Mary was to leave in October for Calabar.  It
+was a happy day for her when she got on the ship that would take her back
+to the Africa she loved.
+
+On the ship she found the Rev. and Mrs.  Hugh Goldie. They, too, had been
+missionaries in Calabar for many years, and now after a short vacation were
+going back once more. All the way to Africa the friend talked about the
+great work of winning souls for Jesus, especially the souls of the people
+of Calabar.
+
+At last the big steamship entered the mouth of the Calabar and Cross
+Rivers. It was not far now to Duke Town. Soon Mary would learn what work
+she should do. Would it be work she wanted to do? Would it be work in the
+jungles? Mary would soon know.
+
+
+
+
+#4#
+
+
+_On Her Own_
+
+"Mary, how would you like to have a mission station of your own?" asked
+Daddy Anderson.
+
+"Why, I'd love it," answered Mary.
+
+"It is hard work and very unpleasant at times," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"I don't care how hard or unpleasant it is," said Mary, "as long as I can
+work for my Lord."
+
+"Good, then you will be in charge of the Old Town Station, two miles up the
+river."
+
+It did not take Mary long to pack her things and move to Old Town. But what
+a sight greeted her when she arrived! The first thing she saw as she came
+into the village was a man's skull hanging from the end of a pole and
+swinging slowly in the breeze.
+
+"Where is the mission house?" asked Mary of one of the natives.
+
+"Down that way at the end of the road, Ma," he answered.
+
+Mary found the mission house. It was an old tumble-down shack. It was made
+of long twigs and branches, daubed over with mud.  The roof was made of
+palm leaves. It was not nearly as nice a home as the one on Mission Hill in
+Duke Town. When Mary went inside, she found that it was whitewashed and
+somewhat clean. Mary got busy cleaning up her house, and as she did, she
+began to make her plans.
+
+"I don't care if my house is not so fine. I am nearer to the jungles. I
+want to get into the jungles sometime and win those poor, ignorant heathen
+people for Jesus. I am going to live in a house like the natives and use
+the tools and things they do--only I'll be a lot cleaner. Then they will
+feel that I am one of them and I'll be better able to win them for
+Jesus. Then, too, it's cheaper to live that way and to eat bananas. I will
+be able to send more money home to my poor mother in Scotland. Living this
+way will also help me get ready for the time when I can go into the
+jungles. Then I will have to live that way."
+
+Mary held services every Sunday. She started a day school for the
+children. The grownups came, too. Mary was so friendly and kind that the
+natives loved her. More and more came to hear about Jesus. Mary showed them
+that He was the Saviour of the blacks and whites alike. Many came from
+faraway places to hear the white ma and go to her school.
+
+Mary soon visited all the villages in the neighborhood and every place she
+went she would tell the people about Jesus. At one place the king of that
+part of the country came regularly to hear the white ma. He would sit on
+the bench with the little children and listen to Mary tell about the
+Saviour who loves all people.
+
+One thing still bothered Mary very much.  This was the way the natives
+treated twins.  As soon as twins were born, they would break the babies'
+backs and stuff the little bodies into a jar made out of a big gourd. Then
+they would throw the jar out into the jungle.  The mother would be sent
+away out into the jungle to die.
+
+"It is very wicked for you to kill these twin babies," said Mary to the
+people. "It is a sin against God, who said, 'You shall not kill people.'
+Jesus loves all children. He loves the twin babies, too."
+
+The natives would not listen to her. They were afraid of the evil
+spirits. One day Mary heard about some twins that were born. She rushed
+over to the house and took the babies before they were killed. She brought
+them to her house and took care of them.
+
+"She will have lots of trouble taking an evil spirit into her house," said
+one of the natives. "Just you wait and see."
+
+"Maybe she is a friend of the evil spirit," said another.
+
+But weeks and months went by and nothing happened. The people began to see
+that Mary was right. Everywhere the people began to call Mary "the white ma
+who loves babies."
+
+Another wicked thing the people did was to kill the babies of slaves who
+died. They did not want to bother taking care of them so they killed
+them. Mary began to take these little orphans into her home and take care
+of them. But it began to be too much work for Mary alone. She wrote a
+letter to the Mission Board asking for someone to take care of these
+children.
+
+One day a trader came and knocked at Mary's door. He was carrying a little
+black baby in his arms.
+
+"I found this twin out in the bush," said the trader. "The other one was
+killed. This baby would have died, but I know how you love these little
+ones, so I brought it to you."
+
+"Thank you," said Mary, taking the tiny baby in her arms. "I shall call her
+Janie, after my sister." Mary adopted the little baby and the baby brought
+Mary much joy and happiness.
+
+One time Mary took a baby six months old into the mountains. The baby was
+sick. In the valley it was very hot.
+
+"This child shall not die if the cold can save him," said Mary.
+
+Up in the mountains it was much cooler than in the valley. Mary pitched her
+tent and stayed there for a time so the baby could get well.
+
+One night Mary woke up. She heard a growling noise. She looked around. A
+panther was in the tent! He had the baby in his mouth! He was going to
+carry it away!
+
+Mary jumped up. She grabbed a burning stick from the fire and rammed it
+into the panther's face. With a wild howl the panther dropped the baby and
+ran off. Mary picked up the baby who was crying now. She looked him over,
+carefully. He was not hurt. Softly she sang to the baby and rocked him to
+sleep.  After the baby was well, Mary went back to the mission station in
+the valley.
+
+Another time news came that twins had been born. All the people had thought
+a lot of the mother, even though she was a slave.  Now everyone hated
+her. The other women in the house cursed her. They broke up the few dishes
+she owned. They tore up her clothes. They would have killed her but they
+were afraid of Mary Slessor and what she would do.
+
+They took the two babies and stuffed them into an empty gin box and shoved
+it at the woman.
+
+"Get out! Get out!" they said, "you have married the Devil. You have a
+devil in you."  They threw rocks at her and drove her out of the village.
+
+Mary met the poor woman carrying her babies in the box on her head. The
+screaming, howling crowd of people were following her.
+
+"Go back! Go back to your village," Mary told the crowd. Then turning to
+the woman she said, "Give me the box and come with me to my house."
+
+When Mary opened the box, she found one child dead. The baby's head had
+been smashed when it was jammed into the box.  Mary buried the poor little
+baby. Soon the owner of the woman came and took her back.  She was willing
+to do this as long as she had no children. The little baby stayed with Mary
+and became another of her family.
+
+One evening Mary was sitting on the porch of her mission house talking to
+the children.  Suddenly they heard a loud noise. They heard the beating of
+drums. Then they heard men singing loudly.
+
+"What's that?" asked Mary. She took the twin boys that were with her and
+rushed down to the road to see what was going on.  Here she found a crowd
+of people. They were all dressed up. Some wore three-cornered hats with
+long feathers hanging down. Some had crowns. Some wore masks with animal
+heads and horns. Some put on uniforms with gold and silver lace. Some just
+covered their bodies with beadwork and tablecloths trimmed with gold and
+silver.
+
+When Mary came, the shouting stopped.  The king came forward to meet her.
+
+"Ma," said the king, "we have had a palaver.  We have made new laws. The
+old laws were not God's laws. Now all twins and their mothers can live in
+town. If anyone kills twin babies or hurts the mothers, he shall be hung."
+
+"God will bless you for making those wise laws," said Mary.
+
+The mothers of the twins who lived at the mission and other mothers, too,
+gathered around Mary. They laughed and shouted.  They clapped their hands,
+and with tears running down their cheeks, cried: "Thank you! Thank you!"
+They made so much noise that Mary asked the chief to stop them.
+
+"Ma, how can I stop these women's mouths?" asked the chief. "How can I do
+it?  They be women."
+
+Mary was happy, but after a while some of the people began to forget the
+new laws.  Quietly and underhandedly they began to go back to doing the old
+bad things again. This was because they were not Christians. They did not
+love and trust the Saviour. Mary knew that the main thing to do if she were
+to get them to live right and do right was to change their hearts. New laws
+could not really change them. Only faith in Jesus could do that.
+
+"I must help them more. I must lead more of them to Jesus," said
+Mary. "Many are sick. I will give them medicine, and at the same time tell
+them about Jesus who makes the soul well and the body, too."
+
+As Mary gave out medicine, many people would often crowd around her to hear
+her "Jesus talk." She told them of Jesus' love for them. She told them how
+He had died that they might be saved from everlasting death and be made
+pure. Mary had her hardships.  Often she would not be able to get home at
+night and would have to sleep in the open.  It was not easy to be a
+missionary, but Mary was gladly willing to do it because she was working
+for Jesus and saving souls.
+
+One day a man came to the mission house.
+
+"I am the servant of King Okon. King Okon has heard of the white Ma. King
+Okon has heard how the white Ma loves our people and is kind to them. King
+Okon invites the white Ma to come and visit our country."
+
+"I shall be glad to come if I may tell your people about Jesus, the
+Saviour," said Mary.
+
+"Sure," said the messenger, "you come and make Jesus-talk."
+
+When King Eyo Honesty VII, Mary's old friend, heard of this invitation, he
+said:
+
+"Our Ma must not go as an ordinary traveler to this savage land and
+people. She must go as a lady and our mother, one whom we greatly respect
+and love."
+
+He brought his own canoe to Mary and said, "The canoe is yours to use as
+long as you wish."
+
+Mary's eyes filled with tears of thankfulness.
+
+"King Eyo," she said, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I accept
+the offer of your canoe in Jesus' name. I know God will bless you for your
+kindness."
+
+"God has blessed me," said the king. "He has sent our white Ma to us."
+
+The canoe was long and slim. It was painted in bright colors. At the front
+end bright-colored flags were flying. In the middle of the canoe was a sort
+of tent to protect Mary from the sun. The Christian natives had brought
+gifts of rice and these were put in the boat. Crowds of people came to say
+good-by to the white Ma. At last it began to get dark. The thirty-three
+natives who were going to row climbed into the boat. Torches were lit and
+the boat started upstream.
+
+As Mary lay down in her tent in the middle of the boat, she heard the
+rowers singing as they rowed.
+
+"Ma, our beautiful beloved mother, is on board," they sang, "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
+
+She thanked God that He had protected her in Old Town. She prayed that He
+would protect her still as she went into a part of the country where no one
+had yet brought the news about a loving Saviour. She prayed that He would
+bless her speaking, so that many people would believe in the Lord Jesus and
+be saved forever.
+
+As she prayed, the rowers continued singing their made-up song: "Ma, our
+beautiful beloved mother, is on board. Ho! Ho! Ho!"
+
+Mary fell asleep and the canoe carried her silently through the night to a
+new part of the country and to new adventures.
+
+When the sun arose the following morning, the canoe carrying Mary Slessor
+arrived at King Okon's village. A great shout went up from the people when
+they heard the white Ma had come.
+
+"You have my room," said the chief. "It is the best room in the village."
+
+It may have been the best room, but it was not a very comfortable one. Rats
+and big lizards were running back and forth across the floor. There were
+insects and fleas and lice everywhere.
+
+The people were much interested in the white Ma. They had never seen a
+white woman before. They crowded into the yard.  Many of them touched and
+pinched Mary to see if she were real. Some were afraid. Their friends
+laughed at them and pulled them into the yard. They watched Mary eat. They
+watched everything she did. Mary did not care. She used their interest in
+her to tell them about Jesus who loved them. She told them that they must
+love Jesus and trust in Him for salvation.
+
+Twice a day she held services and great crowds came to hear her. She cut
+out clothes for the people and taught the women how to sew. She gave
+medicine to the sick and bandaged the wounds of those who got hurt.
+
+"King Okon," said Mary, "I would like to go into the people's homes in the
+jungle.  May I go?"
+
+"No, white Ma, I cannot let you go. This is elephant country. The elephants
+go wild and run over everything in the jungle. These stampedes have been so
+bad my people have had to leave off farming and make their living by
+fishing. I cannot let you go. You might get hurt or killed."
+
+One night Mary saw that the people looked very angry. Some were sad.
+
+"What is the matter?" asked Mary.
+
+"Two of the king's young wives have done wrong. They have broken a law,"
+answered one of the natives. "They thought nobody was looking and went into
+a room where a young man was sleeping. Each of them will be hit a hundred
+times with a whip."
+
+Mary went to the king. She asked him to be kinder to these girls. She
+begged him not to beat them so much.
+
+"Ma, you are right," said the king. "I will call palaver of all the
+chiefs. If you say we must not whip girl, we must listen to you as our
+guest and Ma. But the people will say God's Word be no good, if it keeps
+the law from punishing those who do wrong."
+
+Mary saw the king was right. She turned to the girl-wives of the king.
+
+"You have brought shame to the king and the tribe by the silly foolish
+things you did.  God's Word teaches men to be kind and merciful and
+generous, but it does not pass over sin or permit it. I cannot ask the king
+not to punish you. Ask God to help you in the future, so that you will not
+do bad or foolish things."
+
+All the chief men of the tribe grunted their approval of what Mary had said
+to the girls.  But then Mary turned to the chief men and said:
+
+"You are to blame. Your custom of one man marrying many wives is wrong and
+cruel. These girls are only sixteen years old and still love fun and
+play. They are too young to be married. They meant no real harm."
+
+The men did not like to hear that. They did not like to hear that their
+ways were wrong.
+
+"If punishment is hard," said the old men, "wife and slave will be afraid
+to disobey."
+
+"King Okon," said Mary, "show that you are a good king by being kind and
+merciful.  Don't be too hard on these young girls."
+
+"All right, Ma," said the king, "I will make it only ten blows with the
+whip. Also we will not rub salt into the wounds to make them sting."
+
+When the whipping was over, Mary took the girls into her room. There she
+put healing medicine on their backs while she told them about Jesus who
+could heal their souls.
+
+At last it was time for Mary to go back to Old Town. The king and the
+people were sorry to see her go. On her homeward way a tropical storm
+struck the canoe and the people in it. Mary was soaked. The next morning
+she was shaking with sickness and fever.  The rowers feared their white Ma
+would die.  They rowed as fast as they could for Old Town. Mary was so sick
+that she had to take a long rest.
+
+A few months later a big storm tore off the roof of her house and again she
+was soaked as she worked to save the children.  Again she became very sick.
+
+"You must go home to Scotland," said Daddy Anderson. "You must go home and
+rest and get well."
+
+"Since you tell me to do that and the Board has ordered it, too, I can only
+obey," said Mary. "I am going to take my little black Janie with me. It is
+too dangerous to leave her here where some of the heathen might steal her
+and kill her because she is a twin."
+
+With a heart that was sad at leaving Calabar, but glad to have a chance to
+see her dear ones in Scotland again, Mary sailed for Dundee in April, 1883.
+
+
+
+
+#5#
+
+
+_Into the Jungle_
+
+"Oh, Mary, it is good to see you again," said Mother Slessor when Mary
+arrived once more in Scotland. "And this is little Janie about whom you
+have written us so often! We are happy to have you with us, Janie."
+
+"I am glad to be home, Mother," said Mary, "but I am anxious to go back to
+Africa as soon as I can. There are so many souls there to be won for
+Jesus."
+
+Mary soon got over her sickness and was well and strong again. Now she went
+to the churches in Scotland to tell about the missionary work in
+Calabar. She made many friends. Some of the young people who heard her
+wanted to become missionaries. Miss Hoag, Miss Wright and Miss Peabody
+decided to become missionaries and later worked in Calabar, too.
+
+Mary was so successful in interesting the people in mission work that the
+Board of Missions asked her to stay longer and visit more churches. Mary
+did what the Board asked, although she was anxious to get back to
+Africa. At last this work was finished.  Now she could go back.
+
+Mary was getting ready to go back to Africa when her sister Janie became
+sick.
+
+"You will have to take her to a warmer climate," said the doctor. "That is
+the only way she will get well."
+
+Mary could not afford to take her sister to Italy or southern France.
+
+"I will ask the Board of Missions if I can take my sister with me to
+Africa."
+
+Anxiously Mary waited for an answer to her letter. At last the letter came.
+
+We are sorry, but we must answer
+your question with a No. We feel that
+to take your sick sister along to Africa
+would be an unwise mixing of family
+problems and missionary work.
+
+What should Mary do now? A friend told her to take her sister to southern
+England where the climate was warmer than in Scotland.  She wrote to the
+Board to ask whether they would let her be a missionary if she took out the
+time to take care of her sister. The Board of Missions wrote:
+
+Dear Miss Slessor:
+
+When the way is clear for you to return
+to Calabar we will be glad to send
+you out again as our missionary. In the
+meantime we will be glad to pay your
+missionary salary for three more months.
+
+Mary was glad that she could go back again, but she would not take the
+missionary salary when she was not working as a missionary.  This left her
+with a sick sister and no salary. She took her sister Janie and her mother
+to southern England. They had been there only a short time when Mary's
+sister, Susan, in Scotland, died. It made her sad to lose a sister, but she
+was happy in the thought that Susan was now with Jesus her Saviour in
+Heaven.
+
+After a while Janie was better and Mary packed up and got ready to sail
+once more to Africa. Just as she got ready to go, her mother became
+sick. What should Mary do now? She took her troubles to God in prayer. As
+she prayed, a thought came to her which showed her a way out of her
+problem.
+
+"I will send for my old friend in Dundee to come and take care of Mother
+and then I can go to Africa."
+
+Mother Slessor agreed that this was the thing to do. Soon the friend came
+and now Mary was free to go to Africa. The weeks at sea were a good rest
+for her and she was in the best of health when she landed once more at Duke
+Town. Ten years had gone by since she first came to Africa.
+
+"Where should I go now?" asked Mary of Daddy Anderson after she was once
+again in the mission house on Mission Hill.
+
+"This time you are being sent up to Creek Town," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"Oh, I'm glad," said Mary. "That is the settlement farthest up the river."
+
+"You will work with the Rev. and Mrs. H.  Goldie," continued Daddy
+Anderson.
+
+"That makes me happy, too. They are old friends. I met them on the trip the
+time before this one."
+
+As soon as she was settled in Creek Town, Mary worked harder than ever for
+the salvation of the natives. She did not care about her health. The only
+thing she could think of was how she could win more of the natives to
+Christ. She spent very little on herself because the money from her salary
+was needed back home in Scotland.
+
+One day very sad news came from Scotland.  Mother Slessor had died. Mary
+was very sad. Her mother was the one who had interested her in missionary
+work by telling her stories about it when she was only a little girl. Her
+mother had always encouraged her in her work. Her mother was willing to do
+anything and suffer anything so that Mary could be in the work of saving
+souls.  Her mother was always interested in everything that Mary did. No
+wonder Mary was sad even though she knew that her mother was now with the
+Saviour in Heaven.
+
+"There is no one to write and tell my stories and troubles and nonsense
+to. All my life I have been caring and planning and living for my mother
+and sisters. I am now left stranded and alone."
+
+But she was not alone. The words of Jesus, "Lo, I am with you alway," came
+as sweet comfort to her heart.
+
+"Heaven is now nearer to me than Scotland," she said. "And no one will be
+worried about me if I go up country into the jungles."
+
+Mary was very anxious to go to the deep jungles to Okoyong, but every time
+she mentioned it the Board and the Andersons said, "No, not yet." The
+tribes were cruel and wicked. They were always fighting among themselves
+and with other tribes. They did more bad and nasty things than any of the
+tribes she had ever worked with. They killed twin babies. They stole slaves
+and when they caught some stranger they made him a slave.  They would hide
+along jungle paths and when someone went by, they would kill him. They
+hated the people of Calabar and the British government.
+
+At different times missionaries had tried to get into this land, but always
+they had to run for their lives. The natives of Okoyong trusted no one. It
+was to that country that Mary wanted to carry the love of Jesus and the
+story that He died for them. Every day she would pray:
+
+"Lord, if this is Your time, let me go."
+
+Meanwhile Mary worked hard at Creek Town. Besides her missionary work she
+was taking care of a number of native children.  Some were twins she had
+saved from death, some were the children of slaves. Mary took care of these
+children at her own expense. In order to take care of them and have enough
+food for them, she ate only the simplest of foods, sometimes nothing but
+rice for a long time.
+
+One day a man came to Creek Town to see Mary.
+
+"I am the father of Janie, the twin," he said. "I am glad you have taken
+care of her."
+
+"Come and see her," said Mary.
+
+"No, no!" said the man, "the evil spirit will put a spell on me."
+
+"You won't be hurt if you stand far away and look at her," said Mary.
+
+As he watched Janie, Mary took him by the arm and dragged him to the little
+girl. She put his strong black arms around her little shoulders. At last
+the man took the little girl on his lap and played and talked with
+her. After this he came often to visit his little girl and brought her food
+and presents.  At last the time came when word reached Calabar that the
+Mission Board had decided that the Gospel should be preached in Okoyong and
+that Mary could go. Mary was very happy. At last God had answered her
+prayer.  She was going into a wild country. She was going to go ahead of
+the other missionaries to find a place where they could build a mission
+house and church.
+
+When King Eyo Honesty VII heard of it, he came to see Mary.
+
+"So you are going into the wild country, to Okoyong," he said.
+
+"Yes, and I am so happy. Those people need to have their hearts and lives
+changed.  I am happy that I shall be able to tell them about the Saviour."
+
+"Aren't you afraid to go among these wicked men? What if they should go on
+the warpath when you arrive?"
+
+"I am not worried. God is on my side. If it is His will, He can keep me
+from all harm.  If it is His will that I should die, then His will be
+done. If giving my life will help open Okoyong to the Gospel, I will gladly
+give it."
+
+"God bless you, Ma. I am going to let you use the king's canoe for this
+trip. My rowers can take you there swiftly. They will do anything you ask,
+because they love you."
+
+"Thank you, King Eyo; that will help me very much."
+
+King Eyo fixed up his canoe for Mary, as though she were a queen. He put a
+carpet in it, and many cushions. He put a sort of tent on it so that Mary
+could be alone when she wanted to be. The boat was loaded with homemade
+bread, canned meat, rice, and tea.
+
+At last everything was ready for the trip into the wild country. Mary said
+good-by to her friends, the missionaries, and to her native friends. Then
+the thirty-five rowers pushed out from the shore and headed upstream toward
+the wild country. On both sides of the river were banana and palm
+trees. There were beautiful plants and flowers of many colors. The light
+shimmered on the flowing river as the rowers pulled the oars and sang their
+songs.
+
+"What will happen if the Okoyongs are on the warpath?" Mary asked
+herself. "What will I do then?" Mary knew the answer. "I will put my trust
+in God and not in man."
+
+She lay back on the cushions and prayed to God to protect her in the wild
+country and to lead her in His way. The rowers rowed swiftly and sent the
+canoe shooting up the river toward the wild country.
+
+"There is the landing place," said the chief rower. "Now we must walk the
+rest of the way to Ekenge."
+
+Mary got out of the boat. The rowers followed her. They carried the
+packages Mary had brought with her. They began to walk through the
+jungle. It was four miles to Ekenge where Chief Edem lived. As they came
+near to the little village of mud huts, the chief rower whispered to Mary,
+
+"There is Chief Edem. Praise God, he is at home and sober."
+
+Mary, too, thanked God that the Okoyongs were not on the warpath and she
+asked God's blessing on her visit with them.
+
+When the people of Ekenge saw Mary they began to jump up and down and
+shout,
+
+"Welcome, Ma. Welcome to Ekenge."
+
+Chief Edem bowed to her and said, "You are welcome Ma Mary. It is an honor
+to have you come to us. We are happy because you did not come with
+soldiers. We know now that you trust us. I have set aside a house for you
+as long as you stay with us."
+
+"Thank you, Chief Edem. I am happy to be here."
+
+"This is my sister, Ma Eme," said the chief.  Mary liked Ma Eme at once and
+Ma Eme liked Mary. They were friends as long as they lived.
+
+"I want to go to visit the next village now," said Mary. "I want to go to
+Ifako."
+
+"Oh, no, Ma," said Chief Edem. "The chief is a very bad man. He is not fit
+for you to meet. Besides he is drunk now and he doesn't know what is going
+on. You must stay at Ekenge."
+
+"Very well," said Mary, "I will stay, but call the people together so that
+I can have a Jesus-talk."
+
+When the people had all come together, Mary told about God's great love for
+them.  She told them about Jesus who died that they might be saved. She
+told them about the happiness Jesus would bring to their village by
+changing their lives when they came to Him.
+
+That night Mary did not sleep very much.  The chief had given her one of
+the best houses in the village, but we would not think it was much of a
+house. Her bed was made of a few sticks with some corn shucks thrown over
+them. In the room all night were plenty of rats and insects. But Mary's
+heart was happy.
+
+Later Mary went to Ifako. The chief there liked Mary very much. He and
+Chief Edem agreed to let her start a mission in their villages.  Each one
+promised to give her ground for a schoolhouse and a mission house. Mary
+chose the places for the buildings. They were a half-hour's walk apart.
+
+"Now I must go back to Creek Town," said Mary. "When I come back again, it
+will be to stay."
+
+"Come soon, Ma," said Chief Edem. "It will make us very happy to have you
+stay with us."
+
+As they rode down the river, Mary could not sleep at first because the
+rowers kept whispering,
+
+"Don't shake the canoe or you will wake Ma," or "Don't talk so loud so Ma
+can sleep."  At last, however, tired from her days of work in Ekenge and
+Ifako, she fell asleep and did not wake up until she came back to Creek
+Town.
+
+Now she was very busy getting ready to move to Ekenge. One of the traders
+heard about her going to Ekenge.
+
+"Do you trust those wild people?" he asked.  "Do you think you can change
+them? What they need more than a missionary is a gun-boat to tame them
+down."
+
+"No, my friend," answered Mary, "they need the same thing that every person
+in the world needs and that is the Saviour Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can
+change the hearts of sinful people."
+
+At last Mary was packed up. She was taking with her the five children she
+had saved from death. Another missionary, Mr. Bishop, was going along with
+her. Now at last Mary was going to work in the jungles as she had wanted to
+do. She had been in Africa for twelve years. She was now forty years old.
+
+When Mary was ready to leave, all the people of Creek Town gathered around
+her. They told her good-by and wished her God's blessing.
+
+"We will pray for you," they said.
+
+One of the young men she had taught in school said, "I will pray for you,
+but remember you are asking for death when you go to that wild country."
+
+It was getting dark when Mary's boat landed near Ekenge. The rain was
+pouring down. It was a four-mile walk to Ekenge.  Mary and the five
+children started out. Mr.  Bishop and the men who carried the baggage were
+to follow.
+
+An eleven-year-old boy was in the lead.  He was the oldest of the five
+children. He carried on his head a box filled with tea, sugar, and
+bread. An eight-year-old child followed him carrying a teakettle and
+cooking pots. Next came a three-year-old who held tight to little Janie's
+hand. Then came Mary carrying a baby girl and a bundle of food.
+
+The children slipped in the mud. They became soaked by the rain. The jungle
+was dark around them and strange noises came from all sides. The children
+began to cry.  They were hungry and scared.
+
+"Don't cry children," said Mary. "Remember Jesus is watching over us. He
+will take care of us. Soon we will be in the village and then we can have
+something to eat and we can put on dry clothes."
+
+They marched on. At last they came to the village. The village was dark and
+still.  "Hello, hello," called Mary. "Is anyone here?"
+
+No one answered. Mary called again. At last two slaves came.
+
+"Ma," said the oldest slave, "the chief did not know you were coming
+today. The mother of the chief at Ifako died and all the people have gone
+to Ifako for the burying."
+
+"All right," said Mary. "We will wait here then for Mr. Bishop and the
+baggage carriers."
+
+"I will send a messenger to Chief Edem," said the slave, "to tell him that
+you have come."
+
+Mary took some of her food and cooked it over an open fire in the pouring
+rain. She fed the children and put them to bed.
+
+At last Mr. Bishop came to the village.
+
+"I am sorry, Miss Slessor," he said. "The carriers will not bring anything
+until tomorrow.  They are tired. They are afraid of the jungle trail."
+
+"But tomorrow is Sunday," said Mary. "It would be a bad example for them to
+do work for us on Sunday. I will not have them work tomorrow."
+
+"John," said Mary, turning to a young man who had come with Mr. Bishop,
+"you go back and tell the carriers they must come tonight for we need food
+and dry clothing."
+
+After the young man had gone, Mary decided she should go and help. She took
+off her muddy shoes and started back through the dark and fearful
+jungle. Mary was afraid when she heard the snarls of animals in the jungle,
+but she put her trust in God and went on.
+
+As Mary came near to the beach she met John.
+
+"Ma Mary," he said, "the men will not come. They will not bring the things
+until the daylight chases away the hidden dangers of the jungle."
+
+"I will talk to them," said Mary. She plodded on through the mud. She came
+to the canoe. The men were all sound asleep. Mary woke them and put them to
+work. In the meantime Mr. Bishop had coaxed some of the slaves from Ekenge
+to help. Soon all the things Mary had brought were being carried to Ekenge.
+
+Sunday morning was cloudy. Mary got things ready for church. Church time
+came.  But where were the people? Mary and Mr.  Bishop and the children
+began to sing hymns as loud as they could. Still no one came. How
+discouraging! All the people had been at the burying. When they buried
+somebody, especially somebody important like the chief's mother, they would
+have a wild party. The people would get drunk and do many other wicked
+things. The next day they would be too tired and sick to do anything.
+
+Mary and the children and Mr. Bishop kept on singing. At last a few women
+came. Mary gathered them around her and told them the story of Jesus and
+His love. The women listened but they did not say anything.
+
+After the service was over and the women had gone to their huts, Mary knelt
+down and prayed.
+
+"O God, my heavenly Father, with Your help I have made a beginning in the
+jungles of Okoyong. Things look black and discouraging now, but I know that
+if it is Your will You can change all that. If it is not Your will that my
+work is successful here, then send me wherever I can work best for You.
+Forgive my sins. Make me a better and more faithful worker for You. And
+bless the work here in Okoyong. I ask this for Jesus' sake.  Amen."
+
+Would the work in Okoyong be a failure or a success? Time would tell. Mary
+knew that it depended on God.
+
+At last Chief Edem and his people came back from the wild, drunken party at
+Ifako.
+
+"Welcome Ma Mary," said Chief Edem. "I am glad you have come. I have a
+place for you. You take this room here in my women's yard. It is for you."
+
+"Thank you, Chief," said Mary. It was a dirty, filthy room, but it was the
+kind of room all the people of Okoyong used. Mary cleaned out the dirt. She
+had a window put in. She hung a curtain over the door. While she was
+working a boy came up to her.
+
+"Ma Mary," he said, "I am Ipke. I want to help you." Ipke worked hard. He
+helped Mary as much as possible. Whatever there was to do, Ipke was ready
+to do it.
+
+A few days later Mary looked out of her room. She saw Ipke. He was standing
+near a pot of boiling oil. A crowd of people stood around yelling and
+shouting.
+
+Chief Edem came up to the crowd. Then a man took a dipper and filled it
+full of boiling oil. Ipke stretched out his hands in front of him. Suddenly
+Mary knew what was happening.  She rushed out of her house, but she was too
+late. Already the man had poured the boiling oil over Ipke's arms and
+hands.
+
+"Why have you done this?" asked Mary.  Chief Edem said nothing. He turned
+and walked away. The other people also kept still. Mary took Ipke to her
+room. She put medicine on the burns.
+
+"Why did they do this to you, Ipke?" she asked.
+
+"It is because I helped the white Ma. The people say I do not follow the
+old ways. It is bad to follow new ways. I must be punished.  The bad spirit
+must be burned out."
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "heal this boy and help me to change the wicked
+heathen ways."
+
+
+
+
+#6#
+
+
+_A Brave Nurse_
+
+It was strangely quiet in the village of Chief Okurike. The chief was
+sick. All the magic of the witch doctors could not make him better. If he
+died, many of his wives, slaves and soldiers would be killed to go with him
+into the spirit-world.
+
+A woman from a neighboring village came to the house of Chief Okurike's
+wives.
+
+"You are sad because Chief Okurike is dying," said the woman. "I know
+someone who can help him. Far away through the jungle at Ekenge lives the
+white Ma. With her magic she can make devils go out of your chief. My son's
+child was dying. The white Ma saved her. She is well today. The white Ma
+has done many wonderful things by the power of her juju. Let your chief
+send for her. Then he will not die."
+
+The wives talked it over.
+
+"We must tell the chief," said the head wife. "He must send for the white
+Ma. If he dies, many of us must die too. We do not want to die."
+
+They told the chief about the strange white Ma at Ekenge.
+
+"Let her be sent for," said the chief. "Send swift runners to ask her to
+come."
+
+All day long the men hurried through the jungle along the narrow
+paths. They went through many villages but they did not stop.  At last
+after eight hours, they came to the village of Ekenge.
+
+"We are the men of Chief Okurike," said the men to Chief Edem. "Chief
+Okurike is very sick. We want the white Ala who lives in your village to
+come and heal him."
+
+"She will say for herself what she will do," said Chief Edem. He sent a man
+to tell Mary some men from Chief Okurike wanted to see her. Mary came at
+once to see what was wanted.
+
+"Ma," said the men, "Chief Okurike sent us. He is very sick. Come and bring
+your magic medicines and make him well."
+
+"What kind of sickness does your chief have?" asked Mary. "Maybe I can send
+the medicine with you."
+
+They shook their heads. They did not know what the sickness was.
+
+"I must help," said Mary to herself. "If the chief dies, then according to
+their heathen way the tribe will kill all his wives and slaves so he will
+have company on the long trip to the spirit-world. I must go and teach them
+about the Good Shepherd who is with us even in the valley of the shadow of
+death. If the chief should die and the tribe think that it is because of
+witchcraft it will be even worse.  Many people will be killed because the
+tribe will think they used witchcraft to kill the chief."
+
+"I will go with you," said Mary.
+
+"There are warriors out in the jungle and you will be killed. You must not
+go," said Chief Edem.
+
+"It is a long journey," said Ma Eme.  "There are deep rivers to cross. It
+is raining very hard. You will never get there."
+
+"If Chief Okurike dies, there will be fighting and killing. You will be in
+great danger," said Chief Edem. "Don't go."
+
+Mary knew that if anything happened to her, Chief Edem would go to war
+against the tribe of Chief Okurike, because she was his guest, and a chief
+must protect his guest.  Mary prayed to God about it. Then she said to
+Chief Edem, "I am sure that God wants me to go. It will be a chance to tell
+these people about Jesus who heals the soul-sickness. God will take care of
+me."
+
+"Well, Ma, I do not like it, but you may go if you wish. I will send women
+with you to look after you. I will send men to protect you."
+
+Early the next morning they started on the journey. It was raining
+hard. After they had left Ekenge, it began to pour. The jungle was flooded
+and steaming hot. It was hard to go, but Mary and the guard pushed on.
+Soon Mary's clothes were soaked through.  They became so heavy she could
+hardly walk.  Her boots became water soaked. She took them off and threw
+them in the bush. Soon her stockings wore out and she walked through the
+jungle mud barefooted. She knew she was doing God's work, and even fearful
+rainstorms were not going to stop her.
+
+After three hours the weather began to clear, but now Mary's head began to
+ache from fever. As Mary and the guard passed through the jungle villages,
+the people looked at Mary with surprise. But nothing would stop Mary. She
+pushed on, and after walking through the jungle for eight hours, she
+stumbled into the village of the sick chief.
+
+Some of the people were crying. They expected to be killed when the chief
+died.  Others were laughing and shouting. They were going to have "fun"
+when the chief died. They were going to kill people and have a wild party.
+
+Mary was tired and sick, but she went at once to the chief's house. He was
+stretched out on a dirty bed. His face was gray with sickness. He was
+moaning and groaning. He was very near death.
+
+Mary examined the chief to see what his sickness was. She opened her little
+medicine chest and took out some medicine.  She gave the chief a dose. It
+made the chief a little better.
+
+"I don't have enough of this medicine with me," said Mary. She knew that
+away on the other side of the river another missionary was working. She
+knew he had some of the medicine. She went to the men of the village.
+
+"You must go across the river to Ikorofiong for more medicine," said Mary.
+
+"No, no, we cannot go," said the men of the village. "Our enemies are on
+the other side of the river. They will kill us if we go there."
+
+"But I must have the medicine," said Mary.
+
+"There is a man from that village down the river a little ways. He is
+living in his canoe on the river. Maybe he will go," said one of the men.
+
+Some of the men ran down to the river.  They found the man. They promised
+him many things. At last he said he would go.  The next day he brought the
+medicine to Mary.
+
+For days Mary nursed Chief Okurike. She taught one of his wives how to help
+her. She also told the chief and his family about Jesus.  Whenever she
+could leave the chief for a short time she would talk to the tribe about
+the Saviour and how He would change their lives if they believed in Him.
+
+Day after day Mary prayed for Chief Okurike. At last prayer won out. Chief
+Okurike got well. The people were very happy.
+
+"Ma Mary," they said, "we want to learn book." They meant that they wanted
+to learn about the Bible.
+
+"I am glad you do," said Mary, "but then you must do what the Book says."
+
+"We will," said the people. "We will make peace with Calabar. We will not
+kill the traders who come to our land or the other white people."
+
+"Then I will always be your worker and I will send you a teacher as soon as
+I can, who will teach you of the Saviour who died for you to pay for your
+sins."
+
+Mary went back to Ekenge. Here she found that Chief Edem was very sick. He
+had some very bad boils on his back. Mary put medicine on the boils. Every
+day she came to his house and took care of him. One day when she came in
+she saw feathers and eggs lying around the room. This was witch doctor
+"medicine." On the Chief's neck and around his arms and legs were witch
+charms.
+
+"Oh, Chief Edem," said Mary, "how could you do this? Surely you know that
+doing witchcraft is a sin against God. I do not see how you could go back
+to it after you had learned to know about Jesus."
+
+"Ma, you don't know all about these things.  Someone is the cause of this
+sickness. You don't know all the badness of the black man's heart. Look,
+here are the proofs that someone is working witchcraft against me. The only
+one who can fight that is the witch doctor.  He is the only one who can
+make me well. See, here are the things that were taken from my back."
+
+Chief Edem pointed to a collection of shot, egg shells, seed and other
+things which the witch doctor said had come from his back. He believed the
+witch doctor. He believed that someone using witchcraft had sent them into
+his back.
+
+Mary knew what would happen. Everybody whom the chief thought might have
+done the witchcraft would have to take poison. The people thought that if
+the person who took the poison died, he was guilty, but if he was not
+guilty he would live. The tribe would also use other tortures like pouring
+boiling oil on people to get them to confess.
+
+"That is all wrong," said Mary. "The sickness is because you have not eaten
+good things or taken care of yourself and kept as clean as you should
+have. Don't believe the bad witch doctor." (God said something about that
+in Exodus 22:18.)
+
+Chief Edem would not listen. He had everyone he thought might have the
+witchcraft made a prisoner. The witch doctor took the chief and his wives
+and chief men and prisoners to a nearby farm. Mary was not allowed to come
+to this farm.
+
+Mary knew of Someone who could help her.  She prayed to God again and again
+to keep these people from doing the bad things they planned. Days went
+by. Mary prayed that Chief Edem might get well. God heard Mary's
+prayers. He did what she asked. He made Chief Edem well again.
+
+When Chief Edem was well again he decided not to kill the prisoners, the
+people he thought might have done witchcraft against him. He let them go
+free. Then the chief and his wives and the chief men came back to the
+village.
+
+The tribe had a big party to celebrate.  They were happy the chief was
+well. It was the wildest party Mary had ever seen. The people stuffed
+themselves with food until they became sick. They got drunk. They had wild
+dances. They did many wicked things.
+
+Mary had often prayed that God would turn the heathen people from their
+wicked ways, but here they were carrying on worse than ever. The only
+answer to her prayers that she could see was that the prisoners who were
+going to be killed had been set free.
+
+"Am I doing anything for my Saviour?"  Mary asked herself. "Am I having any
+success in winning people for Jesus?"
+
+
+
+
+#7#
+
+
+_Witchcraft_
+
+One day Chief Njiri and his warriors came to visit Chief Edem. They stayed
+several days. They had wild parties every day. They drank native beer until
+they became drunk. Then they would quarrel and fight. They asked Mary to
+settle their quarrels and decide who was right. Mary was praying every day
+that there would not be bad fights and that no one would be killed.
+
+Finally it was the last night of the visit.  The men were so drunk that
+Mary knew there would be trouble. When the chief and his men were ready to
+leave, everyone was excited.  The people were shouting and pushing.  Some
+shots were fired and the men began stabbing with their swords. They were
+too drunk to know what they were doing. Mary ran into the crowd. She went
+up to Chief Njiri.
+
+"Chief," said Mary, "your visit is over. Go now before trouble starts." She
+took hold of the chief's arm and led him out of the village and his men
+followed him. They started for their own village.
+
+"I'm glad that's over," said Mary, but she had spoken too soon.
+
+On their way home, as they were staggering along, Bakulu, one of Njiri's
+men, cried out, "Look!" and pointed with his finger. The chief and his men
+stopped.
+
+"It is witchcraft," said Bakulu. "See the little banana plant with palm
+leaves, nuts and a coconut shell close by!"
+
+"Don't go past it," said one of the other men. "It is bad medicine. You
+will get sick and die."
+
+"It is the people in the last village we passed through. They did it. Let
+us punish them," said Chief Njiri.
+
+"Yes, let's punish them," shouted the men.  Mary had been following the men
+to make sure they would go home.
+
+She heard the shouting. Now the men started running past her. She tried to
+stop them, but they slipped away. Mary took a short cut through the
+jungle. She reached the road to the village before the men did.
+
+"God, our Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "help me for Jesus' sake to stop
+these men, so there will not be a bloody battle."
+
+"Stop," she cried as the first men came in sight. "Stop, I want to talk to
+you."
+
+The men stopped. The others soon came running up. They had to stop, too.
+
+"You men are planning to do something bad. You do not know that the people
+of this village did bad things to you. You only think they did. You have
+drunk too much beer.  You do not know what you are doing. Go home."
+
+"But Ma," said Njiri, "they have made bad medicine against us. They made
+witchcraft.  They must be punished before we are hurt."
+
+Njiri and his men argued with Mary, but finally they listened to her. They
+turned around and once more started for home.  Mary went with them to make
+sure they would get there. At last they came again to the banana plant and
+the witch medicine.  They were afraid to pass it.
+
+"If we pass it, we will get sick and die," said Njiri.
+
+"That is sinful foolishness," said Mary.  "That banana plant and those
+other things will not hurt you. I am not afraid of them."
+
+Mary picked up the banana plant, the palm leaves, nuts and coconut shell
+and threw them into the jungle.
+
+"Now, brave men, come on. I have cleared the path. Let us go to your
+village."
+
+Timidly the men tiptoed past the place where the "medicine" had been. Then
+they went on to their own village. Once more Mary thought that all would be
+peaceful now for a while. She started for the village of Ekenge.
+
+No sooner was Mary gone than the people of Njiri began drinking again. Then
+they started quarreling and fighting. One of the men in the village ran and
+told Mary.
+
+"I will fix that," said Mary. She took some of the men of Ekenge with
+her. She went to the village of Njiri. With the help of the men of Ekenge
+and some of the people of the village, they tied some of the most drunken
+men and the wildest fighters to the trees. They left them there to cool
+themselves in the breezes of the jungle.
+
+After several hours Mary untied them because she was afraid that some lions
+might come and kill and eat them. Now that things were quiet, Mary again
+started for home. On the way she picked up the little banana plant that had
+caused so much trouble and took it with her.
+
+"I will plant it in my own yard and see what witchcraft can do!" said Mary.
+
+Early the next morning, a man from Njiri's village came running into
+Ekenge. He went to Mary's house.
+
+"Ma," said the runner, "Chief Njiri was very sick last night. He suffered
+very much.  The witch doctor took sticks and shells and shot from his
+leg. It is because he walked past the banana plant and other magic
+medicine.  Give me the little banana plant for the chief."
+
+"No, I cannot do that," said Mary. She knew that if the banana plant was
+taken to the chief, someone would die because of the witchcraft belief.
+
+"But you must send it," said Chief Edem.  "If you do not send it, he will
+make war on us."
+
+"Very well," said Mary, "I will send it. But I know there will be much
+trouble."
+
+So he took the banana plant to Chief Njiri.  When he received it, he and
+his warriors went to the village which he thought was working witchcraft
+against him. He made all the people of the village come to him. In great
+fear they came.
+
+"Every one of you must swear that you did not make that bad medicine
+against me. I am going to find out who is working that witchcraft to hurt
+me."
+
+All the people of the village swore they had not done it.
+
+"I am going to take one of your finest young men with me. If I find that
+you have told me a lie, I will kill him."
+
+Njiri's warriors captured a young man and took him along. If the villagers
+had tried to rescue him, he would have been killed, and many of them would
+have been killed also.  They sent a man to Mary.
+
+"Ma," said the man, "please help us. Please get Njiri to free Kolu."
+
+"I don't like to have anything to do with Njiri. He is very wicked. But I
+will go and try to get Kolu free."
+
+Mary went to the village of Chief Njiri.  She walked right up to the
+chief. The warriors of Chief Njiri looked at her with angry faces. They
+shook their spears at her.
+
+"Chief Njiri," said Mary, "why have you taken this young man? He has done
+you no harm. You are doing a bad thing."
+
+"Ha, ha," laughed Chief Njiri. "Do you think I am so foolish, Ma? I know
+these people put bad medicine in my path. I saw the sticks and shells which
+the witch doctor took from my leg. If sickness comes, I will kill this
+man."
+
+"The village people have sworn to you that they did not put those things in
+your path," said Mary.
+
+"Perhaps they are lying."
+
+"They are not lying, but you have lied.  You promised to go home and not
+harm these people. You lied to me. You have made trouble. You went to their
+village and made them swear. You stole this young man. It is wrong to
+lie. God will surely punish those who speak with a lying tongue. Please set
+this young man free so that he may return to his village and his people."
+
+"Ma," answered Chief Njiri, "you do not understand these things. You do not
+know the badness in the hearts of these people.  You do not know the bad
+things they want to do against me. You do not know about witchcraft."
+
+"Oh, yes, I do," said Mary. "I know that God will punish those who do
+witchcraft. He will punish those who are foolish enough to believe in
+it. The people who trust in Jesus do not fear witchcraft. Why do you not
+trust in Jesus?"
+
+"I don't need Jesus. I am a strong chief.  I have many warriors. No one can
+harm me."
+
+"If no one can hurt you, why don't you set this young man free?"
+
+"I will not set him free. If I keep him, his people will be afraid even to
+try hurting me."
+
+"But think, Chief, how you would feel if you were captured and taken away
+from your people? Think how sad this young man feels.  Great chiefs show
+mercy and kindness to the weak. Will you show mercy and kindness to the
+people of the village and free this young man?"
+
+"A great chief is not weak. He does not act like a woman. A woman shows
+kindness and love. I am not weak. I will punish. I will revenge myself on
+those who would do evil to me."
+
+"Revenge belongs to the true and powerful God. He will punish those who do
+evil. I beg you, Chief Njiri, to set this man free."
+
+"Ma, if I were not a good chief I would have killed you a long time
+ago. But go now.  I do not want to hear your talk. I will not set this
+young man free. Maybe I will kill him. Maybe I will not kill him. But I
+will not set him free. Go, before I become angry with you."
+
+"I will go, but remember Chief Njiri, the great and powerful God who sees
+and knows the badness in your heart. He knows the evil you do. Please turn
+to Him and believe in Him before it is too late and you end in Hell, the
+place where bad people suffer forever."
+
+"Go," said Chief Njiri angrily, "get out of my village. Go back to Ekenge."
+
+Sadly Mary started back to Ekenge.
+
+"I have failed these people who asked for my help. O God, soften the heart
+of Chief Njiri and keep Your protecting hand over the young man Kolu."
+
+When Chief Edem heard that Njiri would not set the man free, he said,
+
+"Njiri has insulted our Ma. Let the warriors get their spears and
+shields. Let us get ready for war."
+
+The women slipped quietly into Mary's room to tell her the latest news. It
+made Mary sad that these men were getting ready for a war, but neither one
+of the chiefs would listen to her. Mary knew where to go for help. She
+prayed to God.
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "You can stop this war. You can soften the hearts of
+these cruel chiefs. Please stop this war so that the warriors may not be
+killed and their wives made widows and their children orphans.  Hear me for
+the sake of Jesus, my Saviour."
+
+A man knocked on the door of Mary's hut.  "Ma, Ma," he cried, "Kolu has
+been set free. Chief Njiri let him go, and he is back at the village. There
+will be no war!"
+
+"Thank You, Father in Heaven," prayed Mary. "Thank You that You heard my
+prayers and that peace and quiet will again be in the villages."
+
+Mary had a true friend in Ma Eme, the sister of Chief Edem. She helped Mary
+often.  She did everything she could to help Mary and the mission, but one
+thing she never did, that was to confess Christ openly. She and Mary talked
+of many things as they worked together. One day Ma Eme said,
+
+"When my husband died, I had to go through the chicken test."
+
+"What is that?" asked Mary.
+
+"All of my husband's wives, I too, were put on trial. The witch doctors
+were trying to find who caused my husband, a great chief, to die. Each of
+us had to bring a chicken.  The witch doctor chopped off the heads of the
+chickens one at a time. If the headless chicken fluttered one way, the
+witch doctor said the wife was innocent. If it fluttered the other way, he
+said she was guilty."
+
+"What happened when they cut off the head of your chicken?" asked Mary.
+
+"It fluttered wildly in the right direction.  The witch doctor said I was
+innocent. But the strain had been so great I fainted and had to be carried
+to my hut. But many of the other wives were killed."
+
+"You do not believe in the witch doctors, do you?" asked Mary.
+
+Ma Eme looked all around. Then she stepped close to Mary and whispered,
+"No, but I would not tell anyone else. They are too strong and tricky. They
+could cause me much trouble if they knew I was against them."
+
+"I shall fight the witch doctors as long as God gives me strength. God is
+against the witch doctors who do such evil things."
+
+Chief Edem had promised Mary a house, and the people of the village had
+said they would build it. But whenever Mary wanted to start, they would
+say, "Tomorrow, we will start, Ma." But tomorrow just did not come.
+
+At last Mary and the children she had adopted and the native children
+cleared the ground. They stuck sticks in the ground for the wall. They
+began to make the roof. Then some of the lazy people of the village began
+to help, and at last the house was built.
+
+Mary also wanted to build a church and school at Ifako. The chief there had
+promised to help. But the people of that village were lazy, too. They were
+always putting off doing the building. One morning a man came from Ifako.
+
+"My master wants you," he said.
+
+Mary went to Ifako. The chiefs were together at a cleared piece of ground.
+
+"See, Ma, here is your ground. Here are the sticks, and mud, and palm
+leaves and other things we need to build. Shall we build the church today?"
+
+It did not take long for Mary to say yes.  The people of the village forgot
+to be lazy.  They were having fun building the church.  When it was finally
+finished it was twenty-five feet wide by thirty feet long. We would not
+think that was a very big building, but it was the biggest in the village.
+
+"See," said the Chief of Ifako, "it is much better than the house at
+Ekenge."
+
+"It is a fine church," said Mary. "Now we must keep it clean and
+nice. There should be no dirty things in or around God's house."
+
+We would not think it was such a fine church. The walls were made of dry
+mud and sticks. The roof was made of palm-leaf mats.  The floors were made
+of mud and so were the seats. But everything was polished and rubbed as
+smooth as possible. There were no windows or doors in the building. There
+were just holes in the wall to let in the light for windows and a larger
+hole to serve as an entrance.  But Mary thought it was a fine church
+because it was the best in that part of the country and because it was a
+place where people could hear about the Saviour and learn "book."
+
+"We will hold our first service in the new church next Sunday," said
+Mary. "I want you all to come."
+
+"We will come, Ma," promised the natives.
+
+
+
+
+#8#
+
+
+_The Poison Test_
+
+"Tomorrow we will have our first service in our new church. You must dress
+right for it," said Mary.
+
+She took out of her mission boxes clothes of all kinds and colors which the
+people in the homeland had sent to her.
+
+"You must wear these to church tomorrow," said Mary. "In God's house you
+must be clean. You must be dressed. You must not bring your spears into
+church."
+
+"Can we come?" asked the children.
+
+"Indeed you can," said Mary. "The children can come and the slaves can
+come. God's house is open to everyone."
+
+The next day was indeed a happy day for Mary. The church was filled with
+people.  Many of them came just out of curiosity, but there were many who
+had learned to know and love and trust in Jesus.
+
+Mary now started day classes and these too were crowded because many wanted
+to learn "book." They wanted to learn about Ma's God and about the Saviour
+who took away sins. It was not long before a change could be seen in many
+of these people. They had become Christians. The look of fear was gone from
+their eyes. They no longer feared the demons because they had a Saviour who
+loved them and took care of them. They did not do the wicked things they
+had done before. They tried to live as God wanted them to live.
+
+Mary was happy. Now she wanted to build a larger and better mission house
+in Ekenge.  Chief Edem wanted that too. He felt that the church schoolhouse
+in Ifako quite outshone the little two-room house in Ekenge. Mary wanted
+doors and windows in the new house.  She could not make them. The natives
+could not. They had never seen any.
+
+Mary wrote to the Mission Board about it.  The Mission Board put a notice
+in the magazine they published asking for a practical carpenter who was
+willing to go to Calabar.  Mr. Charles Ovens saw the notice.
+
+"This is God's call to me," he said. "I have wanted to be a missionary ever
+since I was a little boy. I could not study to be a minister.  I learned to
+be a carpenter. Now I can be a carpenter for God. I can build mission
+houses and churches and while I build I can tell the people about my
+Saviour."
+
+It was in May, 1889, that Mr. Ovens started for Calabar. In Duke Town he
+found a native helper and the two of them went to Ekenge. Mary was very
+glad to have him come. He was a very jolly man. He sang at his
+work. Everyone liked him and the natives gladly helped him in building the
+houses.
+
+For a long time Mary had been trying to get the chiefs of Okoyong to trade
+with the traders on the coast. They would not listen.  Now she invited them
+to her new house. She showed them the things she had and how useful they
+were. The chiefs looked at the door and windows. They liked them. The women
+looked at the clothes and at the sewing machine. They liked them. They
+looked at the clock on the mantel. They liked it, too.
+
+"We will trade with coast people," said Chief Edem.
+
+Mary wrote to the traders and invited them to Okoyong. She told them to
+bring dishes, dress goods, mirrors, clocks, and the like to trade for
+ivory, oil, and bananas and other things in the jungle.
+
+"It is too dangerous to come up-country," answered the traders. "We are
+afraid the native guards on the jungle paths will kill us."
+
+Mary wrote to good King Eyo, of Duke Town. She asked him to invite the
+Okoyong chiefs for a conference. She promised they would bring jungle goods
+to trade.
+
+King Eyo invited the chiefs. They did not want to go. Mary told them of the
+interesting things they would see on the coast. She told them of the good
+things they could get by trading. At last they agreed to go. They collected
+two canoeloads of bananas, barrels of oil and other jungle crops. Then the
+chiefs and warriors came marching down to the river to go to the coast.
+
+"Wait," said Mary. "You cannot take those spears and swords and guns
+along. You will only get into trouble. You must leave your swords and
+spears, your guns and knives at home."
+
+When Mary said this, many of the natives disappeared into the jungle. They
+would not go without their weapons.
+
+"Ma, you make women of us," argued those who remained. "Would a man go
+among strangers without arms?"
+
+"You may not take arms," said Mary.  "You are not going to war. You are
+going for a friendly visit."
+
+"If we cannot take our swords and guns we will not go. We will stay home."
+
+"But you promised and I promised King Eyo that you would come. Will you go
+back on your word and make me a liar?"
+
+For two hours they argued with Mary. The beach filled with natives from the
+village who wanted to see the chiefs start on their trip.  The chiefs did
+not want to look like cowards to the people of the village. At last they
+took off their swords and gave their guns to their white Ma. Those who had
+run away to the jungle came back and decided to go along.
+
+"We do not like this," said the chiefs, "but we will go. We will not make
+you a liar, Ma."
+
+They got off into their boats. As one of the boats rowed off, one of the
+bags shifted. Mary saw the gleam of flashing swords.
+
+"Stop!" cried Mary. The rowers stopped.  Mary took the swords and threw
+them into the river.
+
+"Shame on you," said Mary. "I did not think you would try to fool me like
+that." The chiefs said nothing. They just rowed down the river.
+
+The chiefs who went to Duke Town had a wonderful time. They went to the
+church services. King Eyo Honesty talked with them about the Gospel and
+what it meant for their lives. He took them to his house and had a big
+dinner for them. They traded the bananas, oil, and other things which they
+had brought for things to take home like mirrors, clocks, and white
+people's clothes. Then the next day they rowed back to Ekenge.
+
+The village people were all gathered down at the landing place to welcome
+the chiefs home. They watched patiently for the boats.  When the boats came
+the people shouted for joy.
+
+"Welcome home, Chief Edem," said Mary.  "How was your trip? Did you enjoy
+your visit at Duke Town?"
+
+"The trip was fine, Ma," said Chief Edem.  "Duke Town is a big
+village. They have a big churchhouse. We saw many things."
+
+"Did you need your guns and swords?"  asked Mary.
+
+"No, Ma, you were right. We did not need guns or swords. King Eyo was good
+to us.  We have many fine things."
+
+"If you work hard and get things to trade, you can get many more fine
+things," said Mary.
+
+"We are going to work hard. We want many of those fine things we saw."
+
+The men did work. Because they were busy they had less time and less desire
+to get drunk and quarrel. Mary's missionary work was having its effect on
+the lives of the people. Slowly they were changing from their heathen ways,
+but there was still much to do.
+
+One day while Mary and Mr. Ovens were working on the mission house they
+heard a wild scream from the nearby jungle. Mary jumped up.
+
+"Something is wrong in the jungle," said Mary. "Johnny, go and see what it
+is."
+
+One of her orphan boys ran off to find out what was wrong. In a few minutes
+he came back.
+
+"Ma, Ma," he cried, "a man is hurt. Maybe he is dead. Come quick."
+
+Mary grabbed her case of medicines and followed Johnny into the
+jungle. When she reached the place where the young man was lying, she
+looked into his face.
+
+"It is Etim, the son of our chief, Edem. He is going to get married soon
+and is building his house. A tree fell the wrong way and hit him. He cannot
+move his arms or legs. This means bad trouble. The people will say it is
+witchcraft."
+
+Mary with her helpers quickly made a stretcher to carry Etim. They carried
+him to his mother's home at Ekenge.
+
+"I will nurse him," said Mary to Etim's mother.
+
+For two weeks Mary took care of him night and day. She prayed God to spare
+the young man's life. She did everything she knew to help him. Etim did not
+get better. Day by day he became worse. Sunday morning came.  Mary could
+see that he did not have long to live. She left him for a short time to
+arrange for Mr. Ovens to take care of the church services. Hearing Etim
+groaning and crying out, she rushed back to the house where he was.
+
+The natives were blowing smoke into his nose. They were rubbing pepper into
+his eyes. His uncle, Ekponyong, shouted into his ears. They thought they
+were helping him to get well. Instead they made him die sooner.  In a
+moment he gave a cry and fell back dead.
+
+"Etim is dead!" cried the people in the house. "Witches have killed him!
+They must die! Bring the witch doctor at once!"
+
+The people who were in the house quickly disappeared, and soon only Mary
+and Etim's relatives were left. When the witch doctor came, he did all
+kinds of queer things, which he said would tell him who had made the young
+man die. He pretended to be listening to the dead boy talk.
+
+"It is the people of Payekong. They are to blame. They put a spell on him,"
+said the witch doctor.
+
+Chief Edem called for the leader of his soldiers.
+
+"Take my warriors and go to Payekong," said Chief E'dem. "Capture the
+people and burn down the houses. Quickly now!"
+
+The warriors were too late. Chief Akpo, the chief of Payekong, had heard
+the news.  He and his people had run off into the jungle.  Only a few
+people were left in the village.  Those were captured by Edem's soldiers
+and brought to Ekenge.
+
+Mary was sure that Chief Edem would make the people take the poison bean
+test.  This is how the test was made: A small brown bean full of poison was
+crushed and put into water. The person who was tested had to drink the
+poison water. The natives thought that if the person drank the water and
+died, he was guilty; if he lived, he was innocent.
+
+"That is no way to honor your son, Chief Edem," said Mary. "You know it is
+wrong and sinful to kill people."
+
+"But they are bad people. They deserve to die."
+
+"You do not know that. That water is poison. Anyone who drinks it would
+die."
+
+"Oh, no, Ma, if the one who drinks it is innocent he will live."
+
+"I do not agree with you. Come, let us honor your son in a better way."
+
+Mary wrapped the young man's body in silk. She dressed him in the finest
+suit she could find. She wrapped a silk turban around his head and then
+placed a high red and black hat with bright colored feathers on his head.
+No chief had ever been dressed so fine for his burial. The body was carried
+out into the yard and seated in a large chair under an umbrella.  A
+silver-headed stick and a whip was placed in his hand. This showed he was a
+chief's son. A mirror was also put in his hand so he could see how
+wonderful he was.  On a table beside him were placed all his
+treasures. Those included skulls he had taken in war. Then the people were
+let into the yard to see Etim.
+
+The people shouted. They were so happy they danced around. They called for
+whiskey to drink. Chief Edem gave them much whiskey to drink. They became
+wilder and wilder.
+
+Mary and Mr. Ovens took turns watching the prisoners. They were afraid the
+people would kill them. As Mary was going to her house for a little rest,
+she saw some poison beans on the pounding stone. This filled her with
+fear. She was not afraid for herself, but for the poor prisoners. She fell
+on her knees and prayed.
+
+"Dear Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "watch over these poor people. Do not
+let harm come to these prisoners. Keep the other people from doing
+murder. Give me the courage to face the chiefs and tell them they are
+wrong. In all these things may Thy will be done. I ask this in Jesus'
+name."
+
+After she had prayed Mary got up and went to Chief Edem and his brother
+Ekponyong.
+
+"You must forbid the poison bean test," said Mary. "It is wrong and
+sinful. God is watching what you do. Do not do that sinful thing."
+
+"That is my business," said Chief Edem.  "I am the chief of this tribe. I
+will do what seems good to me."
+
+Mary argued with the chief, but he would not listen. Ekponyong, his
+brother, encouraged Edem to make the prisoners take the poison bean
+test. Mary then went to the yard where the prisoners were kept. She sat
+down in the gateway. She was not going to let anyone get the
+prisoners. This made the chiefs very angry. The crowd of village people
+howled and yelled. Chief Edem's warriors shook their swords and guns at her
+and stamped the ground angrily.
+
+"Raise our master from the dead," shouted the people, "and we will free the
+prisoners!"
+
+Mary kept her place. She wrote a note to Duke Town asking for help and sent
+it off secretly by one of her orphan boys. Still she watched over the
+prisoners. She would not leave her place in the gate. The people were angry
+with her, but still many of them loved and respected their white Ma and
+would not hurt her. Suddenly a man pushed his way through the crowd. He
+shoved Mary aside.  He grabbed one of the women prisoners. He dragged her
+in front of the body of Etim. He handed her the cup of poison.
+
+"Drink!" he cried. "Drink and prove that you are innocent, or drink and
+die!"
+
+
+
+
+#9#
+
+
+_Victories for Mary_
+
+"Oh ma, do not leave us. Please do not leave us," begged the other
+prisoners as the poor woman prisoner got ready to drink the poison.
+
+"Lord, help me and help these poor people," prayed Mary.
+
+Mary went up to the woman. The woman raised the cup of poison to her
+lips. Mary grabbed her arm.
+
+"Run," she whispered. "Run to the mission house."
+
+Before the crowd knew what was happening, Mary and the woman had run far
+into the jungle. They went to the mission house.  No one would dare to harm
+anyone in the mission house. Mary then went back to the other prisoners.
+
+"O God, I thank Thee that I was able to help this poor woman get away. Help
+me to save these other prisoners also."
+
+When Mary got back to the other prisoners, the argument with the chiefs
+started again.
+
+"An innocent person will not die if he drinks the poison," said
+Ekponyong. "Only a bad, guilty person will die."
+
+"That is not right," answered Mary.  "Poison will kill anyone, good or
+bad. Chief Edem, you know it was an accident that your son died. It was not
+the fault of any of these people. Please let them go free."
+
+"I want my son to be buried in a box like the white people," said Chief
+Edem. "Will Bwana Ovens make a fine box for my son?"
+
+"I will make a coffin for your son if you will let the prisoners go free,"
+said Mr. Ovens.
+
+"No, no," said Chief Edem.
+
+"Then I will not make a box for you."
+
+"Well, then I will let some go free," said Chief Edem.
+
+"No, you must not let them go free," said Ekponyong.
+
+"If I want to let them go free, I can," said Chief Edem. "I am chief, don't
+forget that."
+
+"Show that you are a great and wise chief," said Mary. "Let them all go
+free."
+
+Chief Edem thought a while. Then he spoke.
+
+"If Bwana Ovens will make a fine box for my son then I will let all go free
+but Mojo, Otinga, and Obwe," said Chief Edem.
+
+"But why keep them?" asked Mary.
+
+"Mojo and Otinga are related to Etim's mother. They planned bad things
+against my boy. Obwe is related to Chief Akpo who has run away because he
+is guilty. Now if I let these others go will you build me a box Bwana
+Ovens?"
+
+"Yes, I will build you a box," said Mr.  Ovens.
+
+"Please let the three go free, too," said Mary. "They have done you no
+wrong."
+
+"We have done more for you than we have ever done before. We will do
+nothing else," said Chief Edem. He turned his back on Mary and walked away.
+
+People from other villages came to take part in the wild parties that were
+always held when there was a funeral. Mary tried again and again to get
+Edem to free the three prisoners. Mary and Mr. Ovens managed to take Mojo
+and Otinga to the mission house where they were safe. Again Mary pleaded
+for Obwe. Chief Edem was very angry.
+
+"Will you not have me honor my son? You have run off with my prisoners. I
+will burn down the mission house. I will send you back to Duke Town. Then
+you cannot trouble me any longer."
+
+"Brother, you do not speak wisely," said Ma Eme, E'dem's sister. "The white
+Ma has done many good things for us. If we burn down the mission house you
+will have a bad name among all tribes. Chain Obwe in the white Ma's yard so
+that the village people cannot harm her. She cannot get away and you can
+find out later whether she is guilty or not."
+
+"Very well," said Chief Edem, "I will do that. But the three must be killed
+for the funeral. What kind of a funeral will that be for a chief's son if
+no one is killed? He will have no one to go with him on the way to the dark
+land."
+
+The next day two missionaries came from Duke Town in answer to Mary's
+note. It was a great honor to have so many white people at a funeral. Chief
+Edem was no longer as angry as he had been. The missionaries showed slide
+pictures. The natives had never seen anything like it before. It pleased
+them very much and it also quieted them down.  The next day when the
+funeral was held, a cow was killed and put in the coffin with Etim instead
+of the people who were thought to have worked witchcraft against him.
+
+Mary was glad and thankful to God that she had been able to save the
+prisoners. The last of the prisoners was let go free on the promise that if
+Chief Akpo was caught he would take the poison test. Mary heard that Etim
+was the only chief in Okoyong ever to be buried without some people being
+killed as a human sacrifice. The people of the jungle thought Mary was
+wonderful indeed.
+
+Mary thought that this trouble was over, but a short time later Etim's
+uncle, who lived in a nearby village, was accused of having killed the
+young man. He came to Ekenge and met with the village chiefs.
+
+"I am willing to take the poison bean test," said the uncle, "if all of the
+chiefs will take the test. That means you, too, Edem. Those who are
+innocent will not be hurt. I will take the test, but all the other chiefs
+must, too."
+
+When Mary heard that Etim's uncle was going to take the poison bean test if
+the other chiefs would, she rushed to the village. The men were
+arguing. They were shaking their swords and guns at one another. Mary
+looked around until she found the bag of poison beans. She took them and
+ran off with them.
+
+The chiefs could not find the poison beans.  Finally, they quieted
+down. Chief Edem went to Mary.
+
+"Give me the poison beans," he said. "I know you have taken them."
+
+"Yes, I took them," said Mary, "but I will not give them to you. There has
+been enough trouble and sadness and fear. When will you be satisfied that
+your son's death was an accident?"
+
+Chief Edem turned around and went back to the village. He sent all the
+chiefs home.  Nothing more was said about the poison bean test.
+
+Now Mary began to plead for Akpo, the chief of the village which the witch
+doctor had said had caused Etim to be killed.
+
+"Chief Edem, let him come home. Forgive him. He has done you no wrong."
+
+God softened Edem's heathen heart. After several weeks he agreed to let
+Akpo come home.
+
+"You may tell him," Edem said to Mary, "that all thought of revenge is gone
+from my heart. If he wishes to return to his own village, he may do so, or
+he may go anywhere in Okoyong in safety."
+
+Nothing like that had ever been done before in the jungle. The heathen
+people did not forgive. They always took revenge. Akpo did not believe Edem
+had forgiven him. He did not want to trust Edem. At last Mary convinced him
+that Edem meant just what he said and that Akpo could really go home.
+
+Mary and Akpo came to his home village of Payekong. The houses had been
+burned. The cattle had been stolen. But it was still home.  Tears came to
+Akpo's eyes. Thankfully the chief kneeled at Mary's feet.
+
+"Oh, Ma, thank you, thank you for what you have done for me and my
+people. I and my people will always do whatever you ask."  Akpo kept his
+promise. Other chiefs often argued with Mary and threatened to hurt her,
+but Akpo and his people always helped her and did whatever she wanted them
+to do.
+
+Chief Edem now was kind to Akpo and his people. He built houses for them
+and helped them get their gardens started again. He gave them some cattle,
+too. After some time had gone by, Chief Edem came to Mary. He kneeled down
+before her.
+
+"Thank you, Ma, for being brave. Thank you for keeping after me until I let
+those prisoners go. I am glad that people were not killed at the time of
+Etim's death. Your ways are better than ours. We are tired of the old
+ways."
+
+Many other people came and told her how glad they were that the old ways
+were changing.  They said that they knew the old ways were bad. Mary had
+had a very hard time in the jungles, but now things were going better. She
+was busy all the time, teaching and preaching and nursing. She journeyed
+through the jungle where the wild animals were, but she did not fear. She
+was trusting God to take care of her as He had taken care of Daniel in the
+lions' den. Always she told the people of the loving Saviour who had died
+for their sins.
+
+After a time Mary fell sick. She caught the jungle fever. She became very
+weak.
+
+"Mary," said Ovens, "you must take a vacation.  You must get away from the
+jungle for a while. You must go to England for a long rest. That way you
+can get well and come back to work here at Okoyong."
+
+"You are right," said Mary. "Much as I hate to leave my work here, I know I
+must go. I will ask for a furlough at once."
+
+For three years Mary had worked in Okoyong.  But already there was a change
+among the heathen people. The Gospel of Jesus has a wonderful power to
+change hearts and lives.  As soon as word came that another worker was
+being sent to take her place, Mary got ready to leave for England.
+
+At last the day came that Miss Dunlop, the new worker, arrived. Mary was
+ready to leave. Her friends carried her trunk and suitcases down to the
+Ekenge landing. A great crowd had come to the landing to tell her good-by
+and wish her a safe journey.  Mary was telling them to help Miss Dunlop and
+to remain true to the Bible teaching. Suddenly a man was seen running
+through the crowd. He ran up to Mary.
+
+"Come, white Ma, a young man has been shot in the hand, and he wants your
+medicine!"
+
+"Don't go Ma," said Ma Eme, Mary's friend. "You are tired and sick. You
+must get back to England. If you go with this man you may miss your
+boat. Let someone else go."
+
+"It is a bad tribe. They are always fighting.  It is dangerous to go," said
+Chief Edem.  "Do not go with the man."
+
+"You cannot go," said her other friends at Ekenge. "You are too sick to
+walk. The wild animals in the jungle will kill you. The wild warriors are
+out. They will kill you in the dark, not knowing who you are."
+
+"But I must go," said Mary.
+
+"If you must go," said Chief Edem, "then you must take two armed men with
+you. You must get the chief of the next village to send his drummer with
+you. When the people hear the drum, they will know that a protected person
+is traveling who must not be hurt."
+
+It was night. Mary Slessor and the two men marched out into the
+darkness. The lanterns threw strange shadows that looked like fierce men in
+the darkness. At last Mary and her guard came to the village where they
+were to ask for the drummer. They told the chief what Chief Edem had said,
+but the chief did not want to help them.
+
+"You are going to a fighting tribe," said the chief. "They will not listen
+to what a woman says. You had better go back. I will not protect you."
+
+"You don't think a woman can do much.  Maybe you are right," said Mary to
+the chief.  "But you forget what the woman's God can do. He can do
+anything. I shall go on."
+
+Mary went on into the darkness. The natives watched her go. She must be
+crazy, they thought. She had talked back to their chief who had the power
+to kill her. She had walked on into a jungle where wild leopards were ready
+to jump on her. She was going where men were drinking and making themselves
+wild. But Mary was not afraid. Once in talking about her trips through the
+jungle Mary said, "My great help and comfort was prayer. I did not used to
+believe the story of Daniel in the lions' den until I had to take some of
+those awful marches through the jungle. Then I knew it was true. Many times
+I walked alone, praying, 'O God of Daniel, shut their mouths!' and He did."
+
+After pushing on through the darkness, Mary saw the dim outlines of the
+huts of the village. All was quiet. Suddenly she heard the swift patter of
+bare feet. She was surrounded by warriors shouting, pushing and shaking
+their spears.
+
+"What have you come for?" asked the chief.
+
+"I have heard a young man is hurt. I come to help him. I also heard that
+you are going to war. I have come to ask you not to fight," said Mary.
+
+The chief talked with some of his men.  Then he came up to Mary.
+
+"The white Ma is welcome," he said. "She shall hear all we have to say
+before we fight.  All the same we shall fight. Here is my son wounded by
+the enemy. We must wipe out the shame put on us. We must get even for this
+bad thing. Now Ma you may give my son your medicine. Then you must
+rest. Women, you take care of the white Ma. We will call her at cockcrow
+when we start."
+
+Mary fixed the young man's hand. Then she laid down in one of the huts for
+an hour's sleep. It seemed as though her eyes were hardly shut, before she
+heard a voice calling her.
+
+"Ma, they are going to battle. Run, Ma, run!"
+
+The warriors were on the warpath. Mary could hear their wild yells and the
+roll of the war drums. Mary ran after them. She was tired from the hard
+trip to their village. She was weak from the sickness she had. But nothing
+could stop her. She caught up with the warriors just as they were getting
+ready to attack an enemy village.
+
+"Behave like men," she yelled, "not like fools. Be quiet now. Do not yell
+and shout."
+
+The warriors became silent.
+
+"God says that revenge is wrong," said Mary. "He will pay back wicked
+people for the wrong things they do. You should not try to get even. Leave
+that to God."
+
+"No, no," said the chief. "If we do not pay back for the wrong done us, the
+tribe will not be afraid of us. They will do more bad things to us."
+
+"Yes, yes," shouted the warriors. They kept shouting and shaking their
+swords and guns.
+
+"Did the whole village hurt you? Did the whole village shoot the young man?
+When you fight against the village you will hurt many women and
+children. They are innocent.  They have done nothing. Let us pray to God
+about it."
+
+All the warriors were quiet as Mary prayed. She asked God to please stop
+the war if it was His will. She prayed for the young man who had been
+hurt. She prayed for whoever it was that hurt him, that he might turn away
+from his wickedness and become a Christian. She prayed for the people of
+the village.
+
+Then Mary spoke to the warriors.
+
+"You stay here," she said, "I am going over to the village."
+
+Fearlessly she walked over to where the line of village warriors were drawn
+up with their swords and spears.
+
+"Hello," said Mary.
+
+The warriors said nothing. Mary looked over the angry faces. Then she
+laughed.
+
+"Nice bunch," she said. "Is this the way you welcome lady visitors?"
+
+The warriors stirred uneasily. They did not say anything.
+
+"Where is your chief?" asked Mary.  "Surely he is not afraid to talk to
+me."
+
+An old chief stepped out from behind the village warriors. To Mary's
+surprise he kneeled down in front of her.
+
+"Ma," he said, "we thank you for coming.  It is true we shot the young man,
+the young chief of those who have come to fight us. But it was one man who
+did it. The whole village was not at fault. Please make peace. Tell us what
+we must do."
+
+Mary looked into the face of the chief. It was Chief Okurike. Long ago she
+had made a hard trip through the jungle in pouring rain to help when he was
+deathly sick. Because of what she had done then, he was now at her feet
+asking her to make peace. Mary shook hands with Chief Okurike. Then she
+spoke to his warriors.
+
+"Stay where you are," she said. "Some of you find a place where I can sit
+in comfort.  I am hungry. Bring me breakfast. I will not starve while men
+fight."
+
+The warriors did as she told them.
+
+"Now," she said, "choose two or three men to speak for you. We shall have a
+palaver. In that way we will settle this thing."
+
+The four men met and talked with one another while Mary ate breakfast.
+
+"Why do you want to fight and kill because one drunken man wounded your
+young chief?"  Mary asked the men from the fighting tribe.  "Let the tribe
+of the drunken youth pay a fine."
+
+A long talk followed. Sometimes it became very exciting. The arguing grew
+loud. The father of the young man wanted to have the man who had shot him
+punished hard. When the men became angry, Mary would stop them.
+
+"Let us pray about this," Mary would say.  After she had prayed they would
+settle the point. Finally Mary and her God won out.
+
+The fighting tribe at last agreed to be satisfied with a fine. The village
+paid the fine.  They did not use money. So the fine was paid in barrels and
+bottles of trade gin. Now Mary was worried. What should she do? She knew
+the warriors would drink the gin right away.  She knew this would make them
+fight after all in spite of their promises. A quick thought came to
+her. According to the law of these people, clothes thrown over anything
+gave it the protection of your body. No one else could touch it. Mary
+snatched off her skirt. She took off all the clothes she could spare. She
+spread them over the barrels and bottles.  Now no one could touch them.
+
+Mary took the one glass the tribe had. She gave one glassful to each chief
+to show that there was no trick and that the barrels and bottles were
+really filled with gin. Then she spoke to them about fighting. "If all of
+you go to your homes and don't fight," said Mary, "I'll promise to send the
+stuff after you. I must go away. I have been sick and I must go where I can
+get strong again. I am going across the great waters to my home. I shall be
+away many moons. Will you promise me that you will not fight while I am
+gone? It will make me very happy if you will make that promise. It will
+make me sad if you don't, for I will always be wondering whether you are
+fighting and hurting one another."
+
+"I will promise," said the chief of the village, "if the other chief will."
+
+All the warriors looked at the chief whose son had been hurt. For a long
+time he said nothing. His tribe had always been fighters.  It would be hard
+for them to give up fighting.  The chief rubbed his chin. He scratched his
+head.
+
+"Yes, Ma," he said finally, "I will promise that we will not fight while
+you are gone."  The two villages kept the promise made by their
+chiefs. When Mary came back the two chiefs could say, "It is peace."
+
+Mary was very tired. Slowly she tramped through the hot jungle. After many
+hours she came to Ekenge.
+
+"We have sent your trunks and things on ahead," said Chief Edem. "Here are
+my best rowers and best soldiers. They are ready to take you to Duke Town."
+
+Mary once more stepped into the canoe.  This time there was no one to call
+her back.  Little black Janie, whom Mary had adopted, was with her.
+
+"Good-by, good-by, Ma," shouted the crowd.  "God keep you safe and bring
+you back to us again."
+
+The rowers pulled their oars strongly, and swiftly down the slow moving
+river went the canoe. Three years Mary had spent in Okoyong.  Already she
+had seen a change in the heathen people. A greater change was still to
+come. Mary was going to see more of the power the Gospel has to change
+heathen hearts and lives.
+
+
+
+
+#10#
+
+
+_A Disappointment_
+
+Mary wrote to the Mission Board;
+
+Charles and I are very much in love.
+We would like to be married. Charles
+is a wonderful Christian and a very
+fine teacher. He would be a very great
+help in my jungle work. We hope that
+you will agree to our marriage and let
+Charles go into the jungle with me.
+
+I am ready to do what you say. I lay
+the whole matter in God's hands and
+will take from Him what He sees best
+for His work in Okoyong. My life was
+laid on the altar for that people long
+ago, and I would not take one jot or
+tittle of it back. If it be for His
+glory and the advantage of His cause
+there to let another join in it, I
+will be grateful. If not, I will be
+grateful anyway, for God knows best.
+
+The Board was very much surprised to get this letter. If the Board members
+had thought about it at all, they had thought that Mary would never
+marry. She was forty-three years old and Charles Morrison, her sweetheart,
+was twenty-five. He was a mission teacher at Duke Town. The difference in
+their ages did not bother the sweethearts.  They met and had fallen in
+love. They wanted to marry.
+
+"I will marry you if the Mission Board will agree to letting you work in
+the jungle with me," said Mary.
+
+"But suppose the Board will not let me go into the jungle, wouldn't you be
+willing to come back to Duke Town with me?" asked Charles.
+
+"No, Charles, I couldn't. I love you very much, more than anyone I have
+ever known, but my work for God is in the jungles. There no one else has
+yet planted the Gospel seed.  To leave a field like Okoyong without a
+worker and go to one like Duke Town with ten or a dozen workers where the
+people have the Bible and plenty of privileges--that's foolish.  If God
+does not send you into the jungle with me, then you must do your work and I
+must do mine where we have been placed."
+
+It was not long after Mary had returned to England that the Mission Board
+gave its answer to her request. The answer was no.
+
+"What the Lord decides is right," said Mary. "I believe that the Mission
+Board is giving me God's answer because they are His servants."
+
+What Mary suffered no one knew. She longed to have a life's partner by her
+side in the great work of bringing the Gospel to the jungle, but having
+given her life to God, she felt that He must be her first love. Charles
+Morrison, however, took the refusal very hard. He became sick and had to go
+home.  Later he went to America where he died.
+
+Now that Mary was home in England, she soon got over the jungle
+fevers. People wanted to hear about the missionary work in Africa. Mary
+went from church to church telling about her work. She did not like to do
+this. She would rather be in the jungle telling the natives about Jesus.
+
+"It is hard for me to speak," said Mary, "but Jesus has asked me to do it,
+and it is an honor to speak for Him. I wish to do it cheerfully."
+
+Everywhere people were thrilled to hear about the work for Jesus in the
+jungle. They wanted to do something, too. They gave money. They sent boxes
+of clothes and food and other things out to Africa to help the heathen.
+
+Then Mary got sick with influenza and bronchitis. She could not go around
+speaking any more. Instead, she wrote some articles for a missionary paper.
+
+"The Gospel must be preached to the people of Calabar," she said. "Then the
+people ought to be taught some trades. They should learn to be carpenters
+and farmers and the like. We ought to send out people who can teach them
+these trades so that they can make a living."
+
+This was a new idea to many people. They wrote to other missionaries to
+find out what they thought about it. Later a school, "The Hope Waddell
+Training Institute," was started.  This school taught the boys and girls of
+Calabar many trades.
+
+Mary was slow in getting well. She and Janie, the black girl she had
+brought with her, went to the southern part of England, where the climate
+was milder. It was hoped that the sea breezes and the mild climate would
+bring back her health. Days and weeks went by. Little by little Mary got
+better. The year 1891 came to an end. The bells rang in the New Year.
+
+"Soon we can go back to dear Calabar," said Mary. "Oh, how I want to get
+back and tell more people there about the Lord Jesus."
+
+In February, 1892, Mary and Janie sailed for Calabar. What new adventures
+awaited them in Africa?
+
+"Welcome home, Ma, welcome," shouted the people of Okoyong. "God bless
+you. Praise the Lord for sending you back to us!"
+
+When Mary came back to Okoyong, things were much different from what they
+had been the first time she came. Now there was a fine mission
+house. Churches and schoolhouses had been built in many of the villages.
+The people were slowly but surely turning away from their heathen
+customs. Formerly no chief ever died without the sacrifice of many human
+lives, but this was not done any more. One of the chiefs said, "Ma, you
+white people are God Almighty. No other power could have done this."
+
+There were still many chiefs who liked to go to war and to fight with other
+tribes. But Mary had friends who would tell her of the plans of these
+chiefs. She would have to go to them and persuade them not to fight.  One
+of Mary's dearest friends was Ma Eme.  When she would hear of trouble, she
+would send a messenger to Mary with a medicine bottle. This would mean, "Be
+ready for trouble."
+
+Mary was so good at settling the arguments between the chiefs that the
+British government made her a vice-consul. This was something like a
+governor and judge. The jungle people would not let the white men come and
+make new laws or settle their arguments, but they did listen to Mary. She
+was a very fair and honest judge. The people loved and obeyed her.
+
+But life was not easy. Not all the natives were Christians. Even those who
+were, were not always good Christians but would sometimes slip back into
+the old heathen ways.  Then it was hard for Mary and her helpers to get to
+the different places. There were no easy roads through the jungles, and
+wild animals were always there ready to kill the careless traveler.
+
+Mary received many gifts both from the natives and from her friends in
+England and Scotland. One of the gifts she loved the best was a little
+steamboat, which the natives called "smoking canoe." The boys and girls in
+Scotland had given the money to buy this boat.
+
+But Mary was not satisfied. She did not want to take life easy. As soon as
+she had built a church and the people were beginning to become civilized,
+she wanted to move on to wilder places.
+
+"I want to start new work," said Mary.  "Let those who are younger and who
+have not been in this work as long as I have, take the places where the
+work has been begun."
+
+Many of Mary's friends among the natives had gone to Akpap, which was a
+village south of Ekenge. This village was about six miles from the Cross
+River. It was a large trading center. Many heathen came to this village to
+trade their goods for other things they wanted. Mary wrote to the Mission
+Board and asked them to let her begin work in this new place.
+
+"We cannot at this time let you start work at Akpap," wrote the Mission
+Board. "To start there we would have to build a mission house, and we do
+not have the money for that. Besides the nearest landing place is
+Ikunetu. This is six miles from Akpap. The forests are wild and hard to get
+through. We believe you should continue the work at Ekenge."
+
+Mary wrote again and again, trying to persuade the Board to let her start
+work at Akpap. At last the Mission Board agreed to let her start work
+there. They promised to build a mission house and a boathouse for her
+steamboat.
+
+Mary did not wait for the house to be built.  In 1896 she built a two-room
+native shed.  Here she began her work. The house was not as good as the
+first house she built in Ekenge.  This did not bother Mary. She was more
+concerned about bringing the Gospel to the heathen.
+
+The work here was like that in Ekenge. The chiefs came with the troubles
+they were having in their tribes. They wanted her advice.  The people came
+with their family problems and wanted her to tell them what to do. There
+were many heathen people who came from the jungle to visit her. Mary taught
+her classes.  She conducted Sunday services. She was busy all the
+time. Then one day the smallpox sickness broke out.
+
+"You must all be vaccinated," said Mary to the natives. "I will scratch
+your arm with this medicine and the smallpox will stay away from you."
+
+Hour after hour, far into the night, day after day, Mary vaccinated the
+natives. When her medicine ran out, she took blood from the arms of those
+who had been vaccinated to use as vaccination medicine.
+
+One day a man came running to the house where Mary was living in Akpap. He
+had run a long way. He was scratched up and sweating.  He had run through
+the jungle without stopping.
+
+"Ma, Ma," he cried, "the smallpox sickness has come to Ekenge. Chief
+Ekponyong and Chief Edem are sick and many, many more.  Come quick, oh,
+come to Ekenge or we shall all die."
+
+"I will come with you at once," said Mary to the messenger from Ekenge. "I
+will help your people fight the smallpox sickness."
+
+Mary went back to Ekenge. The smallpox sickness was very bad. Nearly the
+whole village was sick.
+
+"We must have a hospital," said Mary. "I know what we will do. We will make
+my house here a hospital."
+
+Soon the house was filled to overflowing with sick people. She had to be
+doctor, nurse, and undertaker. Many of her close friends died. Chief
+Ekponyong, who at first had worked against Mary and then had become her
+friend, died. Chief Edem, the chief of Ekenge, was very sick. The tired
+missionary did everything she could to save the old heathen's life. But one
+dark night he died.
+
+Mary was all alone. Mary made a coffin for the chief. She put his body in
+it. Then she dug a grave. She dragged the coffin to the grave and buried
+it. Completely tired out she dragged herself back to Akpap.
+
+Just at this time Mr. Ovens and another missionary came up from Duke
+Town. They came to Mary's hut at Akpap. All was still and quiet. Mr. Ovens
+looked at the other missionary.
+
+"Something is wrong," he said. He knocked loudly at the door. He knocked
+and knocked again. Finally Mary awoke and opened the door. The missionaries
+saw how tired and sick she looked.
+
+"What is wrong?" asked Ovens.
+
+Mary told them about the sickness at Ekenge. She told them of what she had
+done.  "I don't see how you could have done that work alone," said
+Mr. Ovens.
+
+"Won't you go and bury the rest of the dead?" asked Mary. "I was just too
+tired to do it."
+
+"Yes, we will," said Mr. Ovens. The two missionaries went to Ekenge. There
+they found the mission house filled with dead bodies. They buried these
+people and preached to those who were still living about the Saviour.
+
+Mary was weak and sick, but she kept right on working. In one of her
+letters to a friend she tells about some of her work:
+
+Four are at my feet listening. Five boys outside are getting a reading
+lesson from Janie. A man is lying on the ground who has run away from his
+master, and is staying with me for safety until I get him forgiven. An old
+chief is here with a girl who has a bad sore on her arm. A woman is begging
+me to help her get her husband to treat her better.  Three people are here
+for vaccination.
+
+Every evening she would have family worship.  Mary sat on the mud floor in
+one of the shed rooms. In front of her in a half-circle were the many
+children she had adopted and was taking care of. Behind them were the
+baskets holding the twin babies she had recently rescued. The light from a
+little lamp shone on the bright faces. Mary read slowly from the
+Bible. Then she explained the Bible reading to the children and
+prayed. Then she sang a song in the native language. The tune was a
+Scottish melody and as she sang she kept time with a tamborine. If any of
+the children did not pay attention, Mary would lean forward and tap his
+head with the tamborine.
+
+Mary did not get her strength back. She was not well. The mission committee
+at Calabar decided that even though they had no worker to take her place,
+she must go home on a vacation which was long overdue.
+
+"But who will take care of the work at Akpap?" asked Mary.
+
+"Mr. Ovens, the carpenter, who is building the mission house at Akpap, can
+do the work until we find someone to take your place," answered the
+chairman of the committee.
+
+"But what shall I do with my many black children? I don't want them to go
+back to heathen ways of living while I am gone. I don't like to ask the
+other mission workers to take care of them for me."
+
+"Don't worry, Mary. We will find places for them."
+
+Places were found for all the adopted children except the four black
+children whom she planned to take along with her. These were Janie, who was
+now sixteen years old, Mary was five, Alice three, and Maggie was only
+eighteen months old. Now Mary had to find ways of clothing the
+children. The rags they wore in the jungle would not do for the trip to
+Scotland. Mary took her trouble to the Lord, and He wonderfully answered
+her prayer. When she reached Duke Town, she found that a missionary box had
+just come, and it had just the things she needed.
+
+Mary took her children on board the big ship. It was the biggest "canoe"
+that any of the children except Janie had ever seen.
+
+"We're on our way to bonny Scotland," said Mary.
+
+
+
+
+#11#
+
+
+_Clouds and Sunshine_
+
+"The other missionaries at Calabar," said Mary, "work as hard, if not
+harder, than I do. We need more workers to preach the Gospel of Jesus
+Christ for your lost black brothers and sisters. They have souls just as
+you do. Jesus loves them just as He does you.  We must tell them of His
+love. I would like to go farther inland to people who have never heard the
+Gospel and make a home among the cannibals."
+
+Mary was giving a talk at one of the churches. As soon as she was well
+enough to make speeches, many of the churches wanted to hear her. The
+people were very much interested in the black children she had adopted and
+brought with her. Many of them had never seen black people before. Mary had
+some trouble speaking in English. For many years now she had been speaking
+almost all the time in the African language. It was sometimes hard for her
+to say the right English words, but the Holy Spirit helped her, and the
+people remembered her talks and gave generously for the work in Africa..
+
+Late in the year 1898 Mary and the black children got on the big "canoe"
+and sailed back to Africa. They spent a happy Christmas on the ship.
+
+Once more strong and well, Mary went back to work in Akpap. She taught the
+children and grownups. She healed the sick. She visited in the bush and in
+the jungle. During this time Mary had the joy of seeing six young men
+become Christians. These young men she trained and sent to the neighboring
+villages as Gospel workers. She had hoped for more helpers, but was
+grateful that God had given her these. More and more of the jungle people
+heard about her. Bushmen traveled hundreds of miles to see the white Ma who
+told them about Jesus.
+
+Mary used every chance she had to tell the Gospel to heathen who had never
+heard it.  The stories the visiting people told about their lands and the
+inland tribes filled Mary with the desire to explore other parts of the
+country.  Often in the mission boat or in a canoe she traveled to villages
+farther away. On one trip the canoe in which Mary was riding was attacked
+by a hippopotamus. Mary thought her end had come. Nevertheless, she bravely
+fought off the animal, using metal cooking pots and pans as weapons.
+
+In the southern part of Nigeria was a strong, wild tribe called the
+Aros. They were a proud but wicked people. They made war on peaceful
+tribes. They would steal people from peaceful villages and make them
+slaves.  They prayed to the Devil, and they killed people as human
+sacrifices to please their idols.  They were cannibals who ate people.
+
+The government decided to make this tribe stop doing these bad things. A
+small band of soldiers was sent against this tribe to make them obey. This
+made Mary sad. She knew that sending soldiers to fight against these people
+would not change them. She knew that only the Gospel could change the black
+men's hearts. She wished she could go to this tribe with the Gospel of
+Jesus, but the government said no. The government officers feared there
+might be a tribal war which would even come to Okoyong. They decided that
+Mary would be safer in Creek Town than Akpap. Sadly Mary left her friends
+and spent three months in Creek Town.
+
+Her Okoyong friends did not forget her.  They came often to visit her and
+brought her gifts. They also brought their quarrels to her to settle. They
+called her their queen. Finally, Mary was allowed to go back to Akpap.
+
+Three years went by. It was now fifteen years since Mary had first come to
+Okoyong.  On the anniversary of the day that she came a celebration was
+held. Seven young men whom Mary had won for Christ were baptized.  The
+Rev. W.T. Weir, a missionary from Creek Town, helped in organizing the
+first Okoyong Christian Church. The following Sunday the church was filled
+to overflowing.  Mary presented eleven children for baptism.  The Lord's
+Supper was served for the first time to natives and white workers who had
+accepted Christ as their Saviour. After songs had been sung and speeches
+made by others, Mary got up to speak.
+
+"You must build a church large enough to take care of all who come to hear
+God's Word.  Okoyong now looks to you who have accepted Christ as your
+Saviour and who have joined the church for proof of the power of the
+Gospel, more than it looks to me. I am very happy over all that has been
+done these past fifteen years, but it is God who did it. To Him belongs all
+the glory. Mission houses, schools, and a church have been built. Wicked
+heathen customs have been stopped. Chiefs have quit fighting, and women are
+much better off than they were when I came. Let us praise God for this and
+let us go on and do greater things. The Lord will help us and will bless
+our work."
+
+Mary was happy the way the work was going, but she was not satisfied. She
+wanted to go to other places.
+
+"This cannibal land of deep darkness with woods of spooky mystery is like a
+magnet," said Mary Slessor. "It draws me on and on."
+
+"Where is this country where you want to work?" asked Miss Wright, one of
+the teachers at the Girls' Institute at Calabar.
+
+"It lies to the west of the Cross River. It stretches for miles and miles
+toward the Niger River."
+
+"Haven't any missionaries been there?"
+
+"None have gone into the forest. Missionaries and traders have gone along
+the edge of it when they went up the Cross River."
+
+"What tribes live in this dark and mysterious country?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"The Ibo tribe lives in most of the country, but they are ruled by the Aros
+clan," said Mary.
+
+"Who are they? Tell me something about them, Mary. I know so little about
+the tribes, except those who come to Calabar or send their girls to our
+Institute."
+
+"The Aros clan are a wise but tricky people.  They live in thirty villages
+near the district of Arochuku, where I would like to begin a mission. They
+are strong and rule the Ibo tribe because of their trade and religion.
+They trade slaves, which their religion furnishes.  When they cannot get
+enough slaves that way, they raid Ibo villages and capture the people who
+live there and sell them."
+
+"You say their religion furnishes them with slaves? How is that possible?"
+
+"The Ibo tribe and the Aros pray to the juju god. They believe the juju god
+lives in a tree. They think this tree is holy. Each village has its own god
+and sacred tree, but the main juju used to be about a mile from Arochuku."
+
+"But you haven't told me about the slaves," interrupted Miss Wright.
+
+"I am just coming to that," said Mary.  "This main juju, called the Long
+Juju, was reached by a winding road that goes through a dense jungle and
+leads at last to a lake. In the center of the lake is an island on which
+was the Long Juju. Here hundreds of people came to ask advice from the
+priests and to worship. When the people came here, the Aros clan had
+captured them. Then they were either sold as slaves, sacrificed to juju, or
+eaten by the tribe."
+
+"How terrible!"
+
+"The Aros are tricky. One of their tricks, was to throw some of the people
+they captured into the water. The water at once turned red. The priests
+would tell the people that juju had eaten the men. The people believed it,
+but really the red was only coloring the priests had thrown into the
+river."
+
+"Is the juju still there?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"No. The British soldiers went over the Cross River. They had a battle with
+the natives and beat them. They captured Arochuku.  Then they chopped down
+the Long Juju. But of course the natives still have their village
+jujus. They still do many wicked things."
+
+"And you want to work among those terrible people?"
+
+"Yes, don't you think they have a great need for the Gospel?"
+
+"Oh, they do! But I would not have the courage to work among them."
+
+"I have no courage," said Mary, "except what God gives me."
+
+"Tell me, Mary, have you gone into that country at all?"
+
+"I have made some short exploration trips.  I told the traders to tell the
+chiefs that some day I would come to their country to live, but their only
+answer was, 'It is not safe.' That is what the people told me when I wanted
+to go to Okoyong. I trust in my heavenly Father and I am not afraid of the
+cannibals no matter how fierce and cruel they may be."
+
+"But Mary, did you know that when a chief died recently, fifty or more
+people were eaten at the funeral ceremonies, and twenty-five others had
+their heads cut off and were buried with the chief?"
+
+"Yes, I heard that. But things were almost as bad when I came to
+Okoyong. God blessed my work, and He can protect me in this strange new
+land of the cannibals. I do hope the Mission Board will let me go and work
+among the Aros and Ibos."
+
+The missionaries in Calabar wanted Mary to work at Ikorofiong and at
+Unwana, which were two towns farther up the Cross River from Akpap. But
+Mary did not think these were good places for her work. She wanted to be
+where she could reach the most people.  She wanted to work at Arochuku, the
+chief city of Aros which was also near the Efik, Ibo and Ibibio tribes. She
+wanted to open her first station at Itu, which was on the mouth of Enyong
+creek, her second station at Arochuku and a third at Bende. The
+missionaries at Calabar did not agree, but they decided to wait until a
+worker could be found to take Mary's place at Akpap. Mary would not reave
+these people until they could be taken care of by Christian workers.
+
+"Send a minister to take care of a station.  I cannot build up a church the
+way a minister can," said Mary.
+
+It looked as though Mary would not get to go to the land of Aros. Then Miss
+Wright, the teacher from the Girls' Institute, asked to be sent to Akpap as
+an assistant. This request was sent to Scotland for the Board to
+approve. Mary now decided to start work at once. In January, 1903, with two
+boys, Esien and Efiiom, and a girl, Mana, whom she had carefully trained,
+she loaded her canoe with food and other supplies and set off for the land
+of the cruel cannibals.
+
+They did not know how the people there would treat them, but they trusted
+in God to take care of them and help them in their work. Mary found a house
+for them.
+
+"I am leaving you here," said Mary to the three natives, "to begin a school
+and hold church services for the people of Itu. I must go back to Akpap but
+I will come again as soon as I can."
+
+But Mary had to stay at Akpap longer than she expected. At last she was
+able to come again to Itu and to visit the school and the church services.
+
+"You have done wonderfully well," she told the three workers. "God has
+blessed your work. My heart was filled with joy when I saw so many people,
+young and old, at the services. And your school is filled with people who
+want to learn book and learn the will of God. Now we must build a church
+and a schoolhouse."
+
+Mary began mixing the mud and doing the other work that was necessary for
+building a building in Africa. The native workers and the people of Itu
+helped her gladly. It did not take long with many willing hands to build a
+church and school. Two rooms were added to the church building.
+
+"These two rooms are for you, Ma," the people said. "You must have a place
+to stay when you come to us."
+
+After the church and school were built, Mary went back to Akpap. Here she
+heard good news.
+
+"The Board in Scotland has given me permission to be your assistant at
+Akpap," said Miss Wright.
+
+"Wonderful!" said Mary. "Now I can spend more time at Itu and more time in
+the jungle."
+
+On a beautiful morning in June, 1903, Mary packed her clothes and supplies
+and marched the six miles down to the landing beach at Ikunetu. Here she
+waited for the government boat which would take her to Itu. She waited and
+waited. At last she found one of the natives and asked, "Where is the
+government boat? Is it late?"
+
+"No, Ma, it long time gone."
+
+So Mary had to walk back six miles through the jungle to the mission house
+at Akpap.
+
+"Why, Mary," said Miss Wright, "what are you doing here? I thought that by
+this time you would be traveling on the government boat to Itu."
+
+"I am in God's hands," said Mary, "and He did not mean for me to travel
+today. I have been kept back for some good purpose."
+
+The next week when she again made the trip to board the boat, Colonel
+Montanaro who commanded the government soldiers in that part of the
+country, was on the boat.
+
+"I will be happy to have you travel with me and my soldiers," said the
+colonel. "You will be safer that way. I am going to Arochuku."
+
+"That is just what I would like to do," said Mary. "Now I see why God did
+not let me travel last week. I have been wanting for a long time to visit
+the chief city of the Aros. I want to see more about this juju religion."
+
+Some time before, the government had sent soldiers into the country to make
+the chiefs stop the juju worship. The chiefs had promised to stop it, but
+it still went on secretly.  After reaching Arochuku, Mary followed the
+jungle paths over which the slaves had been made to walk for hundreds of
+years. She came to the place of the Long Juju. There Mary saw the human
+skulls, the bones and the pots in which the bodies had been cooked.  Mary
+shivered when she thought of the cannibal feasts.
+
+Mary thought the people might be against her, but instead they welcomed
+her. They had heard about the good things she had done in the jungle.
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "I want to bring the Gospel to these man-eaters for
+whom Christ died. Please, dear God, make the home church and the Mission
+Board see the great need here so that they will let me win this part of the
+country for Christ."
+
+Mary promised the people of Arochuku she would come again and open a
+school. Then she returned to Akpap and wrote the Mission Board for
+permission to open a station at Arochuku. Soon the answer came back!
+
+We are sorry, but it will be impossible at this time to open work at
+Arochuku.  We do not have the money or the workers.
+
+
+
+
+#12#
+
+
+_Among the Cannibals_
+
+"The mission Board says that they cannot open a mission station at Arochuku
+now," said Mary. "I have asked God to give me a mission station where His
+Gospel can be preached to the Aros. I trust in Christ who is able to do
+more than I am able to ask or think. I know God will give me what I have
+asked."
+
+"What are you going to do now?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"I am going to do what I believe God wants me to do. I am going to take
+some native Christians and make a beginning in the land of the Aros."
+
+Mary took some native boys whom she had trained. They were able to help
+with school-work and church services. Mary and the boys went to Amasu, a
+little village which was nearer the creek than Arochuku. Here she opened a
+school. It was soon filled with boys and girls thirsty for book and the
+loving God.  She held church services for the people, and many of them came
+to hear the white Ma teach about Jesus.
+
+At last it was time for Mary to go back to Akpap. She left the native
+Christians to carry on the work of the school and church.  The people of
+the village gathered around her. They said,
+
+"Come again soon, white Ma. If you do not care for us, who will care for
+us?"
+
+As Mary went down the river in her canoe, she thanked God that He had let
+her open this new field to the Gospel. Suddenly there was a canoe barring
+her way. In it was a tall native.
+
+"I have been waiting for you. My master at Akani Obio sent me to stop you
+and bring you to his house."
+
+Mary told her rowers to follow the native to his master's place. Soon they
+came to a trading place. Here Mary was greeted by a handsome young man.
+
+"I am Onoyom Iya Nya, the president of the court and the chief of this
+district. This is my wife. Won't you please honor us by coming into our
+house?"
+
+Onoyom and his wife led Mary to a European-type house, which was very
+nicely furnished.  Onoyom's wife invited Mary to have some food with
+them. While they ate, Onoyom talked.
+
+"Many times I have sent my servants to find you," said Onoyom, "but they
+never found you until today. I am happy that you have come."
+
+"But why did you seek me? Why did you want me to come to you?" asked Mary.
+
+"When I was a boy," said Onoyom, "I served as a guide to a missionary. He
+told me the Gospel story. I wanted Jesus for my Saviour. But my tribe beat
+me and punished me in other ways until I gave up the white man's religion
+and followed the juju religion of the tribe. I took part in Arochuku feasts
+where we ate 'long pig,' that is, men and women."
+
+"But why do you want to talk to me?"  asked Mary.
+
+"I never forgot what the missionary told me about Christ. Later I had
+troubles and sickness. I tried witchcraft to find the person who placed the
+troubles and sickness on me. Instead, I met a white man. He said to me,
+'How do you know it is not the God of the white man who is angry with you?
+He is all-powerful.' I said, 'How can I find this God?' I hoped he would
+tell me, but he said, 'I am not worthy to tell you. Find the white Ma who
+goes to Itu and she will tell you.' O Ma, please tell us about your God."
+
+Tears of joy ran down Mary's cheeks. Onoyom called all the members of his
+family and the servants together. Mary told them of Jesus and His power to
+save them. She read from the Bible, prayed with the people, and promised to
+come back again on her next trip.
+
+"I will build a church for you," said Chief Onoyom. "I have money. I will
+give $1,500 for a mission house and school."
+
+As Mary rode down the Enyong creek she thought of the new missionary work
+that was opening up.
+
+"O God," she prayed, "I thank You for the new places at Itu and Amasu. I
+thank You for the chance to build a church at Akani Obio. Please let me
+open a station soon at Arochuku. There with Your blessing I hope to conquer
+the cannibals for Christ."
+
+"I do hope," she said to herself, "that the Board will soon send an
+ordained minister to take over the Akpap station. I must persuade Miss
+Wright to go with me to Itu. I am sure God will give her courage to come
+with me.  This Enyong creek region will give us all the work for Christ we
+can handle and more. We must go forward for Christ."
+
+Mary made many trips to Akpap, to Itu and Amasu. She stopped at many little
+villages and lonely huts along Enyong creek to tell the people about the
+Saviour who had died also for those with black skins. Often she slept on
+mud floors. She ate yams and native fruits.
+
+God blessed the work at Itu and Amasu.  The people of Itu built a church
+and more than three hundred of them attended the services. At Amasu the
+school pew fast.  The natives were learning to read.
+
+The natives at Itu started to build a six-room house at Itu for Mary. It
+was to be one of the finest homes in which the missionary had ever lived.
+
+"I am afraid it is too much work for you," said Mary to the natives. "It is
+too big."  "No, it is not too much." said the people of Itu. "Nothing is
+too much to do for you. We shall do it."
+
+Another time a native woman knelt at Mary's feet. She washed Mary's tired
+feet in warm water.
+
+"You are so kind to me," said Mary thanking her.
+
+"I have been so afraid, Ma, that you would think us unworthy of a teacher
+and take her away," said the woman. "I could not live again in darkness. I
+pray all the time. I lay my basket down and pray on the road."
+
+"That is good," said Mary. "Prayer can do anything. I know. I have tested
+it. Of course, God does not always answer our prayers the way we want them
+answered, but He does answer them and in the way that is best for us. Trust
+God always."
+
+One day Mary thought of a new plan she wanted to try out. She had been in
+the jungle for five years. She was due to get a year's vacation at home in
+Scotland. Instead of this she asked for something else.  She wrote to the
+Mission Board:
+
+I would like to have leave from the mission station at Akpap for six
+months.  This time I would spend traveling between Okoyong and Amasu. I
+would visit many places which I do not have time to visit now. Already I
+have seen a church and a mission house built at Itu, and a school and a
+couple of rooms at Amasu. I have visited several towns at Enyong and have
+found good enough places to stay.
+
+I shall find my own canoe and crew. I shall stay at any one place just as
+long as I think wise. The members of my family [she meant the twins and
+slave children and other unwanted children she had adopted] shall help in
+teaching the beginners in the schools.
+
+I plan to live at Itu as my headquarters.  I will look after the small
+schools I have started at Idot and Eki. I will visit and work for Jesus in
+the towns on both sides of Enyong creek all the way to Amasu. I will live
+there for a while or travel among the Aros telling them of Jesus. Then I
+will come back by easy stages to Itu and home.
+
+Please send an assistant to help Miss Wright at Akpap, so I will be free to
+do this new work in the jungle. I would like Miss Wright to help me with
+some work among the cannibals, in some places, so that I will have more
+time for pioneer work in the places farther away.
+
+Itu should be our main station. We can reach the various tribes best from
+it. It is the gateway to the Aros and the Ibibios and near many other
+tribes. That is why it became a slave market. It could be reached so
+easily. It is only a day's journey from the seaport of the ocean steamers,
+having waterway all the year round and a good beach front. Itu is a natural
+place for our upriver and downriver work to come together.
+
+Mary was now fifty-six years old. She had suffered much from sickness and
+from the lack of many things. Now she wanted to go on a "gypsying tour of
+the jungle," as she called it. This was hard and difficult work.  There
+were many dangers from wild animals and wild people. These tribes she
+wanted to visit did not know anything about the Saviour, or God's Word, but
+they did know how to do many wicked things like killing and eating
+people. Many a younger and stronger person than Mary would be afraid to
+tackle the job she had planned to do. Mary was not afraid. God had given
+her the chance to reach the wild cannibals. She was willing to die trying
+to bring the Gospel to them.
+
+"I am willing to go anywhere," said Mary, "provided it be forward among the
+cannibals."
+
+Mary anxiously waited for the answer from the Mission Board giving her
+permission to work for six months in the cannibal country.  The answer did
+not come and did not come.  At last she decided to go on a short trip
+through that country to encourage the black workers she had sent there. She
+went to see the Wilkies and Miss Wright.
+
+"I am going on a short trip through the cannibal country," said Mary. "I am
+inviting you to be my guests on this trip. I want you to see what God is
+doing among the cannibals.  Won't you come with me?"
+
+"We'll be glad to go with you," said Mr.  Wilkie.
+
+Mary and her friends first visited Itu, where they met Colonel Montanaro,
+who had first taken Mary to Itu. Then they went to Akani Obio. Here Chief
+Onoyom had a big party for them.
+
+"Ma, when are you going to come and stay a long time with us?" he asked. "I
+want you to bring the Gospel to me and to my people."
+
+"I hope it will be soon," said Mary. "I am praying every day that the
+Mission Board will let me work in your country."
+
+Mary and her friends now went to Amasu to see the Gospel work that was
+being done there. Then they visited the villages around Arochuku where the
+Long Juju was. Then they started back to Akpap. They visited many very
+small villages on the way back.  Everywhere the people said to them, "We
+want to learn book." They meant they wanted someone to teach them to read
+the Bible.
+
+At last they arrived at Akpap. Here there was the letter from the Mission
+Board.  Mary's hands shook as she opened the long-awaited letter. Would it
+give her permission to go to cannibal land or would it tell her to come
+home and take her furlough in the usual way?
+
+You may make the jungle trip that you plan, but you will have to pay your
+own expenses during this time. We do not have any money for that work.
+
+Mary was happy. Mary took the little money she had and bought supplies at
+Duke Town. Then she got her canoe ready. She took a crew of black rowers to
+row the canoe and a group of the black children she had adopted.
+
+"It seems strange to be starting with a family on a gypsy life in a canoe,"
+wrote Mary, "but God will take care of us. Whether I shall find His place
+for me upriver or whether I shall come back to my own people again, I do
+not know. He knows and that is enough."
+
+At last Mary and her group of travelers came to Itu, which was deep in
+cannibal land.  Mary had started the work here and then left native workers
+to carry on. Now there were three hundred people in the church. Mary found
+that the mission house at Itu was not finished. Mary herself mixed the
+cement for the floor while Janie did the whitewashing.  Someone asked Mary
+how she learned to make cement.
+
+"I just stir it like oatmeal, then turn it out smooth with a stick and all
+the time I keep praying, `Lord, here's the cement. If it is to Your glory,
+set it,' and it has never gone wrong."
+
+Every day Mary made calls and helped to solve the problems of the people of
+Itu. In the evenings she would hold prayer in the yards of many of the
+people. Always Mary told the people of the Saviour who died for them.
+
+The news that Mary the white Ma was in cannibal land soon spread far and
+wide. The tom-toms calling through the jungle told the different tribes
+where Mary was. From Ibibio southward, the natives sent messages to Mary.
+
+"Please, Ma," they said, "send us a teacher."
+
+"It is not `book' I want," said a chief in his message, "I want God."
+
+"We have three in hand for a teacher," said Chief Onoyom of Akani
+Obio. "Some of the boys have already finished the books Mr.  Wilkie gave
+us. We can do no more until you send us help."
+
+Mary spent the night praying to God to send more workers to Africa. "O
+Britain," said Mary, "filled full of ministers and church workers, but
+tired of Sunday and of church, I wish that you could send over to us what
+you are throwing away!"
+
+
+
+
+#13#
+
+
+_Blessings Unnumbered_
+
+God blessed Mary's work in cannibal land and more and more people were won
+for Jesus. Chief Onoyom stayed true to his faith.
+
+"Come," he said to his people, "we must build a church here at Akani
+Obio. Let us go to the jungle and cut down trees for the house of God."
+
+Chief Onoyom and his people went to the woods. The chief went to a tree and
+got ready to cut it down.
+
+"Chief," they cried, "you are not going to cut that tree, are you? You know
+that is the juju tree."
+
+"I know it is the juju tree," said Onoyom, "and I am going to chop it
+down."
+
+"The juju will be angry. He will not let us. He will kill us," cried the
+people.
+
+"Ma's God is stronger than our juju," said Chief Onoyom. "Cut it down."
+
+The people began to chop. The trunk of the tree was thick. After a while
+they stopped.
+
+"See, we cannot cut it," they said.
+
+The heathen natives were glad.
+
+"Aha," they said, "our juju is stronger than Ma's God."
+
+The next morning Chief Onoyom took some men who wanted to be
+Christians. Before beginning to chop at the tree they knelt and prayed that
+the white Ma's God would prove stronger than the juju. Then they got up and
+began to chop. Soon the tree fell with a mighty crash. Ma's God had won!
+
+The juju tree was used for a pulpit and seats in the church building. A
+large group of people came to the dedication services.  They were quiet and
+well-behaved. What a great change the Gospel had made! Only two years
+before the people were wild savages.
+
+Mary had to hold services at Arochuku out-doors, but now the people built a
+church and a schoolhouse. At other villages along Enyong creek
+congregations were organized, and churches and schoolhouses were built.
+
+In 1905 Mary had to go to the Mission Council meeting at Calabar. During
+the meeting Mary was called on to tell about her work.
+
+"God has done great things in cannibal land. We have congregations at Itu,
+Arochuku, Oko, Akani Obio, Odot, Amasu, and Asang. In all of these places
+churches have been built. In many of them we have built schoolhouses
+too. Many of the cannibals are being won for Christ. But we need more
+workers. In all this wide country of the Aros, I am the only white
+missionary. My six months' leave is almost up. Who will take care of these
+people who are as dear to God as you or I? Now they are being taken care of
+by native workers, but these have only little training. Send workers to
+cannibal land to change these man-eaters into Christians."
+
+The Council was thrilled by Mary's report.  They voted that she could spend
+six more months in cannibal land, but again they said she would have to pay
+her own expenses. This did not bother Mary. She had never been paid, much
+salary. In the first years she sent most of it back home to take care of
+her mother and sister. After they had died she used me most of it for her
+colored Christians. She had adopted many black children whose parents had
+thrown them out. But money never bothered Mary. She had a little bit saved
+up.  She was happy that she could go to cannibal, land and win souls for
+Christ.
+
+"But where shall I work now?" Mary asked herself. "Shall I keep on working
+on upper Enyong creek or shall I go south to the Ibibios?  The Ibibios are
+the worst heathen in this part of Africa. The worse the people are, the
+more they need help. I should go to the Ibibios."
+
+Meanwhile the Mission committee in Scotland decided to build a hospital at
+Itu. Dr.  Robertson was to be the head of it. The Mission committee chose a
+name for the hospital.  They named it, "The Mary Slessor Mission Hospital."
+The people in Scotland gave the money so the hospital could be built.
+
+"It seems like a fairy tale," said Mary when she was told about it, "and I
+don't know just what to say. I can just look up into the blue sky and say,
+'Even so, Father; let me live and be worthy of it all.' It is a grand gift
+and I am so glad for my people."
+
+Now that Itu was taken care of, Mary had all the more reason to go south to
+the Ibibios.  In their country the government was building roads and
+setting up courts. The government people wanted Mary to come to that
+country too, because she knew so much more about the people and customs in
+cannibal land.
+
+"Get a bicycle, Ma," said one of the government men. "Here is the
+road. Come as far as you can. And we'll soon have a motorcar for you."
+
+Mary started out. She took along one of the boys she had adopted. It was
+twelve-year-old Etim. He could read and she needed his help. Once more Mary
+was beginning mission work in a new part of the country where Christians
+had never been.
+
+Mary and Etim went to Ibibio-land. Mary started a school and a small
+congregation.  Etim was made the teacher of the school. He proved to be a
+very good teacher. Soon he had a class of fifty children.
+
+"It is my hope," said Mary, "that Ikotobong will be the first of a chain of
+stations stretching across the country."
+
+Mary went to visit the old chief of Ikotobong.
+
+"What do you think of our work here?"
+
+"It is good," said the chief. "I am happy you came. There are many things
+that are strange to me and my people. We do not understand them. I am glad
+for the light.  We will give Etim food as pay for teaching.  We will help
+build a schoolhouse and a church."
+
+Mary was happy that the people were willing and anxious to learn. But she
+wanted to go to a new part of the country and start more places. The
+government officer at Ikot Expene gave Mary a bicycle.
+
+"I think it's God's will that I learn to ride this bicycle. Think of an old
+lady like me on a bicycle!" said Mary. "The new road makes it easy to ride,
+and I'm running up and down and taking a new work in a village two miles
+off. It has done me all the good in the world, and I will soon be able to
+do even more work."
+
+The treatment of the women in Ibibio was very bad. They were treated worse
+than slaves. The men could do whatever they wanted to do with them. They
+were often beaten.  They were bought and sold like cattle. Mary wanted to
+help the poor women.
+
+"I want to build a home for girls, orphans, twins and their mothers, and
+those who have run away from harems," said Mary. "I also want to start a
+school where trades and skills can be taught. All the women know how to
+farm. They know how to weave baskets and make simple sandals. But I want
+them to know many more things so that they can take care of themselves. I
+am going to look for a place with good land and pure water near the roads
+and the markets. Then I will write to my friends and to the Mission Board
+for help."
+
+Mary's furlough had first been for six months and then was made six months
+longer. In April, 1906, it came to an end. She was supposed to go back to
+Akpap, because the Mission Council expected her to settle down in one place
+and work there. They appointed her to work at Akpap and that is where they
+expected her to work.
+
+"I do not want to settle in one place," said Mary. "God gives me different
+gifts; I think my gift is to explore and start new congregations.  Others
+are better fitted to take care of them after they are started than I
+am. God is pushing me onward. I don't dare look backward.  Even if my dear
+church turns against me and will not have me as its missionary, I must go
+forward. I can find food for myself and the children. That is all I
+need. God will help me."
+
+Mary thought and prayed much over this matter. She thought of starting a
+store or taking a government job so she could earn money to take care of
+the missionary work.  She wrote a long letter to the Mission Board.  She
+told how God had blessed the work at Itu and the villages on Enyong
+creek. Then she wrote:
+
+In all this how plainly God has been leading me. I did not think of doing
+these things in my lifetime, but God has led me on. First Itu, and then the
+Creek, then back from Aro, where I had set my heart, to a lonely, spooky,
+wilderness.  There no one ever went, but now miles of roads are being
+built.
+
+The Board says I am to go back to Akpap in April. I love no other place on
+earth so well. But I dare not think of leaving the crowds of untamed,
+unwashed, unlovely savages, and take away the little sunlight that has
+begun to flicker out over its darkness.
+
+I know that I am pretty old for this kind of work. But God will help.
+Whether the church permits or not, I feel that I must stay here. I must
+even go farther as the roads are made. I cannot walk now and I must be
+careful of my health. But I can get four wheels made and set a box on them
+and the children can pull me. I dare not go back.  If the Board insists, I
+will risk finding some other way to support myself and my family.
+
+As April drew closer day by day, Mary anxiously waited for the Mission
+Board's answer.  The Mission Board wrote to Mary:
+
+We are sending John Rankin to look over the field where you have been
+working.  After he has made his report we will decide what you should do.
+
+Mr. Rankin visited the different places in cannibal land where Mary had
+started congregations.  He talked with the chiefs and the people. One chief
+talking about Mary and the other women missionaries said, "Them women be
+the best men for the mission." He wrote to the Board:
+
+Close to Arochuku, within a circle of less than three miles in diameter,
+there are nineteen large towns. I visited sixteen of these. Each of them is
+larger than Creek Town. Most of the people are anxious to help. Already
+many of them have begun to live in God's way. Even the head chief of all
+the Aros wants us to do mission work in his country. He told the other
+chiefs he is going to rule according to God's way. He wants missionaries to
+be sent to his people. He offers to build a house at Arochuku for any
+missionary who will come.
+
+The Mission Board was thrilled when they read this report. They agreed to
+give the money for the work which Mary had planned.  They appointed Rankin
+to take charge of the stations at Itu and Arochuku. They agreed to let Mary
+go into the new territory.  She did not have to go back to Akpap.
+
+This made Mary very happy. Now she could work full time among the
+Ibibios. She offered to pay for the building of a mission station among the
+Ibibios if there was no money in the homeland treasury. In May the
+government appointed Mary to take charge of the courts in the Ibibio
+district as she had done in Okoyong. It paid her for this work so now she
+had money to carry on her mission work whether the Board paid her or not.
+
+Court was held at Ikotobong. Three chiefs and a jury helped Mary in trying
+the cases, but Mary's word was law. Mary was fair and kind, but at the same
+time she saw to it that those who did bad things were punished. In a letter
+to a friend she wrote:
+
+God help those poor helpless women.  They are treated worse than animals.
+Today I had a crowd of people. How wicked they were! I have had a murder, a
+poison bean case, a suicide, a man branding his slave wife all over her
+face and body, a man with a gun who shot four people. It is all horrible.
+
+But her work as judge did not stop her from doing her mission
+work. Everywhere she went she told the natives of Jesus' death for
+them. She opened schools and churches for natives. She also was thinking
+about the other missionaries. She planned a place for them where they could
+spend weekends or where they could rest when they were getting over
+sickness. She chose a place half-way between Itu and Ikotobong on Enyong
+Creek. It was high above the lowlands where most of the sickness was. A
+friend sent her a check for $100 and Mary used it as a start for this rest
+home. She had the ground cleared and a small English house built.
+
+Although Mary was busy she was not well.  During most of 1906 she had been
+ailing.
+
+"If you want to keep on with your missionary work," said the government
+doctor, "you must go home to Scotland where you can rest up and get the
+fever out of your system."
+
+Mary did not want to leave her work. A few days after her talk with the
+doctor, when he came to see her again, she was much better.
+
+"It looks as if God wants me to stay. Does that sound like He could not do
+without me!  I do not mean it so. How little I can do! But I can at least
+keep a door open for missionary work so others can come and do more."
+
+The year 1907 came. Mary was much worse. She could walk only a few steps.
+When she wanted to go anywhere, she had to be carried. At last she decided
+to do as the doctor told her and go to Scotland for a vacation.
+
+"Oh, the dear homeland!" she said with tears in her eyes. "Shall I really
+be there and worship in the churches again? How I long for a look at a
+winter landscape, to feel the cold wind, and the frost in the cart ruts!
+How I want to take a back seat in a church and hear the congregation
+singing, without a care of my own! I want to hear how they preach and pray
+and rest their souls in the hush and silence of our home churches."
+
+Mary took her six-year-old Dan, one of the many children she had
+adopted. The government officers were kind and helpful to her in getting
+ready for her trip.
+
+"God must repay these men," said Mary, "because I cannot. He will not
+forget that they did it to a child of His, unworthy though she is."
+
+Mary was now a wrinkled, shining-eyed old lady, almost sixty years old. She
+was carried on board the ship that would take her to Scotland. Her friends,
+both white and native, cried and wondered if she would ever come back to
+Africa again.
+
+
+
+
+#14#
+
+
+_Journey's End_
+
+"Send us workers for dark Africa," said Mary. "If I can get the Board to
+send us one or more workers, I will give half my salary to add to theirs. I
+will give the house for them to live in and find the servants. You who have
+so much, won't you do something for these poor people of Africa?"
+
+Mary was speaking in the churches of Scotland telling about her work in
+Africa. After she had returned to Scotland, she felt much better. The air
+and climate was much better than in the steaming jungles of Africa. As soon
+as she was strong enough, she began to go about telling about her work. She
+urged the people to give money and to send workers to Africa.
+
+Above all, she wanted to get money to support the industrial home for women
+which she had planned. From May until October she went among the churches
+telling about the "African sheep" whom the Good Shepherd Jesus wanted
+brought in.
+
+In October Mary asked to be sent back to Africa. She wanted to carry on her
+work there.
+
+"I am foolish, I know," said Mary, "but I just feel homeless without any
+relatives here in Scotland. I am a poor, lonesome soul with only memories."
+
+Back in Africa Mary was busier than ever, holding court, looking after her
+home, and doing missionary work. On Sundays she held a half-dozen or more
+services in the nearby villages in which lived the people with whom she
+worked during the week. On some of these trips she brought back orphan
+children to join her already "overstuffed" household.  But all this work
+was too much for her. She became sick again and very weak. Now her eyes
+began to get weak, so that she could not see as well. But nothing could
+stop her. She started the building of the industrial home for women and
+girls. She planted fruit trees there and planned to raise rubber and cocoa
+and cattle.
+
+Mary wanted to move again. Some natives had come from Ikpe to see her
+before she went on her vacation to Scotland. They asked her to bring the
+Gospel to them. Now they came again.
+
+"We have heard of the great white Mother and we want to learn to be God's
+men," they said.
+
+Mary made a two-day canoe trip to their town. Ikpe was a large town with
+many people in it. But the people were very wicked.  They did all the
+wicked heathen things that were against God's commandments. But there were
+people in it who wanted to become Christians. They had begun to build a
+small church building to which they had added two rooms for the missionary.
+
+Mary held a service in the church. Many people had gathered to hear for the
+first time the news of how Jesus saves us. After the end of the service
+Mary decided that it was God's will for her to move to Ikpe. But she had to
+arrange for someone to take care of her other work first.
+
+When she came home from this trip she was sick again. As soon as she was a
+little better she busied herself with the women's home. She wanted to get
+that running well before she left for Ikpe. The natives of Ikpe sent some
+more of their people to visit her and beg her to come to Ikpe. Whenever she
+could, she made trips to that village. Often she took other missionaries
+with her.
+
+In November, 1909, she resigned from her court work. The government did not
+like to lose her because she knew so much about the natives and their
+customs. But the government knew that Mary's first love was her missionary
+work. They let her give up her court work and thanked her for all she had
+done.
+
+"Just a few more things to take care of," said Mary, "and I will be ready
+to start for Ikpe. Those faithful people deserve a worker.  They are
+holding services even though they know very little of Christianity. I must
+go there. I know God wants it."
+
+It was the year 1910 and Mary was sure that now she could begin her work in
+the new territory that looked so promising. Suddenly Mary became very, very
+ill. The government sent its official automobile to take her to the Mary
+Slessor Hospital at Itu. Did God want Mary to work at Ikpe? Or would
+someone else preach the Gospel there?
+
+For many weeks Mary lay sick in the hospital at Itu. At last she was much
+better.
+
+"You must go to Duke Town for a longer rest," said the doctor.
+
+"But, Doctor," said Mary, "I have my work to do, I cannot spend my time
+lying in bed."
+
+"If you are unwilling to rest at Duke Town, I shall have to send you to
+Scotland on a long vacation."
+
+"Very well," sighed Mary, "I will go to Duke Town."
+
+The next day the government sent its boat, the "Maple Leaf," to take Mary
+down the river to Duke Town. Here she spent many weeks resting and gaining
+her strength. At last the doctor agreed that she could go back to her work
+at Ikotobong. Once more the government sent its boat to take her back to
+her mission station.
+
+"I want to go to Ikpe soon," said Mary, "but first I want to establish a
+station at Ikot Expene and at other places along the way."
+
+Whenever she felt strong enough, she rode her bicycle through the jungle to
+Ikot Expene choosing places for schools and churches along the way, talking
+to chiefs, and getting the things ready for more places where the Gospel
+could be preached.
+
+The people at Ikpe were holding services even though they knew very little
+about Christianity.
+
+"Soon the white Ma will come," they said.  "She will tell us more about
+Jesus."
+
+A native teacher from another station, who had received training from Mary,
+taught the people what he knew about the Gospel.
+
+"Oh, why cannot the church send two workers to Ikpe?" said Mary. "Why don't
+they use the money on hand for that? If there isn't enough money left after
+two years, let them take my salary. I shall be only too glad to live on
+native food with my children."
+
+Mary was busy collecting building materials and other things for the church
+of Ikpe. At last the time came. God wanted Mary at Ikpe. How happy Mary
+was! How happy were the faithful people at Ikpe who had waited so long!
+
+Mary at once was busy with much work.  She quieted mobs, she calmed
+quarreling chiefs, she held meetings with the crowds, and on Sundays
+conducted services. One day the smallpox broke out. The government sent
+down men to vaccinate the natives so the sickness would not spread. Mary
+heard shouting and yelling in the streets. She looked out of her house. The
+natives were yelling and shouting and waving guns and swords. Mary went up
+to the crowd.
+
+"What is this?" asked Mary. The crowd kept yelling.
+
+"Be quiet," shouted Mary and held out her hands. "Let your chief speak."
+
+"Ma," said the chief, "my people are afraid of the white man's juju. It
+makes the people sick." He meant the vaccination.
+
+"The vaccination may make a little sickness, but it keeps you from getting
+the big sickness," said Mary. Then she told them how vaccination had helped
+other tribes. She showed them her vaccination. After a long talk with the
+chiefs and the people the matter was peaceably settled.
+
+Mary wanted to keep in touch with her former headquarters at Ikotobong. She
+made many canoe trips back and forth. These trips were very hard on her and
+she did not rest well. Many people wondered how Mary could keep on working,
+but she trusted God who made her strong to carry on.
+
+During 1911 a tornado struck Mary's house at Use, one of the stations. She
+fixed the house herself. During this she strained herself and had a heart
+attack which was followed by a severe fever. Sometimes the fever was so
+great she was delirious. But still she would not stop working. She
+continued to teach school and hold worship services on Sunday.
+
+Dr. Hitchcock of the Slessor Hospital came to see her every week.
+
+"You must not go to Ikpe again," he said.  "You must not ride your
+bicycle. You must spend more time resting."
+
+But Mary disobeyed the doctor and held services the following Sunday. It
+was too much for her. She almost fainted before the service was over.
+
+"You must stay in bed," said Dr. Hitchcock, "until you are well enough to
+get up."
+
+"All right, doctor," said Mary.
+
+"And you must eat meat twice a day," said the doctor.
+
+"But I'm not a meat-eater," answered Mary.
+
+"You're going to be, or I will send you to Duke Town for a long rest."
+
+Mary laughed. "I've all my plans made and I must not draw a salary without
+doing something for it."
+
+At last the doctor sent her to the Slessor Hospital for a rest. Because of
+her hard work, she had a bad fever sickness. Now Mary saw that she was
+foolish in not listening to the doctor.
+
+"Life is hardly worth living," she said, "but I am doing what I can to help
+the doctor to help me, so I can be fit again for another spell of work."
+
+The Christians at Ikpe sent some men to see Mary to ask her when she would
+be back.  "Seven weeks," said Dr. Hitchcock.
+
+"I may run up sooner than that," said Mary. "I'm very well if the doctor
+would only believe it."
+
+Near the end of 1911 Mary was allowed to leave the hospital. She hurried to
+her friends at Ikpe. But Mary still was not very strong.  Her friends in
+Calabar and in Scotland urged her to take a long-earned furlough. While
+thinking about this, Mary decided to have a box on wheels made so that she
+could get around since the doctor would not let her use her bicycle. Some
+friends heard about this and they sent her a light cart which could be
+wheeled by two boys or girls.
+
+"Now I don't need a furlough," said Mary.  "Instead of going home as I had
+planned, I shall stay here and enjoy going over ground in my cart that I
+couldn't get over otherwise."
+
+A new government road was being built between Ikpe and Ikot Expene. Mary
+wanted to start schools and churches all along this road.  But she was not
+strong enough to carry out her idea. Her heart was very weak now and she
+had to rest often. If there had been someone to take her place, she would
+have gone home for a rest. Mary wrote to a friend:
+
+We were never so shorthanded, and I
+can do what others cannot, what indeed,
+doctors would not allow them to try. No
+one meddles with me and I slip along and
+do my work using less strength than
+many would have to use.
+
+Mary knew if she took a furlough her work at Ikpe and the other stations
+would stop because there was no one to take her place.  This she did not
+want to happen. She worked on through the summer of 1912. In September she
+completed thirty-six years as a missionary in Africa.
+
+"I'm lame and feeble and foolish," said Mary, "but I grip on well."
+
+Her friends were very much worried about her health. It was suggested that
+she be sent on an expense-paid trip to the Canary Islands. There the
+climate was milder than it would have been in Scotland during the
+winter. She was glad to go. Mary wrote:
+
+What love is wrapped around me! It
+is simply wonderful. I can't say anything
+else. Oh, if I only get another day
+to work. I hope it will be fuller of earnestness
+and blessing than the past.
+
+This vacation was a real blessing to Mary.  The fevers left her. With no
+committee meetings, no court cases or other problems to worry about, she
+grew stronger very quickly.  It was not many months before she was back at
+Duke Town. The doctor gave her an examination.
+
+"You're as sound as an elephant's ivory tusk," said the doctor. "You are
+good for many years, if you will only take care."
+
+Mary did not like that. She had never been willing to sit and twiddle her
+thumbs. Now her mind was full of new plans for more work. She wanted to get
+busy with her work for the Lord.
+
+For the next two years Mary worked hard at Use and Ikpe. She traveled
+between these two places, sometimes in a canoe, sometimes in the government
+boat, but mostly in her two-wheeled cart. There was still much to do. She
+was still fighting the juju worship, the sinful practice of eating people
+and the murdering of twins.
+
+Eight years had gone by since Mary had left Akpap. A new church was being
+finished and the missionaries who now worked there invited Mary to attend
+the dedication service.  Mary wanted to see the dear friends she had loved
+for years. She decided to go and take her adopted children with her.
+
+From all over Okoyong the people had come to see their Ma, their White
+Queen. Ma Eme, the missionary's old friend, was there.  When they met tears
+filled their eyes, they were so happy to see one another again. But Mary
+was sad, too, because Ma Eme had never openly accepted Christianity.
+Speaking of Ma Eme, Mary said, "My dear and old friend and almost sister,
+she made the saving of life so often possible in the early days. It is sad
+that she would not come out for Christ.  She could have been the honored
+leader of God's work. Hers is a foolish choice. And yet God cannot forget
+all she was to me and how she helped me in those dark and bloody days."
+
+Hundreds of people crowded into the new church at Akpap. Mary remembered
+the wild parties and drunken fights of the first days of her work among the
+people. How they were changed! How God had changed them through His Gospel!
+It was wonderful! Mary thanked God for His wonderful blessings.
+
+Shortly after her trip to Akpap, Mary was honored by the king of Great
+Britain. She was chosen by him to be a member of the order of St. John of
+Jerusalem. This was an honor given only to English Christians who had done
+great things for God. The government people of Calabar decided that they
+must have a public celebration of this great honor. They sent the
+government boat for Mary. The little old missionary, now nearly sixty-five,
+was brought to Duke Town. Here a great crowd filled the biggest hall in
+town.
+
+The governor made a speech and pinned the cross on Mary's left
+shoulder. During the speech Mary sat with her head in her hands.  When it
+came time for her to speak, she found it hard to talk. Turning to the boys
+and girls who were in the hall she said, "Be faithful to the government. Be
+Christians. Be friends of the mission and be followers of Jesus."
+
+Later she wrote to her friends in Scotland:
+
+Don't think there is any change in me
+because I received this honor. I am Mary
+Slessor, nothing more and none other
+than the unworthy, unprofitable but
+most willing servant of the King of kings.
+
+The only change the honor made in Mary was that she worked harder than
+ever. A government road was opened to Odoro Ikpe.  Mary at once started a
+mission there and reached out into the small jungle settlements.  There she
+talked with the chiefs and the natives.  At last she won their consent to
+build schools and churches. They gave her the land to do this. Now she was
+beginning all over in a new territory. She had the same hard work, the same
+troubles, the same heathen customs to fight. But Mary was glad to do it.
+She thanked God for the chance to bring the Gospel to people who had never
+heard about it.
+
+Mary saw to it that a house was built and then began teaching in the
+school, holding services, settling quarrels, winning souls for Jesus. In
+August, 1914, rumors reached her that Europe was rushing into war. This
+made her feel sick. She knew that this war would not only bring suffering,
+horror, and death to many of her dear friends, but it would also hinder the
+work in Calabar.
+
+Several months went by. The mail came.  Mary opened the newspaper. There
+she read the headlines: Russia declares war! France declares war! England
+declares war! Mary fainted. The trouble and excitement were too much for
+her. For two weeks more she carried on her work but it was too much for
+her. She became weaker and weaker.  On Sunday, January 10, 1915, she held
+her usual church service. After the church meeting she fainted.
+Dr. Robertson arrived from the Slessor Hospital at Itu. He was able to
+bring her to, but on January 12 she found it almost impossible to talk.
+Her last words were a prayer in the African language called Efik.
+
+"O Abasi, sana mi yok," said Mary. "O God, release me!"
+
+Janie, the first twin Mary had saved, was now a beautiful black woman. She
+and other children Mary had saved and adopted were watching beside Mary's
+bed through the night. A rooster crowed.
+
+"Day must be dawning," said one of the girls.
+
+Day was dawning for Mary, God's eternal day. She slipped away from the
+earth to be with her Saviour in Heaven.
+
+"Our Mother is dead, and we shall be slaves now that our Mother is dead,"
+cried the natives.  The news that the white Ma was dead spread
+rapidly. Natives came from all over the country to see the woman they
+loved.
+
+Mary's body was taken to Itu where services were held. Then it was taken to
+Duke Town.  Here another service was held. Then the coffin was carried to
+the beautiful cemetery on Mission Hill. From this place could be seen a
+large part of the city where Mary had begun her faithful missionary work in
+Africa.  Around her grave the grateful natives gathered and wept for her
+who had wept and prayed over them.
+
+"Do not cry, do not cry," said old Ma Fuller, Mary's native friend through
+the years.  "Praise God for His blessings. Ma was a great blessing."
+
+First the Africans called her "the white Ma who lives alone." Then they
+called her "the Ma who loves babies." But lastly they called her "#eka
+kpukpru owo#," "everybody's Mother."
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+Books on Women Missionaries
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+WHITE QUEEN OF THE
+CANNIBALS
+
+The Story of Mary Slessor
+By A.J. Bueltmann
+
+When Mary was young, she heard her mother read about the dangers and
+rewards of missionary work in Calabar, Africa. This challenged Mary
+Slessor's young heart and she determined to serve her Lord there. _White
+Queen of the Cannibals_ records her courage as a missionary to the worst
+of pagans. The story is simply told that it might inspire children to
+Christian service.
+
+NOT ALONE By Eunice V. Pike
+
+Many hundreds of languages in the world today have never been reduced to
+writing. Uncounted thousands of people cannot read God's Word. The work of
+Wycliffe Bible Translators is to master the language of a tribe, reduce it
+to writing, and then teach the people to read the Scriptures--in their own
+tongue. Eunice Pike recounts her years spent with the Mazatec Indians in
+Mexico, giving them God's Word.
+
+CLIMBING By Rosalind Goforth
+
+After returning home from many years of missionary service in China,
+Rosalind Goforth reflects on those incidents that most affected her life
+for Christ.  Written to display the mercy of the Lord and "to help others
+face life's hard problems," the author recalls her experiences from
+childhood to retirement--a life of constant _climbing_.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of White Queen of the Cannibals: The
+Story of Mary Slessor, by A. J. Bueltmann
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10022 ***
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+
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+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
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+status under the laws that apply to them.
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #10022 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10022)
diff --git a/old/10022.txt b/old/10022.txt
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of White Queen of the Cannibals: The Story of
+Mary Slessor, by A. J. Bueltmann
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: White Queen of the Cannibals: The Story of Mary Slessor
+
+Author: A. J. Bueltmann
+
+Release Date: November 8, 2003 [EBook #10022]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN OF THE CANNIBALS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Stan Goodman, Thomas Hutchinson and PG Distributed Proofreaders
+
+
+
+
+WHITE QUEEN
+
+OF THE
+
+CANNIBALS
+
+
+_The Story of Mary Slessor of Calabar_
+
+
+by A.J. BUELTMANN
+
+
+
+
+_Contents_
+
+1.  A Drunkard's Home
+2.  A Brave Girl
+3.  In Africa
+4.  On Her Own
+5.  Into the Jungle
+6.  A Brave Nurse
+7.  Witchcraft
+8.  The Poison Test
+9.  Victories for Mary
+10. A Disappointment
+11. Clouds and Sunshine
+12. Among the Cannibals
+13. Blessings Unnumbered
+14. Journey's End
+
+
+
+
+#1#
+
+
+_A Drunkard's Home_
+
+"On the west coast of Africa is the country of Nigeria. The chief city is
+Calabar," said Mother Slessor. "It is a dark country because the light of
+the Gospel is not shining brightly there. Black people live there. Many of
+these are cannibals who eat other people."
+
+"They're bad people, aren't they, Mother?"  asked little Susan.
+
+"Yes, they are bad, because no one has told them about Jesus, the Saviour
+from sin, or showed them what is right and what is wrong."
+
+"Don't they have any missionaries out there, Mother?" asked blue-eyed Mary.
+
+"Yes, there are a few and they are doing wonderful things for Jesus, but
+there are still thousands and thousands of people who have never heard a
+missionary. They need many, many more missionaries."
+
+"When I get to be a big man, I'm going to be a missionary," said Robert,
+"and preach to the black people of Calabar and Nigeria."
+
+"I want to be a missionary; too," cried Mary, tossing her red hair about.
+
+"Girls can't be preachers," said Robert.
+
+"I want to preach to the black people," said Mary, the tears racing down
+her cheeks.
+
+"When I'm a missionary," said Robert, "I'll take you into the pulpit with
+me."
+
+This made Mary happy and she was much happier when Mother Slessor said,
+"Perhaps you can be a teacher and teach the little black children of
+Calabar. Now, children, I want to be sure you know your memory verse for
+Sunday school tomorrow. Let's all say it together."  And Mother Slessor and
+her six children joined in saying:
+
+Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
+
+As they finished reciting the memory verse they heard a hoarse voice
+singing:
+
+Gin a body-hic, meet a body-hic,
+Coming-hic, through the rye-hic.
+
+"It's your father, children. Off to bed with you quickly now. Oh, I do hope
+Robert has brought some money home with him so that we can buy some food
+for tomorrow."
+
+"Where'sh the shteps? Somebody alwaysh moving the shteps," said the father,
+Robert Slessor, as he staggered drunkenly to the door.
+
+Mother Slessor took hold of him and led him to a chair.
+
+"Hello, dear," he said thickly. "Howsh my, besht gurl? There ish no
+shoemaker's got a prettier wife-hic-than I have. Yesh shir, we drank a li'l
+toash to you, my dear."
+
+"Oh, Robert," said Mother Slessor to her husband, "I do hope you brought
+home some of your paycheck. We need it badly for food.  We don't have any
+money in the house. All the food we have is what I kept back from the
+children's supper so you could eat."
+
+"Shure, I brought money home," said Father Slessor. "All I did wash buy my
+friendsh a few drinksh."
+
+Mother Slessor's face brightened. At least they would be able to buy
+food. Her husband reached his hand into one pocket and brought it out
+empty. Then into another pocket and again brought it out empty. Finally
+trying several other pockets, he held out his hand with a small coin in it.
+
+"Shee, there ya' are, I brought money home. There'sh a thrippence for ye."
+
+"Oh, Robert!" said Mother Slessor in dismay as the tears filled her
+eyes. "Oh, Robert!"
+
+Then because she was used to these things, Mother Slessor heaved a sigh and
+said quietly, "Come and eat supper, Robert."
+
+The father staggered over to the table where Mrs. Slessor had placed the
+plate of food which the children had saved out of their own small helpings,
+that he might have something to eat.
+
+"Who wants shupper?" said Father Slessor, and he threw the precious food
+into the fire. He staggered to his bed and fell into drunken sleep. With a
+deep sigh Mother Slessor put out the light and she, too, retired for the
+night. Early the next morning she was up, preparing breakfast. Carefully
+she scraped every bit of oatmeal out of the container and boiled it for
+breakfast.
+
+"Come, children, it's time to get up. Sunday school this morning," called
+Mrs. Slessor.  Up jumped the six little Slessors. The older ones helped the
+smaller ones get dressed.  When they had eaten the little oatmeal that
+Mrs. Slessor had for breakfast, they lined up for inspection.
+
+"John," declared Mrs. Slessor, "you did not wash behind your ears. Go with
+Mary and let her scrub the dirt away. Now I'll put a bit of perfume on your
+hankies, and here's a peppermint for each of you. There, off we go to
+Sunday school and church."
+
+Father Slessor snored in his drunken sleep, while the family went off to
+hear God's Word and to sing His praises. When they returned, Father Slessor
+was awake. He was sitting on the side of the bed and holding his head. He
+had "morning after" sickness.
+
+"Come, Robert," said Mrs. Slessor, "and sit up to the table. Good Elder
+McDougal has given us a bit of meat and some bread, so we can eat this
+day."
+
+Father Slessor groaned, but sat up to the table and ate dinner with his
+family. It wasn't much of a dinner. It would have been even less were it
+not for the kindness and charity of friends, because Father Slessor had
+spent all their money for drink.
+
+After dinner the children did the dishes and ran out to play. When they
+were alone, Father Slessor hung his head and said,
+
+"Oh, my dear, what can I say? I am so ashamed. I did so want to bring my
+wages home that we might have food for the children.  And well--before I
+knew it, my wages were spent."
+
+"Robert," said Mrs. Slessor, "you have said again and again that 'tis your
+friends who lead you astray. Would it not be well to move away to some
+other town where you can find new friends who will not drink and who will
+not tempt you to drink?"
+
+"Aye, my dear, that no doubt would be the best. But where shall we go?"
+
+"I have heard that there is plenty of work in Dundee, with the mills and
+all. Let's sell our things here and move to Dundee."
+
+"Aye, let us do that. 'Tis certain it won't be worse than here for you and
+the children."
+
+"Very well, then. I shall tell the children and we shall move before the
+week is out."
+
+When Mother Slessor went outside to call the children, she found Mary
+seated on the steps with her stick dolls about her.
+
+"Well, Mary dear, what are you doing?"
+
+"I am the teacher and these are the black children of Calabar. I am
+teaching them about Jesus. I am telling them that He saved them from their
+sins."
+
+Mother Slessor hugged her little teacher and told her about the move they
+planned to make. Then the other children were called and told, too. There
+was much excitement, especially when the furniture was sold and the
+Slessors with their remaining possessions took the train to Dundee.
+
+It did not take long to find a place and get settled. Mother Slessor at
+once looked for a church they might attend. She found the Wishart Church,
+named for the famous preacher, George Wishart, who in 1544 had preached
+near the place where the church was built. Shortly afterward he was killed
+for preaching about Jesus.
+
+But Father Slessor did not do better in the new home. He could not overcome
+the drink habit, and probably did not try very hard to overcome it. In the
+meantime a new baby came to the Slessor home. They called the baby
+Janie. How happy her brothers and sisters were to welcome Janie! Mother
+Slessor was not altogether happy because she knew there was another mouth
+to feed. Father Slessor promised to give up drinking, but that did not mean
+anything, because he never kept those promises.
+
+The money they got from selling their furniture in Aberdeen slowly melted
+away. Sickness came to the Slessor home. Robert Junior, who was going to be
+a missionary to Calabar, became sick and died. Two other of the children
+also died, and only Mary, Susan, John, and Janie were left. But even that
+did not make Father Slessor give up his drinking.  The Slessors had less
+and less money to buy food. At last Mrs. Slessor went to work in one of the
+factories. Mary had to take care of the home. But the wages Mrs. Slessor
+received were very small. Somehow they had to find ways of getting more
+money. When she was eleven years old Mary went to work in the factory,
+too. Would she ever get a chance to be a missionary or must she give up
+that dream?
+
+"Mary, Mary," called Mrs. Slessor, "it's five o'clock. Time to get up and
+go to work."
+
+"Ho, hum," said Mary, "I'm still tired, but I'll get right up. I don't want
+to be late!"
+
+At six o'clock in the morning Mary was at work. She had to tend to the
+shuttles on the weaving machines. The weaving sheds where Mary worked were
+damp and dark. All morning long she heard the whirring of the belts and the
+clacking of the looms. In the afternoon she went to school. By the time she
+was fourteen years old she was an expert weaver.  She now began to work
+full time.
+
+The hours were long. Twelve hours every day for six days a week the
+fourteen-year-old girl worked in the factory. And the pay was very
+small. But it was a joy when she received her pay on Saturday night. Mary
+hurried home.
+
+"Mother, Mother," she called happily as she hurried into the house, "here
+is the money I earned this week."
+
+"Oh, Mary, that is so good of you," said Mother Slessor. She wiped tears
+from her eyes with the end of her apron. She felt sad that Mary had to work
+in a factory. She thought of her own childhood in a happy home where there
+was always plenty to eat and plenty of money to buy things that were
+needed. She quickly hid Mary's wages in the same place where she hid her
+own wages, so that her husband would not find the money and spend it for
+drink.
+
+Mary did not lose courage by the long hours in the factory. She remembered
+that David Livingstone, the great missionary, had worked in a weaving
+factory, too.
+
+"If I want to be a missionary, I must study," said Mary. "When can I find
+time?"  Again Mary remembered something David Livingstone did when he was a
+boy. He would take books to work and read them when the weaving shuttles
+were working right and did not have to have someone attend to them.  Mary
+did the same thing. She read many books from the Sunday school library. She
+read books like Milton's _Paradise Lost_. But most of all she read the
+Bible.
+
+Conditions at home grew worse. Mary's drunken father became meaner and
+meaner.  Saturday nights were the worst. Mary and her mother would sit
+waiting, after the younger children had been put to bed, for the father to
+stumble home. One night he was so mean to Mary, she had to run out of the
+house to get away from him. The whole family was unhappy because of
+Mr. Slessor's sinful habit. Finally, one morning he did not waken from the
+drunken sleep. In the night his soul fled to face the Judge in Heaven. The
+death of the father was really a great blessing to the family, for he had
+brought them only sorrow and trouble.
+
+Now the family felt free. The load they had borne was lifted. Mary at once
+began to take a more active part in church work.
+
+"If I want to be a missionary, I better have some practice. I know what I
+can do, I'll ask the Sunday school superintendent for a class to teach."
+She did, and was given a class of girls. She enjoyed teaching the girls
+very much. She called them her "lovable lassies."
+
+But Mary was not satisfied. She wanted to get more practice.
+
+On her way home from the factory Mary passed through the slums of the
+city. Mary herself did not live in a fine house; in fact, it was a very
+poor one. But in the slums the children lived in small, dark
+apartments. The streets on which they played were narrow and dirty. The
+children here did not know about the Saviour. They grew up rough and tough,
+cursing, swearing, stealing, and doing many mean things. Mary's heart ached
+for these children of the slums. She wanted to teach them that Jesus could
+make them happy. She talked with many people about it.
+
+At last her church opened a mission in the worst part of the slums. Mary
+went to the superintendent.
+
+"I want to teach a class in our mission," said Mary. "I am sure you can use
+me better there than you can here."
+
+"But Mary," said the superintendent, "you are doing a fine job here in the
+church; why do you want to go to the mission?"
+
+"There are many who will gladly teach a class here at the church, but not
+so many who are willing to teach at the mission. I am willing. I will teach
+there if you will give me a class. Please do."
+
+"But Mary, those children are tough and mean. You couldn't handle them. You
+could not make them behave. You are hardly more than a child yourself."
+
+"Oh, please let me try," said Mary, "I do so want to tell those boys and
+girls about my Saviour. Please let me try. Then if I don't make good, you
+can get someone else in my place."
+
+"Very well," said the superintendent, "I will give you a class, but I warn
+you those children are tough and mean and hard to handle."
+
+
+
+
+#2#
+
+
+_A Brave Girl_
+
+"Quit pestering us to come to church.  If you don't let us alone, we'll
+hurt you," shouted Duncan, the leader of a group of tough boys in the
+slums.
+
+Mary prayed God to make her brave and then said, "I will not stop trying to
+get you to come to church. I will not stop trying to tell you about Jesus,
+the Saviour. Do whatever you like."
+
+These boys had often tried to interrupt and break up the services, but Mary
+went out into the streets and tried to persuade and coax the young people
+to come and hear the Word of God.
+
+"All right then," said Duncan. "Here goes."  He took a piece of lead from
+his pocket and tied it to a long string. He began to swing it around his
+head. Each time he whirled the lead, it came closer to Mary's face. Mary
+did not move. The gang watched. They held their breath as it came closer
+and closer to her blue eyes. Mary did not blink. Finally, it grazed her
+forehead. Still Mary did not move.  Duncan dropped the piece of lead to the
+ground.
+
+"We can't scare her, boys," he said. "She's game."
+
+"There is Someone who is far braver than I am. He's the One who makes me
+brave.  Won't you come to the services and hear about Him?" asked Mary.
+
+"All right, Spunky, I will," said Duncan.  "And the rest of the fellows
+will, too. Come on, boys, we're going to the church tonight and no funny
+business."
+
+This was not the only time that Mary had to face the tough boys and girls
+of the slums.  But she had a Friend who was closer to her than even her
+dear mother. He made her strong and brave and true. Mary loved her Saviour,
+and was ready to do whatever He might want her to do.
+
+Her class grew larger all the time. She visited the members in their slum
+homes. She fitted herself into the family. If the baby needed tending, she
+tended to it. If someone was sick, she helped to nurse the sick person.
+Always she told the family about Christ and His power to save. The people
+of the slums came to love this home missionary and many of them were won to
+Christ through her work.
+
+The years went by. Did Mary still remember she wanted to be a missionary in
+Calabar?  Yes, she remembered, but now she had all she could do to support
+her family. Since Robert, the would-be missionary, had died, Mother Slessor
+hoped that her youngest son John would be a missionary. But God had other
+plans. John became sick. He was sent to New Zealand for his health, but
+died when he arrived in that country. Was there to be no missionary from
+the Slessor family?
+
+Whenever missionaries came to the Wishart Church or to Dundee, Mother
+Slessor, Mary, Susan and Janie would go to hear them.  At home they would
+read the stories of missionaries and their work. They read missionary
+magazines. They read about the missionaries in China, Africa, Japan, India,
+and even Calabar.
+
+One day William Anderson, a missionary to the West Coast of Africa, came to
+the little church. He told of the great need for missionaries in Africa. He
+told of the bad things which the people did who did not know Jesus.
+
+Sitting in church, listening to the missionary, Mary saw in her mind a
+picture of Africa. It was not a beautiful picture. She saw captured Negroes
+being taken to other lands as slaves. She saw alligators and crocodiles
+swimming in the muddy waters, ever ready to eat black children who would
+come too close to the river. She saw cannibal chiefs at their terrible
+feasts and fearful battles with spears and arrows. She saw villages where
+trembling prisoners dipped their hands in boiling oil to test their guilt;
+where wives were killed to go with their dead chief into the
+spiritland. But these things did not frighten the Scottish girl who was
+afraid to cross a field if a cow was in it. She longed to go to Africa.
+
+"Why don't I become a missionary?" Mary asked herself as she worked the
+looms in the factory. "Can I leave my home? Does Mother still need my help?
+Susan and Janie are working now. They could get along without me. But will
+I be brave enough? There are tropical jungles, and black men who eat
+people.  There are wild animals, sicknesses, and death. God can make me
+brave to face all of these things."
+
+Mary prayed, "O God, if it is Your will, let me go as a missionary to
+Calabar. Let me be a teacher to teach these black people the story of
+salvation. You have commanded us, Your disciples, to carry the Gospel to
+the farthest parts of the earth. Use me, O Lord, to help carry it to
+Calabar. Hear me, for the sake of Jesus, my Saviour."
+
+It was 1874. The news flashed around the world: "Livingstone is dead." The
+great missionary had died on his knees in Africa.  Everywhere people were
+talking of this great man who had given his life to tell the people of
+Africa about the Saviour. Mary made up her mind! She must go to Calabar!
+But what would her mother say? And if her mother agreed, would her church
+send her out to that field? Mary went to her mother.
+
+"I want to offer myself as a missionary," said Mary Slessor to her
+mother. "Are you willing?"
+
+"My child, I'll willingly let you go. You'll make a fine missionary, and
+I'm sure God will be with you."
+
+"Thank you, Mother," said twenty-six-year-old Mary. "I know God will be
+with me and will make me strong and brave to serve Him."
+
+Mother Slessor was very happy. There was going to be a missionary in the
+family after all. But there were some people who did not agree with Mother
+Slessor. They shook their heads in doubt. Others thought Mary was very
+foolish to risk her life in that way.
+
+"You're doing real well at the factory," said one of them. "And you're
+doing missionary work right down there at the mission.  Why rush away to
+those people way off in Africa? Seems to me missionary work ought to begin
+at home."
+
+"Yes," said Mary, "it should begin there, but not end there. There are some
+who cannot go to Africa. They can do the work at home. If God lets me, I
+want to take His Word to those people who have never heard of Him or His
+love."
+
+The next year, 1875, Mary offered herself to the Foreign Mission Board of
+her church.  She asked to be sent to Calabar. Then she waited. Waiting is
+hard sometimes. Mary had to wait until the Board had a meeting.  Then when
+the meeting was over, she had to wait for the secretary of the Board of
+Foreign Missions to write her a letter. Early in 1876 the letter came. How
+excited Mary was! Her hands shook as she tried to open the letter. Had they
+accepted her offer or refused it?
+
+"Mary dear," said her mother, "you are so nervous, you had better let me
+open that letter."
+
+"I'll manage, Mother," said Mary. She finally got it open, and she read:
+
+Dear Miss Slessor, I take great pleasure
+in informing you that the Board of
+Foreign Missions accepts your offer to
+serve as a missionary, and you have been
+appointed teacher to Calabar. You will
+continue your studies for the teaching
+profession at Dundee. May God richly
+bless you in His service.
+
+"Oh, Mother, I'm accepted! They're going to send me to Calabar!"
+
+"Praise God from whom all blessings flow," said Mother Slessor. "That is
+wonderful news indeed. To Calabar! Oh, I'm so happy I could shout for joy!"
+
+In March another letter came. This letter told her that she was to spend
+three months at a teachers' college in Edinburgh. All Mary's friends in
+Dundee gathered at the train as she got ready to leave for Edinburgh.
+
+"Come, Mary," said Duncan, the tough boy from the slums, who was now a
+grown man and a faithful worker at the mission, "give us a speech."
+
+"I can't make a speech," said Mary, "but I'll just ask you this: Pray for
+me."
+
+While Mary was at the school in Edinburgh, some of the other girls she met
+there tried to talk her out of being a missionary.  They did not want her
+to go off to Africa where there were wild animals and man-eating heathen,
+and all kinds of terrible sicknesses.
+
+"Don't you know that Calabar is the white man's grave?" asked one of her
+school friends.
+
+"Yes," answered Mary. "But it is also a post of honor. Since few volunteer
+for that section, I wish to go because my Master needs me there."
+
+At last the time had come for Mary to leave for Africa. For fourteen long
+years she had worked at the looms in the weaving factory.  As she worked,
+she had dreamed of Calabar. Now her dream was going to come true. Mary went
+to the city of Liverpool.  There she went on board the ship, the "S. S.
+Ethiopia." As she got on board she looked around. Everywhere were barrels
+of whiskey.
+
+"Hundreds of barrels of whiskey, but only one missionary," said Mary sadly.
+
+The boat whistle blew. The engines chugged.  The "S. S. Ethiopia" was on
+its way. It was August 5, 1876. Mary saw the shoreline of Scotland become
+dimmer and dimmer. She looked forward to seeing the coast of Africa and the
+land of Calabar.
+
+"At last I am on my way to Calabar," said Mary Slessor as the
+"S. S. Ethiopia," sailed southward. "How Mother would like to be with me!
+How often she prayed that God would send more missionaries to Calabar. I
+didn't think then that I would really be one of them."
+
+It did not take Mary long to make friends on board the ship. Among the
+friends she made were Mr. and Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"So you are going to Calabar," said Mr.  Thomson. "Aren't you afraid of
+that wild country?"
+
+"Oh, no," said Mary, "because God is with me. He will take care of
+me. Jesus said, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,'
+and I am trusting in His promise."
+
+"Do you know what this country is like?"  asked Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"Only what I have read about it," said Mary. "You've been there before,
+haven't you?"
+
+"Yes, we have," said Mrs. Thomson. "My husband wants to build a home where
+tired missionaries can rest and rebuild their strength for their wonderful
+work. He has explored the West Coast and chosen the Cameroon Mountains as
+the place for that home.  We are going there now to build this home for
+missionaries. Missionary work in Africa is so hard that missionaries need a
+place where they can rest from time to time."
+
+"I think that's wonderful of you!" said Mary. "I know the Lord will bless
+the work you are doing. Won't you tell me about Africa?"
+
+"Well," said Mr. Thomson, "the climate is very hot. The sun is so strong
+and hot that white people don't dare go out without a hat to protect their
+heads. The rivers are very muddy and often flow through dark, gloomy swamps
+that white people can hardly get through."
+
+"But often," broke in Mrs. Thomson, "there are beautiful green banks with
+the most beautiful flowers. You will see the prettiest birds in all the
+world dressed in the brightest reds and greens and blues and purples. You
+will see the long-legged cranes and the funny pelicans with their big
+beaks."
+
+"And don't forget the man-eating crocodiles that are swimming in the river
+or lying on the banks. They look like an old log, but if you get near them,
+look out! They seem lazy and slow, but they can snap off a leg or drag you
+into the river as quick as a wink.  Then in the jungles are the lions, and
+elephants, and other wild animals."
+
+"I am most frightened of the swift and terrible tornadoes," said
+Mrs. Thomson.
+
+"And, Miss Slessor," said Mr. Thomson, "don't forget that the natives are
+wild and fierce and many of them are cannibals who would be glad to eat
+you."
+
+"I shall not fear," said Mary. "God is leading me. He is my good
+Shepherd. He can protect me from fierce beasts and the wild people. I am
+happy He has chosen me to bring the messages of the Saviour to these wild
+people. He will call me home to Him when the work He has for me is
+done. Till then nothing can really harm me."
+
+Four weeks passed. The ship was plowing through the tropical sea. The air
+was warm, but the sea breezes made it very pleasant.  The ship turned
+landward and soon Mary could see the shore of Africa. How thrilled and
+happy she was--Africa at last! On September 11 the ship entered the
+tumbling, whirling waters of the Cross and Calabar Rivers which here joined
+and poured into the sea. Mary had read about these rivers, and now she
+actually saw them. She saw, too, the pelicans and the cranes. She saw
+crocodiles, about which Mr. Thomson had told her, lazily slide off the
+sandbanks into the muddy waters of the river.
+
+Mr. and Mrs. Thomson stood with Mary at the rail of the ship as it sailed
+up the river.  They would point out to her interesting sights as they
+passed along.
+
+"Look," said Mrs. Thomson, "there is Duke Town. That is where your mission
+is."
+
+Mary saw clay cliffs. She saw mud houses with roofs of palm leaves. Duke
+Town did not look in the least like Dundee or the other cities in Scotland
+which Mary knew. Duke Town did not look pretty, but Mary did not care. To
+her it looked beautiful, because here she would have the chance to serve
+the Lord.
+
+Soon native canoes came out to the steamer.  Then the boats of the
+traders. All was hurry and bustle as the great ship anchored and prepared
+to unload the part of its cargo that had been sent to Duke Town. Mary
+looked about, wondering how she was going to go ashore.
+
+A tall Negro came up to Mary. He bowed and said, "Are you the new white ma
+that is coming to the mission?" By ma the native meant lady. They called
+all white ladies "ma."
+
+"Yes, I am," said Mary.
+
+"Mr. Anderson sent me to bring you ashore and take you to the mission
+house."
+
+Mary was lowered from the great ship into a large canoe. Her baggage was
+brought down and placed in the boat. Then with powerful strokes the rowers
+sent the boat skimming across the water toward Duke Town.  Mary was helped
+ashore by the tall Negro who had come for her.
+
+"At last," she said to herself, "at last I am in Calabar."
+
+
+
+
+#3#
+
+
+_In Africa_
+
+"Welcome, welcome, Mary," said "Mammy" Anderson, as she hugged Mary.  Mammy
+Anderson and her husband, William Anderson, were among the first
+missionaries at Duke Town in Calabar. "This is Daddy Anderson," said Mammy
+Anderson, "and Daddy, this is Mary Slessor, just come from bonny Scotland
+to help us."
+
+Daddy and Mary shook hands. "Long ago you preached in our church in
+Dundee," said Mary. "You told how many missionaries were needed. I wished
+then I could help you.  I hope I can."
+
+Mary liked this fine Christian couple from the start. The mission house
+where they lived was high on a hill above the town.  Mammy took Mary around
+the house and the yard, which they called a compound. She showed Mary where
+the workers stayed who helped at the mission house. She showed her the
+school where the little black children were taught to read and write and
+told of the dear Saviour who had died for them, too, that they might be
+saved from sin and Hell and go to Heaven.
+
+"And here," said Mammy, "is the bell. I am putting you right to work. One
+of your jobs will be to ring the rising bell for morning prayers. You ring
+this at six o'clock.  Then everyone will get up, and we will have prayers
+in the chapel."
+
+That was Mary's first job, but alas! Mary often overslept and did not ring
+the rising bell in time. One morning she awoke and saw that it was very
+bright outside.
+
+"Dear me," said Mary, "I've overslept again." She jumped out of bed,
+slipped into her clothes and rang the bell, loud and long.  Soon the
+workers began coming, rubbing their eyes and yawning.
+
+"What's the idea of ringing the bell now?"  asked one of them. "It's much
+too early."
+
+"But look how bright it is," said Mary.
+
+Daddy Anderson laughed.
+
+"Mary, Mary," he said, "it's only two o'clock in the morning. The light you
+see is our bright tropical moon. It's not the sun."  And all the workers
+laughed, and Mary laughed with them.
+
+"I guess I'm not a very good bell-ringer," she said.
+
+Mary's real job was to teach the children in the school on Mission
+Hill. She remembered how she had played when she was a little girl that she
+was teaching the children of Calabar.  Now she was really doing it. She
+loved the little black children. After school she would take long walks
+with them into the bush. There they saw beautiful birds of many bright
+colors, and beautiful flowers of all kinds.
+
+Mary ran races with the black children.  How they loved that! She climbed
+trees as fast as any boy. The black children loved their white ma who
+taught them and played with them. But playing with the children often made
+Mary late for meals.
+
+"Mary, Mary," scolded Mammy Anderson gently, "you are late again. I am
+going to punish you. You go to your room. Since supper is over, you'll just
+have to go to bed without it."
+
+Mary went to her room. In a little while she heard a knock at her door.
+
+"It's Daddy, Mary," said a deep voice.  "Please open your door."
+
+Mary opened the door. There stood Daddy Anderson with his hands full of
+biscuits and bananas which he was bringing to her with Mammy's consent.
+
+"I thought you might be hungry," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"You and Mammy are perfect dears," said Mary. "I don't deserve all your
+kindness."  Mary soon began to visit the different yards or compounds in
+Duke Town. Missionaries had been here for thirty years, but there weren't
+many of them. They worked chiefly in Duke Town, Old Town, and Creek
+Town--three towns at the mouth of the Calabar River. They also had opened a
+station at Ikunetu and Ikorofiong on the Cross River.  One day Mary was at
+one of the stations with another missionary. When he finished his talk, he
+said, "Mary, won't you speak to these people?"
+
+Mary stood up. "Please read John 3:1-21," she said. The missionary
+did. Then Mary told the people how they could be born again.  She told them
+of the joy that they would have if they took Jesus into their hearts.  She
+told them of the hope of life after death with God in Heaven. The natives
+listened.  They liked her talk. After that whenever she came to that
+district, crowds would come to hear her speak.
+
+"Mammy," said Mary, after she had come from a trip to the outstations, "it
+hurts my heart to see how cruel these people are. And those awful, ugly,
+cruel gods they pray to.  The chiefs are so cruel and mean and have no
+mercy. And then that terrible secret society, the Egbo. I saw some of their
+runners dressed in fearful costumes scaring the people and whipping them
+with long whips. I saw a poor man whom they had beaten almost to
+death. Then there is that horrible drinking. They are worse than wild
+animals when they become drunk. And worst of all is that they have slaves
+and sell their own people as slaves."
+
+"Ah, lassie," said Mammy Anderson, "you haven't seen anything yet. There
+are millions of these black people in the bush and far back in the
+interior. Most of them are slaves. They don't treat a slave any better than
+a pig. The slaves sleep on the ground like animals. They are branded with a
+hot iron just as animals are. And just as the farmers back home fatten a
+pig for market, so the girls are fattened and sold for slave wives. The
+slaves can be whipped or sold or killed. When a chief dies, the tribe cuts
+off the heads of his wives and slaves and they are buried with him. The
+tribes are wild and cruel. Many of them are cannibals, who eat people. They
+spend their lives in fighting, dancing, and drinking. But the way they
+treat twins is one of the worst things they do."
+
+"What do they do to twins?" asked Mary.
+
+"They kill them," said Mammy Anderson.  "Sometimes they bury the twins
+alive and sometimes they just throw them out into the bush to die of
+hunger. The mother is driven into the bush. No one will have anything to do
+with her. She is left to die in the jungle or to be eaten by the wild
+animals."
+
+"But why do they do such cruel, wicked things to harmless babies?" asked
+Mary.
+
+"They believe that the father of one of the twins is an evil spirit or
+devil. But they don't know which one's father was a devil, so they kill
+both to be sure of getting the right one."
+
+"That must be stopped," said Mary. "I will fight it as long as I live. I
+will never give up. Jesus loves twins just as much as other children. The
+natives must learn that. They must learn that God said, 'Thou shalt not
+kill.' I'll teach them."
+
+Mary made many friends, not only among the children whom she taught, but
+also among the grown-up natives. One day she heard a chief speaking to his
+people about God and His love. He was a Christian. Mary thought that he
+made a very fine talk. She could tell he was very sincere. He talked so
+that everyone could understand him.
+
+"Who is that chief?" asked Mary of the man standing next to her.
+
+"That is King Eyo Honesty VII," said the man.
+
+"King Eyo Honesty? I must talk to him."
+
+As soon as she could, Mary went up to the chief.
+
+"King Eyo Honesty," said Mary, "I am Mary Slessor. Many years ago the
+missionaries told my mother about you. They told her what a fine Christian
+you were. She told us. She will be very happy when I tell her that I have
+met you."
+
+"I am very happy to have met you," said King Eyo Honesty. "Perhaps I could
+write a letter to your mother and tell her how happy I am that I have met
+you. I would tell her how happy I am that her daughter has come to teach my
+people about God."
+
+"Mother would be very happy, I know, to get a letter from you."
+
+For many years the African chief and Mary's Scottish mother wrote letters
+to one another.
+
+Every day when school was over, Mary went to visit the natives in their
+homes. She would tell them about Jesus and how He loved them. She told them
+Jesus wanted to save them. She told them that Jesus had paid for their sins
+by dying for them. If they loved and trusted in Jesus, He would take their
+sins away.
+
+One Sunday morning as she was walking through the village, she saw one of
+the old men who came to church all the time sitting at the door of his mud
+house. He looked very sad.
+
+"Ekpo," said Mary, "why aren't you on your way to God's house? Mr. Anderson
+will be looking for you. He will miss you."
+
+"If your heart were sad, would you go any place?" asked Ekpo.
+
+"But why is your heart sad?"
+
+"My son, my only son, is dead. Even now he is buried in the house."
+
+"Ekpo, let me tell you a story," said Mary.  "A long time ago there were
+two sisters.  They had a brother. They loved him very much. They loved him
+like you loved your son. He became sick. The two sisters sent a messenger
+to Jesus to tell Him. When Jesus came, the brother was dead. Martha, the
+one sister, said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here my brother would not
+have died. I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask Him.'
+
+"Jesus said, 'Your brother will get up from the grave.'
+
+"Martha said, 'I know that he will get up from the grave in the
+resurrection at the last day when all the dead shall come out of their
+graves.'
+
+"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
+me, even though he dies, he will live. Whoever lives and believes in me
+shall never die.'"
+
+"Did the brother get up from the grave?"
+
+"Yes, Jesus went to the grave and said, 'Lazarus, come out,' and Lazarus
+did. But, Ekpo, later Lazarus died again. Then his body stayed in the
+grave, but his soul was with God. He was happy. All Christians are happy
+with God. Your son was a Christian, wasn't he?"
+
+"Oh, yes, Ma, he was," said Ekpo's wife, who had come to the door while
+Mary was talking.
+
+"Then don't you see, God has taken him.  He is with God. He is happy. If
+you believe in Jesus, then some day you, too, will be with God and will see
+your son again."
+
+"Well," said Ekpo, "if God has taken him, it is not so bad."
+
+"Come, then," said Mary, "let's go to God's house and thank Him that your
+son was a Christian and is now with God in Heaven."
+
+Mary knew there was a great deal to do.  There were so many people who did
+not know about Jesus. There were so many who were terribly mean and
+cruel. But Mary knew that with the Lord on her side she would not lose in
+the fight against sin and wickedness.  Every day she would tell the natives
+about Jesus. Every day she would show them their sins and the Saviour.
+
+For three years Mary worked hard. Then she became sick. It was the terrible
+coast fever. Sometimes she was so sick, she did not know what was
+happening. She was very tired. She wished that she could see her mother and
+sisters.
+
+"Calabar needs a brave heart and a strong body," said Mary. "I don't have
+much of a brave heart, but I often feel the need of it when I am sick and
+lonely."
+
+"Mary, you must go home to Scotland and rest," said Mammy Anderson, "then
+you will get well from the fever. You will never get well here."
+
+"That's true, Mammy," said Mary, "but you know that I cannot leave my field
+of work was until the Board of Missions says I may."
+
+"That's right, but you have a furlough coming. I do hope we hear from the
+Board soon."
+
+In June, 1879, the letter came. Mary read it gladly. It told her that she
+could come home for a year's vacation. It did not take Mary long to
+pack. She left for Scotland on the next steamer. There were tears in her
+eyes as she stood on the deck. There on the shore were her black friends
+waving good-by to their white ma. They were crying, too.
+
+"Come back again! Come back again! God bless you and keep you!" they said.
+
+Mary waved to them.
+
+"I will be back," she said. Mary loved Africa. She loved the people there,
+but she knew if she wanted to get well she would have to go home. Then,
+too, she was anxious to see her mother and sisters again.
+
+The ocean trip did Mary much good. The cool ocean breezes blew the fever
+away. It made her cheeks pink again. Every day she prayed for the people of
+Africa. She prayed that she might go back again. She prayed that more
+missionaries would be sent out to show these poor people the way to Heaven.
+
+How happy Mary's mother and two sisters were to have her with them again!
+And how happy Mary was to be with them! They could not hear enough about
+Calabar. It made Mary's mother very happy to know that her daughter had
+taught the black children the way to Heaven. She was glad to hear about the
+other missionary work which Mary had done. But other people, too, were
+anxious to hear about Calabar. So Mary had to speak at Wishart Church and
+other churches.
+
+Mary told about the heathen, the wicked things the heathen natives did to
+twins, the mean way they treated slaves, and the many other cruel, wicked
+things these people did.
+
+"There is only one thing that will change these people," said Mary. "There
+is only one thing that will turn these heathen from their sins. That is the
+Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news about the Saviour. But who will tell
+these people about Jesus? We need many, many more missionaries. If you
+cannot go yourself, you can send gifts and offerings for this work. We need
+money so the missionaries can buy food and clothing. We need money so that
+they can build homes and churches and hospitals. Have pity on these poor
+people! Pity the poor little children! Help them now!  Above all, pray for
+these people, and pray for your missionaries that God will bless their work
+with these lost souls."
+
+Everywhere Mary went she won friends for Calabar. The people who heard Mary
+wanted to help make Christians of the heathen people. Many prayed. Many
+gave. Men and women gave gifts of money for the work.  Boys and girls
+brought their little gifts, too.  They knew the hymn:
+
+If you cannot give your thousands
+You can give the widow's mite.
+And each gift you give for Jesus
+Will be precious in His sight.
+
+Mrs. Slessor was not well. Living in the crowded, dusty, smoky city made
+her sick.  Mary found a little home out in the country.  Here were clear
+blue skies and pleasant fields.  Mary's mother was much better after they
+moved her. Mary's sisters enjoyed it also.  The months passed quickly. Soon
+the year would be over.
+
+"What do you want to do when you go back?" asked Mrs. Slessor.
+
+"I want to go on up the river. I want to go where missionaries have never
+been. I want to go to Okoyong and tell the people there about Jesus. I am
+praying God that sooner or later He will let me go and work there."
+
+"Isn't it much more dangerous there?"  asked Mrs. Slessor.
+
+"Yes, it is," answered Mary, "but I am not afraid because I know that God
+is with me and His angels are watching over me."
+
+June came. Mary had been home a year.  Now she was in good health
+again. She wanted to get back to Africa. July, August, September went by
+and then the good news came. Mary was to leave in October for Calabar.  It
+was a happy day for her when she got on the ship that would take her back
+to the Africa she loved.
+
+On the ship she found the Rev. and Mrs.  Hugh Goldie. They, too, had been
+missionaries in Calabar for many years, and now after a short vacation were
+going back once more. All the way to Africa the friend talked about the
+great work of winning souls for Jesus, especially the souls of the people
+of Calabar.
+
+At last the big steamship entered the mouth of the Calabar and Cross
+Rivers. It was not far now to Duke Town. Soon Mary would learn what work
+she should do. Would it be work she wanted to do? Would it be work in the
+jungles? Mary would soon know.
+
+
+
+
+#4#
+
+
+_On Her Own_
+
+"Mary, how would you like to have a mission station of your own?" asked
+Daddy Anderson.
+
+"Why, I'd love it," answered Mary.
+
+"It is hard work and very unpleasant at times," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"I don't care how hard or unpleasant it is," said Mary, "as long as I can
+work for my Lord."
+
+"Good, then you will be in charge of the Old Town Station, two miles up the
+river."
+
+It did not take Mary long to pack her things and move to Old Town. But what
+a sight greeted her when she arrived! The first thing she saw as she came
+into the village was a man's skull hanging from the end of a pole and
+swinging slowly in the breeze.
+
+"Where is the mission house?" asked Mary of one of the natives.
+
+"Down that way at the end of the road, Ma," he answered.
+
+Mary found the mission house. It was an old tumble-down shack. It was made
+of long twigs and branches, daubed over with mud.  The roof was made of
+palm leaves. It was not nearly as nice a home as the one on Mission Hill in
+Duke Town. When Mary went inside, she found that it was whitewashed and
+somewhat clean. Mary got busy cleaning up her house, and as she did, she
+began to make her plans.
+
+"I don't care if my house is not so fine. I am nearer to the jungles. I
+want to get into the jungles sometime and win those poor, ignorant heathen
+people for Jesus. I am going to live in a house like the natives and use
+the tools and things they do--only I'll be a lot cleaner. Then they will
+feel that I am one of them and I'll be better able to win them for
+Jesus. Then, too, it's cheaper to live that way and to eat bananas. I will
+be able to send more money home to my poor mother in Scotland. Living this
+way will also help me get ready for the time when I can go into the
+jungles. Then I will have to live that way."
+
+Mary held services every Sunday. She started a day school for the
+children. The grownups came, too. Mary was so friendly and kind that the
+natives loved her. More and more came to hear about Jesus. Mary showed them
+that He was the Saviour of the blacks and whites alike. Many came from
+faraway places to hear the white ma and go to her school.
+
+Mary soon visited all the villages in the neighborhood and every place she
+went she would tell the people about Jesus. At one place the king of that
+part of the country came regularly to hear the white ma. He would sit on
+the bench with the little children and listen to Mary tell about the
+Saviour who loves all people.
+
+One thing still bothered Mary very much.  This was the way the natives
+treated twins.  As soon as twins were born, they would break the babies'
+backs and stuff the little bodies into a jar made out of a big gourd. Then
+they would throw the jar out into the jungle.  The mother would be sent
+away out into the jungle to die.
+
+"It is very wicked for you to kill these twin babies," said Mary to the
+people. "It is a sin against God, who said, 'You shall not kill people.'
+Jesus loves all children. He loves the twin babies, too."
+
+The natives would not listen to her. They were afraid of the evil
+spirits. One day Mary heard about some twins that were born. She rushed
+over to the house and took the babies before they were killed. She brought
+them to her house and took care of them.
+
+"She will have lots of trouble taking an evil spirit into her house," said
+one of the natives. "Just you wait and see."
+
+"Maybe she is a friend of the evil spirit," said another.
+
+But weeks and months went by and nothing happened. The people began to see
+that Mary was right. Everywhere the people began to call Mary "the white ma
+who loves babies."
+
+Another wicked thing the people did was to kill the babies of slaves who
+died. They did not want to bother taking care of them so they killed
+them. Mary began to take these little orphans into her home and take care
+of them. But it began to be too much work for Mary alone. She wrote a
+letter to the Mission Board asking for someone to take care of these
+children.
+
+One day a trader came and knocked at Mary's door. He was carrying a little
+black baby in his arms.
+
+"I found this twin out in the bush," said the trader. "The other one was
+killed. This baby would have died, but I know how you love these little
+ones, so I brought it to you."
+
+"Thank you," said Mary, taking the tiny baby in her arms. "I shall call her
+Janie, after my sister." Mary adopted the little baby and the baby brought
+Mary much joy and happiness.
+
+One time Mary took a baby six months old into the mountains. The baby was
+sick. In the valley it was very hot.
+
+"This child shall not die if the cold can save him," said Mary.
+
+Up in the mountains it was much cooler than in the valley. Mary pitched her
+tent and stayed there for a time so the baby could get well.
+
+One night Mary woke up. She heard a growling noise. She looked around. A
+panther was in the tent! He had the baby in his mouth! He was going to
+carry it away!
+
+Mary jumped up. She grabbed a burning stick from the fire and rammed it
+into the panther's face. With a wild howl the panther dropped the baby and
+ran off. Mary picked up the baby who was crying now. She looked him over,
+carefully. He was not hurt. Softly she sang to the baby and rocked him to
+sleep.  After the baby was well, Mary went back to the mission station in
+the valley.
+
+Another time news came that twins had been born. All the people had thought
+a lot of the mother, even though she was a slave.  Now everyone hated
+her. The other women in the house cursed her. They broke up the few dishes
+she owned. They tore up her clothes. They would have killed her but they
+were afraid of Mary Slessor and what she would do.
+
+They took the two babies and stuffed them into an empty gin box and shoved
+it at the woman.
+
+"Get out! Get out!" they said, "you have married the Devil. You have a
+devil in you."  They threw rocks at her and drove her out of the village.
+
+Mary met the poor woman carrying her babies in the box on her head. The
+screaming, howling crowd of people were following her.
+
+"Go back! Go back to your village," Mary told the crowd. Then turning to
+the woman she said, "Give me the box and come with me to my house."
+
+When Mary opened the box, she found one child dead. The baby's head had
+been smashed when it was jammed into the box.  Mary buried the poor little
+baby. Soon the owner of the woman came and took her back.  She was willing
+to do this as long as she had no children. The little baby stayed with Mary
+and became another of her family.
+
+One evening Mary was sitting on the porch of her mission house talking to
+the children.  Suddenly they heard a loud noise. They heard the beating of
+drums. Then they heard men singing loudly.
+
+"What's that?" asked Mary. She took the twin boys that were with her and
+rushed down to the road to see what was going on.  Here she found a crowd
+of people. They were all dressed up. Some wore three-cornered hats with
+long feathers hanging down. Some had crowns. Some wore masks with animal
+heads and horns. Some put on uniforms with gold and silver lace. Some just
+covered their bodies with beadwork and tablecloths trimmed with gold and
+silver.
+
+When Mary came, the shouting stopped.  The king came forward to meet her.
+
+"Ma," said the king, "we have had a palaver.  We have made new laws. The
+old laws were not God's laws. Now all twins and their mothers can live in
+town. If anyone kills twin babies or hurts the mothers, he shall be hung."
+
+"God will bless you for making those wise laws," said Mary.
+
+The mothers of the twins who lived at the mission and other mothers, too,
+gathered around Mary. They laughed and shouted.  They clapped their hands,
+and with tears running down their cheeks, cried: "Thank you! Thank you!"
+They made so much noise that Mary asked the chief to stop them.
+
+"Ma, how can I stop these women's mouths?" asked the chief. "How can I do
+it?  They be women."
+
+Mary was happy, but after a while some of the people began to forget the
+new laws.  Quietly and underhandedly they began to go back to doing the old
+bad things again. This was because they were not Christians. They did not
+love and trust the Saviour. Mary knew that the main thing to do if she were
+to get them to live right and do right was to change their hearts. New laws
+could not really change them. Only faith in Jesus could do that.
+
+"I must help them more. I must lead more of them to Jesus," said
+Mary. "Many are sick. I will give them medicine, and at the same time tell
+them about Jesus who makes the soul well and the body, too."
+
+As Mary gave out medicine, many people would often crowd around her to hear
+her "Jesus talk." She told them of Jesus' love for them. She told them how
+He had died that they might be saved from everlasting death and be made
+pure. Mary had her hardships.  Often she would not be able to get home at
+night and would have to sleep in the open.  It was not easy to be a
+missionary, but Mary was gladly willing to do it because she was working
+for Jesus and saving souls.
+
+One day a man came to the mission house.
+
+"I am the servant of King Okon. King Okon has heard of the white Ma. King
+Okon has heard how the white Ma loves our people and is kind to them. King
+Okon invites the white Ma to come and visit our country."
+
+"I shall be glad to come if I may tell your people about Jesus, the
+Saviour," said Mary.
+
+"Sure," said the messenger, "you come and make Jesus-talk."
+
+When King Eyo Honesty VII, Mary's old friend, heard of this invitation, he
+said:
+
+"Our Ma must not go as an ordinary traveler to this savage land and
+people. She must go as a lady and our mother, one whom we greatly respect
+and love."
+
+He brought his own canoe to Mary and said, "The canoe is yours to use as
+long as you wish."
+
+Mary's eyes filled with tears of thankfulness.
+
+"King Eyo," she said, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I accept
+the offer of your canoe in Jesus' name. I know God will bless you for your
+kindness."
+
+"God has blessed me," said the king. "He has sent our white Ma to us."
+
+The canoe was long and slim. It was painted in bright colors. At the front
+end bright-colored flags were flying. In the middle of the canoe was a sort
+of tent to protect Mary from the sun. The Christian natives had brought
+gifts of rice and these were put in the boat. Crowds of people came to say
+good-by to the white Ma. At last it began to get dark. The thirty-three
+natives who were going to row climbed into the boat. Torches were lit and
+the boat started upstream.
+
+As Mary lay down in her tent in the middle of the boat, she heard the
+rowers singing as they rowed.
+
+"Ma, our beautiful beloved mother, is on board," they sang, "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
+
+She thanked God that He had protected her in Old Town. She prayed that He
+would protect her still as she went into a part of the country where no one
+had yet brought the news about a loving Saviour. She prayed that He would
+bless her speaking, so that many people would believe in the Lord Jesus and
+be saved forever.
+
+As she prayed, the rowers continued singing their made-up song: "Ma, our
+beautiful beloved mother, is on board. Ho! Ho! Ho!"
+
+Mary fell asleep and the canoe carried her silently through the night to a
+new part of the country and to new adventures.
+
+When the sun arose the following morning, the canoe carrying Mary Slessor
+arrived at King Okon's village. A great shout went up from the people when
+they heard the white Ma had come.
+
+"You have my room," said the chief. "It is the best room in the village."
+
+It may have been the best room, but it was not a very comfortable one. Rats
+and big lizards were running back and forth across the floor. There were
+insects and fleas and lice everywhere.
+
+The people were much interested in the white Ma. They had never seen a
+white woman before. They crowded into the yard.  Many of them touched and
+pinched Mary to see if she were real. Some were afraid. Their friends
+laughed at them and pulled them into the yard. They watched Mary eat. They
+watched everything she did. Mary did not care. She used their interest in
+her to tell them about Jesus who loved them. She told them that they must
+love Jesus and trust in Him for salvation.
+
+Twice a day she held services and great crowds came to hear her. She cut
+out clothes for the people and taught the women how to sew. She gave
+medicine to the sick and bandaged the wounds of those who got hurt.
+
+"King Okon," said Mary, "I would like to go into the people's homes in the
+jungle.  May I go?"
+
+"No, white Ma, I cannot let you go. This is elephant country. The elephants
+go wild and run over everything in the jungle. These stampedes have been so
+bad my people have had to leave off farming and make their living by
+fishing. I cannot let you go. You might get hurt or killed."
+
+One night Mary saw that the people looked very angry. Some were sad.
+
+"What is the matter?" asked Mary.
+
+"Two of the king's young wives have done wrong. They have broken a law,"
+answered one of the natives. "They thought nobody was looking and went into
+a room where a young man was sleeping. Each of them will be hit a hundred
+times with a whip."
+
+Mary went to the king. She asked him to be kinder to these girls. She
+begged him not to beat them so much.
+
+"Ma, you are right," said the king. "I will call palaver of all the
+chiefs. If you say we must not whip girl, we must listen to you as our
+guest and Ma. But the people will say God's Word be no good, if it keeps
+the law from punishing those who do wrong."
+
+Mary saw the king was right. She turned to the girl-wives of the king.
+
+"You have brought shame to the king and the tribe by the silly foolish
+things you did.  God's Word teaches men to be kind and merciful and
+generous, but it does not pass over sin or permit it. I cannot ask the king
+not to punish you. Ask God to help you in the future, so that you will not
+do bad or foolish things."
+
+All the chief men of the tribe grunted their approval of what Mary had said
+to the girls.  But then Mary turned to the chief men and said:
+
+"You are to blame. Your custom of one man marrying many wives is wrong and
+cruel. These girls are only sixteen years old and still love fun and
+play. They are too young to be married. They meant no real harm."
+
+The men did not like to hear that. They did not like to hear that their
+ways were wrong.
+
+"If punishment is hard," said the old men, "wife and slave will be afraid
+to disobey."
+
+"King Okon," said Mary, "show that you are a good king by being kind and
+merciful.  Don't be too hard on these young girls."
+
+"All right, Ma," said the king, "I will make it only ten blows with the
+whip. Also we will not rub salt into the wounds to make them sting."
+
+When the whipping was over, Mary took the girls into her room. There she
+put healing medicine on their backs while she told them about Jesus who
+could heal their souls.
+
+At last it was time for Mary to go back to Old Town. The king and the
+people were sorry to see her go. On her homeward way a tropical storm
+struck the canoe and the people in it. Mary was soaked. The next morning
+she was shaking with sickness and fever.  The rowers feared their white Ma
+would die.  They rowed as fast as they could for Old Town. Mary was so sick
+that she had to take a long rest.
+
+A few months later a big storm tore off the roof of her house and again she
+was soaked as she worked to save the children.  Again she became very sick.
+
+"You must go home to Scotland," said Daddy Anderson. "You must go home and
+rest and get well."
+
+"Since you tell me to do that and the Board has ordered it, too, I can only
+obey," said Mary. "I am going to take my little black Janie with me. It is
+too dangerous to leave her here where some of the heathen might steal her
+and kill her because she is a twin."
+
+With a heart that was sad at leaving Calabar, but glad to have a chance to
+see her dear ones in Scotland again, Mary sailed for Dundee in April, 1883.
+
+
+
+
+#5#
+
+
+_Into the Jungle_
+
+"Oh, Mary, it is good to see you again," said Mother Slessor when Mary
+arrived once more in Scotland. "And this is little Janie about whom you
+have written us so often! We are happy to have you with us, Janie."
+
+"I am glad to be home, Mother," said Mary, "but I am anxious to go back to
+Africa as soon as I can. There are so many souls there to be won for
+Jesus."
+
+Mary soon got over her sickness and was well and strong again. Now she went
+to the churches in Scotland to tell about the missionary work in
+Calabar. She made many friends. Some of the young people who heard her
+wanted to become missionaries. Miss Hoag, Miss Wright and Miss Peabody
+decided to become missionaries and later worked in Calabar, too.
+
+Mary was so successful in interesting the people in mission work that the
+Board of Missions asked her to stay longer and visit more churches. Mary
+did what the Board asked, although she was anxious to get back to
+Africa. At last this work was finished.  Now she could go back.
+
+Mary was getting ready to go back to Africa when her sister Janie became
+sick.
+
+"You will have to take her to a warmer climate," said the doctor. "That is
+the only way she will get well."
+
+Mary could not afford to take her sister to Italy or southern France.
+
+"I will ask the Board of Missions if I can take my sister with me to
+Africa."
+
+Anxiously Mary waited for an answer to her letter. At last the letter came.
+
+We are sorry, but we must answer
+your question with a No. We feel that
+to take your sick sister along to Africa
+would be an unwise mixing of family
+problems and missionary work.
+
+What should Mary do now? A friend told her to take her sister to southern
+England where the climate was warmer than in Scotland.  She wrote to the
+Board to ask whether they would let her be a missionary if she took out the
+time to take care of her sister. The Board of Missions wrote:
+
+Dear Miss Slessor:
+
+When the way is clear for you to return
+to Calabar we will be glad to send
+you out again as our missionary. In the
+meantime we will be glad to pay your
+missionary salary for three more months.
+
+Mary was glad that she could go back again, but she would not take the
+missionary salary when she was not working as a missionary.  This left her
+with a sick sister and no salary. She took her sister Janie and her mother
+to southern England. They had been there only a short time when Mary's
+sister, Susan, in Scotland, died. It made her sad to lose a sister, but she
+was happy in the thought that Susan was now with Jesus her Saviour in
+Heaven.
+
+After a while Janie was better and Mary packed up and got ready to sail
+once more to Africa. Just as she got ready to go, her mother became
+sick. What should Mary do now? She took her troubles to God in prayer. As
+she prayed, a thought came to her which showed her a way out of her
+problem.
+
+"I will send for my old friend in Dundee to come and take care of Mother
+and then I can go to Africa."
+
+Mother Slessor agreed that this was the thing to do. Soon the friend came
+and now Mary was free to go to Africa. The weeks at sea were a good rest
+for her and she was in the best of health when she landed once more at Duke
+Town. Ten years had gone by since she first came to Africa.
+
+"Where should I go now?" asked Mary of Daddy Anderson after she was once
+again in the mission house on Mission Hill.
+
+"This time you are being sent up to Creek Town," said Daddy Anderson.
+
+"Oh, I'm glad," said Mary. "That is the settlement farthest up the river."
+
+"You will work with the Rev. and Mrs. H.  Goldie," continued Daddy
+Anderson.
+
+"That makes me happy, too. They are old friends. I met them on the trip the
+time before this one."
+
+As soon as she was settled in Creek Town, Mary worked harder than ever for
+the salvation of the natives. She did not care about her health. The only
+thing she could think of was how she could win more of the natives to
+Christ. She spent very little on herself because the money from her salary
+was needed back home in Scotland.
+
+One day very sad news came from Scotland.  Mother Slessor had died. Mary
+was very sad. Her mother was the one who had interested her in missionary
+work by telling her stories about it when she was only a little girl. Her
+mother had always encouraged her in her work. Her mother was willing to do
+anything and suffer anything so that Mary could be in the work of saving
+souls.  Her mother was always interested in everything that Mary did. No
+wonder Mary was sad even though she knew that her mother was now with the
+Saviour in Heaven.
+
+"There is no one to write and tell my stories and troubles and nonsense
+to. All my life I have been caring and planning and living for my mother
+and sisters. I am now left stranded and alone."
+
+But she was not alone. The words of Jesus, "Lo, I am with you alway," came
+as sweet comfort to her heart.
+
+"Heaven is now nearer to me than Scotland," she said. "And no one will be
+worried about me if I go up country into the jungles."
+
+Mary was very anxious to go to the deep jungles to Okoyong, but every time
+she mentioned it the Board and the Andersons said, "No, not yet." The
+tribes were cruel and wicked. They were always fighting among themselves
+and with other tribes. They did more bad and nasty things than any of the
+tribes she had ever worked with. They killed twin babies. They stole slaves
+and when they caught some stranger they made him a slave.  They would hide
+along jungle paths and when someone went by, they would kill him. They
+hated the people of Calabar and the British government.
+
+At different times missionaries had tried to get into this land, but always
+they had to run for their lives. The natives of Okoyong trusted no one. It
+was to that country that Mary wanted to carry the love of Jesus and the
+story that He died for them. Every day she would pray:
+
+"Lord, if this is Your time, let me go."
+
+Meanwhile Mary worked hard at Creek Town. Besides her missionary work she
+was taking care of a number of native children.  Some were twins she had
+saved from death, some were the children of slaves. Mary took care of these
+children at her own expense. In order to take care of them and have enough
+food for them, she ate only the simplest of foods, sometimes nothing but
+rice for a long time.
+
+One day a man came to Creek Town to see Mary.
+
+"I am the father of Janie, the twin," he said. "I am glad you have taken
+care of her."
+
+"Come and see her," said Mary.
+
+"No, no!" said the man, "the evil spirit will put a spell on me."
+
+"You won't be hurt if you stand far away and look at her," said Mary.
+
+As he watched Janie, Mary took him by the arm and dragged him to the little
+girl. She put his strong black arms around her little shoulders. At last
+the man took the little girl on his lap and played and talked with
+her. After this he came often to visit his little girl and brought her food
+and presents.  At last the time came when word reached Calabar that the
+Mission Board had decided that the Gospel should be preached in Okoyong and
+that Mary could go. Mary was very happy. At last God had answered her
+prayer.  She was going into a wild country. She was going to go ahead of
+the other missionaries to find a place where they could build a mission
+house and church.
+
+When King Eyo Honesty VII heard of it, he came to see Mary.
+
+"So you are going into the wild country, to Okoyong," he said.
+
+"Yes, and I am so happy. Those people need to have their hearts and lives
+changed.  I am happy that I shall be able to tell them about the Saviour."
+
+"Aren't you afraid to go among these wicked men? What if they should go on
+the warpath when you arrive?"
+
+"I am not worried. God is on my side. If it is His will, He can keep me
+from all harm.  If it is His will that I should die, then His will be
+done. If giving my life will help open Okoyong to the Gospel, I will gladly
+give it."
+
+"God bless you, Ma. I am going to let you use the king's canoe for this
+trip. My rowers can take you there swiftly. They will do anything you ask,
+because they love you."
+
+"Thank you, King Eyo; that will help me very much."
+
+King Eyo fixed up his canoe for Mary, as though she were a queen. He put a
+carpet in it, and many cushions. He put a sort of tent on it so that Mary
+could be alone when she wanted to be. The boat was loaded with homemade
+bread, canned meat, rice, and tea.
+
+At last everything was ready for the trip into the wild country. Mary said
+good-by to her friends, the missionaries, and to her native friends. Then
+the thirty-five rowers pushed out from the shore and headed upstream toward
+the wild country. On both sides of the river were banana and palm
+trees. There were beautiful plants and flowers of many colors. The light
+shimmered on the flowing river as the rowers pulled the oars and sang their
+songs.
+
+"What will happen if the Okoyongs are on the warpath?" Mary asked
+herself. "What will I do then?" Mary knew the answer. "I will put my trust
+in God and not in man."
+
+She lay back on the cushions and prayed to God to protect her in the wild
+country and to lead her in His way. The rowers rowed swiftly and sent the
+canoe shooting up the river toward the wild country.
+
+"There is the landing place," said the chief rower. "Now we must walk the
+rest of the way to Ekenge."
+
+Mary got out of the boat. The rowers followed her. They carried the
+packages Mary had brought with her. They began to walk through the
+jungle. It was four miles to Ekenge where Chief Edem lived. As they came
+near to the little village of mud huts, the chief rower whispered to Mary,
+
+"There is Chief Edem. Praise God, he is at home and sober."
+
+Mary, too, thanked God that the Okoyongs were not on the warpath and she
+asked God's blessing on her visit with them.
+
+When the people of Ekenge saw Mary they began to jump up and down and
+shout,
+
+"Welcome, Ma. Welcome to Ekenge."
+
+Chief Edem bowed to her and said, "You are welcome Ma Mary. It is an honor
+to have you come to us. We are happy because you did not come with
+soldiers. We know now that you trust us. I have set aside a house for you
+as long as you stay with us."
+
+"Thank you, Chief Edem. I am happy to be here."
+
+"This is my sister, Ma Eme," said the chief.  Mary liked Ma Eme at once and
+Ma Eme liked Mary. They were friends as long as they lived.
+
+"I want to go to visit the next village now," said Mary. "I want to go to
+Ifako."
+
+"Oh, no, Ma," said Chief Edem. "The chief is a very bad man. He is not fit
+for you to meet. Besides he is drunk now and he doesn't know what is going
+on. You must stay at Ekenge."
+
+"Very well," said Mary, "I will stay, but call the people together so that
+I can have a Jesus-talk."
+
+When the people had all come together, Mary told about God's great love for
+them.  She told them about Jesus who died that they might be saved. She
+told them about the happiness Jesus would bring to their village by
+changing their lives when they came to Him.
+
+That night Mary did not sleep very much.  The chief had given her one of
+the best houses in the village, but we would not think it was much of a
+house. Her bed was made of a few sticks with some corn shucks thrown over
+them. In the room all night were plenty of rats and insects. But Mary's
+heart was happy.
+
+Later Mary went to Ifako. The chief there liked Mary very much. He and
+Chief Edem agreed to let her start a mission in their villages.  Each one
+promised to give her ground for a schoolhouse and a mission house. Mary
+chose the places for the buildings. They were a half-hour's walk apart.
+
+"Now I must go back to Creek Town," said Mary. "When I come back again, it
+will be to stay."
+
+"Come soon, Ma," said Chief Edem. "It will make us very happy to have you
+stay with us."
+
+As they rode down the river, Mary could not sleep at first because the
+rowers kept whispering,
+
+"Don't shake the canoe or you will wake Ma," or "Don't talk so loud so Ma
+can sleep."  At last, however, tired from her days of work in Ekenge and
+Ifako, she fell asleep and did not wake up until she came back to Creek
+Town.
+
+Now she was very busy getting ready to move to Ekenge. One of the traders
+heard about her going to Ekenge.
+
+"Do you trust those wild people?" he asked.  "Do you think you can change
+them? What they need more than a missionary is a gun-boat to tame them
+down."
+
+"No, my friend," answered Mary, "they need the same thing that every person
+in the world needs and that is the Saviour Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can
+change the hearts of sinful people."
+
+At last Mary was packed up. She was taking with her the five children she
+had saved from death. Another missionary, Mr. Bishop, was going along with
+her. Now at last Mary was going to work in the jungles as she had wanted to
+do. She had been in Africa for twelve years. She was now forty years old.
+
+When Mary was ready to leave, all the people of Creek Town gathered around
+her. They told her good-by and wished her God's blessing.
+
+"We will pray for you," they said.
+
+One of the young men she had taught in school said, "I will pray for you,
+but remember you are asking for death when you go to that wild country."
+
+It was getting dark when Mary's boat landed near Ekenge. The rain was
+pouring down. It was a four-mile walk to Ekenge.  Mary and the five
+children started out. Mr.  Bishop and the men who carried the baggage were
+to follow.
+
+An eleven-year-old boy was in the lead.  He was the oldest of the five
+children. He carried on his head a box filled with tea, sugar, and
+bread. An eight-year-old child followed him carrying a teakettle and
+cooking pots. Next came a three-year-old who held tight to little Janie's
+hand. Then came Mary carrying a baby girl and a bundle of food.
+
+The children slipped in the mud. They became soaked by the rain. The jungle
+was dark around them and strange noises came from all sides. The children
+began to cry.  They were hungry and scared.
+
+"Don't cry children," said Mary. "Remember Jesus is watching over us. He
+will take care of us. Soon we will be in the village and then we can have
+something to eat and we can put on dry clothes."
+
+They marched on. At last they came to the village. The village was dark and
+still.  "Hello, hello," called Mary. "Is anyone here?"
+
+No one answered. Mary called again. At last two slaves came.
+
+"Ma," said the oldest slave, "the chief did not know you were coming
+today. The mother of the chief at Ifako died and all the people have gone
+to Ifako for the burying."
+
+"All right," said Mary. "We will wait here then for Mr. Bishop and the
+baggage carriers."
+
+"I will send a messenger to Chief Edem," said the slave, "to tell him that
+you have come."
+
+Mary took some of her food and cooked it over an open fire in the pouring
+rain. She fed the children and put them to bed.
+
+At last Mr. Bishop came to the village.
+
+"I am sorry, Miss Slessor," he said. "The carriers will not bring anything
+until tomorrow.  They are tired. They are afraid of the jungle trail."
+
+"But tomorrow is Sunday," said Mary. "It would be a bad example for them to
+do work for us on Sunday. I will not have them work tomorrow."
+
+"John," said Mary, turning to a young man who had come with Mr. Bishop,
+"you go back and tell the carriers they must come tonight for we need food
+and dry clothing."
+
+After the young man had gone, Mary decided she should go and help. She took
+off her muddy shoes and started back through the dark and fearful
+jungle. Mary was afraid when she heard the snarls of animals in the jungle,
+but she put her trust in God and went on.
+
+As Mary came near to the beach she met John.
+
+"Ma Mary," he said, "the men will not come. They will not bring the things
+until the daylight chases away the hidden dangers of the jungle."
+
+"I will talk to them," said Mary. She plodded on through the mud. She came
+to the canoe. The men were all sound asleep. Mary woke them and put them to
+work. In the meantime Mr. Bishop had coaxed some of the slaves from Ekenge
+to help. Soon all the things Mary had brought were being carried to Ekenge.
+
+Sunday morning was cloudy. Mary got things ready for church. Church time
+came.  But where were the people? Mary and Mr.  Bishop and the children
+began to sing hymns as loud as they could. Still no one came. How
+discouraging! All the people had been at the burying. When they buried
+somebody, especially somebody important like the chief's mother, they would
+have a wild party. The people would get drunk and do many other wicked
+things. The next day they would be too tired and sick to do anything.
+
+Mary and the children and Mr. Bishop kept on singing. At last a few women
+came. Mary gathered them around her and told them the story of Jesus and
+His love. The women listened but they did not say anything.
+
+After the service was over and the women had gone to their huts, Mary knelt
+down and prayed.
+
+"O God, my heavenly Father, with Your help I have made a beginning in the
+jungles of Okoyong. Things look black and discouraging now, but I know that
+if it is Your will You can change all that. If it is not Your will that my
+work is successful here, then send me wherever I can work best for You.
+Forgive my sins. Make me a better and more faithful worker for You. And
+bless the work here in Okoyong. I ask this for Jesus' sake.  Amen."
+
+Would the work in Okoyong be a failure or a success? Time would tell. Mary
+knew that it depended on God.
+
+At last Chief Edem and his people came back from the wild, drunken party at
+Ifako.
+
+"Welcome Ma Mary," said Chief Edem. "I am glad you have come. I have a
+place for you. You take this room here in my women's yard. It is for you."
+
+"Thank you, Chief," said Mary. It was a dirty, filthy room, but it was the
+kind of room all the people of Okoyong used. Mary cleaned out the dirt. She
+had a window put in. She hung a curtain over the door. While she was
+working a boy came up to her.
+
+"Ma Mary," he said, "I am Ipke. I want to help you." Ipke worked hard. He
+helped Mary as much as possible. Whatever there was to do, Ipke was ready
+to do it.
+
+A few days later Mary looked out of her room. She saw Ipke. He was standing
+near a pot of boiling oil. A crowd of people stood around yelling and
+shouting.
+
+Chief Edem came up to the crowd. Then a man took a dipper and filled it
+full of boiling oil. Ipke stretched out his hands in front of him. Suddenly
+Mary knew what was happening.  She rushed out of her house, but she was too
+late. Already the man had poured the boiling oil over Ipke's arms and
+hands.
+
+"Why have you done this?" asked Mary.  Chief Edem said nothing. He turned
+and walked away. The other people also kept still. Mary took Ipke to her
+room. She put medicine on the burns.
+
+"Why did they do this to you, Ipke?" she asked.
+
+"It is because I helped the white Ma. The people say I do not follow the
+old ways. It is bad to follow new ways. I must be punished.  The bad spirit
+must be burned out."
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "heal this boy and help me to change the wicked
+heathen ways."
+
+
+
+
+#6#
+
+
+_A Brave Nurse_
+
+It was strangely quiet in the village of Chief Okurike. The chief was
+sick. All the magic of the witch doctors could not make him better. If he
+died, many of his wives, slaves and soldiers would be killed to go with him
+into the spirit-world.
+
+A woman from a neighboring village came to the house of Chief Okurike's
+wives.
+
+"You are sad because Chief Okurike is dying," said the woman. "I know
+someone who can help him. Far away through the jungle at Ekenge lives the
+white Ma. With her magic she can make devils go out of your chief. My son's
+child was dying. The white Ma saved her. She is well today. The white Ma
+has done many wonderful things by the power of her juju. Let your chief
+send for her. Then he will not die."
+
+The wives talked it over.
+
+"We must tell the chief," said the head wife. "He must send for the white
+Ma. If he dies, many of us must die too. We do not want to die."
+
+They told the chief about the strange white Ma at Ekenge.
+
+"Let her be sent for," said the chief. "Send swift runners to ask her to
+come."
+
+All day long the men hurried through the jungle along the narrow
+paths. They went through many villages but they did not stop.  At last
+after eight hours, they came to the village of Ekenge.
+
+"We are the men of Chief Okurike," said the men to Chief Edem. "Chief
+Okurike is very sick. We want the white Ala who lives in your village to
+come and heal him."
+
+"She will say for herself what she will do," said Chief Edem. He sent a man
+to tell Mary some men from Chief Okurike wanted to see her. Mary came at
+once to see what was wanted.
+
+"Ma," said the men, "Chief Okurike sent us. He is very sick. Come and bring
+your magic medicines and make him well."
+
+"What kind of sickness does your chief have?" asked Mary. "Maybe I can send
+the medicine with you."
+
+They shook their heads. They did not know what the sickness was.
+
+"I must help," said Mary to herself. "If the chief dies, then according to
+their heathen way the tribe will kill all his wives and slaves so he will
+have company on the long trip to the spirit-world. I must go and teach them
+about the Good Shepherd who is with us even in the valley of the shadow of
+death. If the chief should die and the tribe think that it is because of
+witchcraft it will be even worse.  Many people will be killed because the
+tribe will think they used witchcraft to kill the chief."
+
+"I will go with you," said Mary.
+
+"There are warriors out in the jungle and you will be killed. You must not
+go," said Chief Edem.
+
+"It is a long journey," said Ma Eme.  "There are deep rivers to cross. It
+is raining very hard. You will never get there."
+
+"If Chief Okurike dies, there will be fighting and killing. You will be in
+great danger," said Chief Edem. "Don't go."
+
+Mary knew that if anything happened to her, Chief Edem would go to war
+against the tribe of Chief Okurike, because she was his guest, and a chief
+must protect his guest.  Mary prayed to God about it. Then she said to
+Chief Edem, "I am sure that God wants me to go. It will be a chance to tell
+these people about Jesus who heals the soul-sickness. God will take care of
+me."
+
+"Well, Ma, I do not like it, but you may go if you wish. I will send women
+with you to look after you. I will send men to protect you."
+
+Early the next morning they started on the journey. It was raining
+hard. After they had left Ekenge, it began to pour. The jungle was flooded
+and steaming hot. It was hard to go, but Mary and the guard pushed on.
+Soon Mary's clothes were soaked through.  They became so heavy she could
+hardly walk.  Her boots became water soaked. She took them off and threw
+them in the bush. Soon her stockings wore out and she walked through the
+jungle mud barefooted. She knew she was doing God's work, and even fearful
+rainstorms were not going to stop her.
+
+After three hours the weather began to clear, but now Mary's head began to
+ache from fever. As Mary and the guard passed through the jungle villages,
+the people looked at Mary with surprise. But nothing would stop Mary. She
+pushed on, and after walking through the jungle for eight hours, she
+stumbled into the village of the sick chief.
+
+Some of the people were crying. They expected to be killed when the chief
+died.  Others were laughing and shouting. They were going to have "fun"
+when the chief died. They were going to kill people and have a wild party.
+
+Mary was tired and sick, but she went at once to the chief's house. He was
+stretched out on a dirty bed. His face was gray with sickness. He was
+moaning and groaning. He was very near death.
+
+Mary examined the chief to see what his sickness was. She opened her little
+medicine chest and took out some medicine.  She gave the chief a dose. It
+made the chief a little better.
+
+"I don't have enough of this medicine with me," said Mary. She knew that
+away on the other side of the river another missionary was working. She
+knew he had some of the medicine. She went to the men of the village.
+
+"You must go across the river to Ikorofiong for more medicine," said Mary.
+
+"No, no, we cannot go," said the men of the village. "Our enemies are on
+the other side of the river. They will kill us if we go there."
+
+"But I must have the medicine," said Mary.
+
+"There is a man from that village down the river a little ways. He is
+living in his canoe on the river. Maybe he will go," said one of the men.
+
+Some of the men ran down to the river.  They found the man. They promised
+him many things. At last he said he would go.  The next day he brought the
+medicine to Mary.
+
+For days Mary nursed Chief Okurike. She taught one of his wives how to help
+her. She also told the chief and his family about Jesus.  Whenever she
+could leave the chief for a short time she would talk to the tribe about
+the Saviour and how He would change their lives if they believed in Him.
+
+Day after day Mary prayed for Chief Okurike. At last prayer won out. Chief
+Okurike got well. The people were very happy.
+
+"Ma Mary," they said, "we want to learn book." They meant that they wanted
+to learn about the Bible.
+
+"I am glad you do," said Mary, "but then you must do what the Book says."
+
+"We will," said the people. "We will make peace with Calabar. We will not
+kill the traders who come to our land or the other white people."
+
+"Then I will always be your worker and I will send you a teacher as soon as
+I can, who will teach you of the Saviour who died for you to pay for your
+sins."
+
+Mary went back to Ekenge. Here she found that Chief Edem was very sick. He
+had some very bad boils on his back. Mary put medicine on the boils. Every
+day she came to his house and took care of him. One day when she came in
+she saw feathers and eggs lying around the room. This was witch doctor
+"medicine." On the Chief's neck and around his arms and legs were witch
+charms.
+
+"Oh, Chief Edem," said Mary, "how could you do this? Surely you know that
+doing witchcraft is a sin against God. I do not see how you could go back
+to it after you had learned to know about Jesus."
+
+"Ma, you don't know all about these things.  Someone is the cause of this
+sickness. You don't know all the badness of the black man's heart. Look,
+here are the proofs that someone is working witchcraft against me. The only
+one who can fight that is the witch doctor.  He is the only one who can
+make me well. See, here are the things that were taken from my back."
+
+Chief Edem pointed to a collection of shot, egg shells, seed and other
+things which the witch doctor said had come from his back. He believed the
+witch doctor. He believed that someone using witchcraft had sent them into
+his back.
+
+Mary knew what would happen. Everybody whom the chief thought might have
+done the witchcraft would have to take poison. The people thought that if
+the person who took the poison died, he was guilty, but if he was not
+guilty he would live. The tribe would also use other tortures like pouring
+boiling oil on people to get them to confess.
+
+"That is all wrong," said Mary. "The sickness is because you have not eaten
+good things or taken care of yourself and kept as clean as you should
+have. Don't believe the bad witch doctor." (God said something about that
+in Exodus 22:18.)
+
+Chief Edem would not listen. He had everyone he thought might have the
+witchcraft made a prisoner. The witch doctor took the chief and his wives
+and chief men and prisoners to a nearby farm. Mary was not allowed to come
+to this farm.
+
+Mary knew of Someone who could help her.  She prayed to God again and again
+to keep these people from doing the bad things they planned. Days went
+by. Mary prayed that Chief Edem might get well. God heard Mary's
+prayers. He did what she asked. He made Chief Edem well again.
+
+When Chief Edem was well again he decided not to kill the prisoners, the
+people he thought might have done witchcraft against him. He let them go
+free. Then the chief and his wives and the chief men came back to the
+village.
+
+The tribe had a big party to celebrate.  They were happy the chief was
+well. It was the wildest party Mary had ever seen. The people stuffed
+themselves with food until they became sick. They got drunk. They had wild
+dances. They did many wicked things.
+
+Mary had often prayed that God would turn the heathen people from their
+wicked ways, but here they were carrying on worse than ever. The only
+answer to her prayers that she could see was that the prisoners who were
+going to be killed had been set free.
+
+"Am I doing anything for my Saviour?"  Mary asked herself. "Am I having any
+success in winning people for Jesus?"
+
+
+
+
+#7#
+
+
+_Witchcraft_
+
+One day Chief Njiri and his warriors came to visit Chief Edem. They stayed
+several days. They had wild parties every day. They drank native beer until
+they became drunk. Then they would quarrel and fight. They asked Mary to
+settle their quarrels and decide who was right. Mary was praying every day
+that there would not be bad fights and that no one would be killed.
+
+Finally it was the last night of the visit.  The men were so drunk that
+Mary knew there would be trouble. When the chief and his men were ready to
+leave, everyone was excited.  The people were shouting and pushing.  Some
+shots were fired and the men began stabbing with their swords. They were
+too drunk to know what they were doing. Mary ran into the crowd. She went
+up to Chief Njiri.
+
+"Chief," said Mary, "your visit is over. Go now before trouble starts." She
+took hold of the chief's arm and led him out of the village and his men
+followed him. They started for their own village.
+
+"I'm glad that's over," said Mary, but she had spoken too soon.
+
+On their way home, as they were staggering along, Bakulu, one of Njiri's
+men, cried out, "Look!" and pointed with his finger. The chief and his men
+stopped.
+
+"It is witchcraft," said Bakulu. "See the little banana plant with palm
+leaves, nuts and a coconut shell close by!"
+
+"Don't go past it," said one of the other men. "It is bad medicine. You
+will get sick and die."
+
+"It is the people in the last village we passed through. They did it. Let
+us punish them," said Chief Njiri.
+
+"Yes, let's punish them," shouted the men.  Mary had been following the men
+to make sure they would go home.
+
+She heard the shouting. Now the men started running past her. She tried to
+stop them, but they slipped away. Mary took a short cut through the
+jungle. She reached the road to the village before the men did.
+
+"God, our Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "help me for Jesus' sake to stop
+these men, so there will not be a bloody battle."
+
+"Stop," she cried as the first men came in sight. "Stop, I want to talk to
+you."
+
+The men stopped. The others soon came running up. They had to stop, too.
+
+"You men are planning to do something bad. You do not know that the people
+of this village did bad things to you. You only think they did. You have
+drunk too much beer.  You do not know what you are doing. Go home."
+
+"But Ma," said Njiri, "they have made bad medicine against us. They made
+witchcraft.  They must be punished before we are hurt."
+
+Njiri and his men argued with Mary, but finally they listened to her. They
+turned around and once more started for home.  Mary went with them to make
+sure they would get there. At last they came again to the banana plant and
+the witch medicine.  They were afraid to pass it.
+
+"If we pass it, we will get sick and die," said Njiri.
+
+"That is sinful foolishness," said Mary.  "That banana plant and those
+other things will not hurt you. I am not afraid of them."
+
+Mary picked up the banana plant, the palm leaves, nuts and coconut shell
+and threw them into the jungle.
+
+"Now, brave men, come on. I have cleared the path. Let us go to your
+village."
+
+Timidly the men tiptoed past the place where the "medicine" had been. Then
+they went on to their own village. Once more Mary thought that all would be
+peaceful now for a while. She started for the village of Ekenge.
+
+No sooner was Mary gone than the people of Njiri began drinking again. Then
+they started quarreling and fighting. One of the men in the village ran and
+told Mary.
+
+"I will fix that," said Mary. She took some of the men of Ekenge with
+her. She went to the village of Njiri. With the help of the men of Ekenge
+and some of the people of the village, they tied some of the most drunken
+men and the wildest fighters to the trees. They left them there to cool
+themselves in the breezes of the jungle.
+
+After several hours Mary untied them because she was afraid that some lions
+might come and kill and eat them. Now that things were quiet, Mary again
+started for home. On the way she picked up the little banana plant that had
+caused so much trouble and took it with her.
+
+"I will plant it in my own yard and see what witchcraft can do!" said Mary.
+
+Early the next morning, a man from Njiri's village came running into
+Ekenge. He went to Mary's house.
+
+"Ma," said the runner, "Chief Njiri was very sick last night. He suffered
+very much.  The witch doctor took sticks and shells and shot from his
+leg. It is because he walked past the banana plant and other magic
+medicine.  Give me the little banana plant for the chief."
+
+"No, I cannot do that," said Mary. She knew that if the banana plant was
+taken to the chief, someone would die because of the witchcraft belief.
+
+"But you must send it," said Chief Edem.  "If you do not send it, he will
+make war on us."
+
+"Very well," said Mary, "I will send it. But I know there will be much
+trouble."
+
+So he took the banana plant to Chief Njiri.  When he received it, he and
+his warriors went to the village which he thought was working witchcraft
+against him. He made all the people of the village come to him. In great
+fear they came.
+
+"Every one of you must swear that you did not make that bad medicine
+against me. I am going to find out who is working that witchcraft to hurt
+me."
+
+All the people of the village swore they had not done it.
+
+"I am going to take one of your finest young men with me. If I find that
+you have told me a lie, I will kill him."
+
+Njiri's warriors captured a young man and took him along. If the villagers
+had tried to rescue him, he would have been killed, and many of them would
+have been killed also.  They sent a man to Mary.
+
+"Ma," said the man, "please help us. Please get Njiri to free Kolu."
+
+"I don't like to have anything to do with Njiri. He is very wicked. But I
+will go and try to get Kolu free."
+
+Mary went to the village of Chief Njiri.  She walked right up to the
+chief. The warriors of Chief Njiri looked at her with angry faces. They
+shook their spears at her.
+
+"Chief Njiri," said Mary, "why have you taken this young man? He has done
+you no harm. You are doing a bad thing."
+
+"Ha, ha," laughed Chief Njiri. "Do you think I am so foolish, Ma? I know
+these people put bad medicine in my path. I saw the sticks and shells which
+the witch doctor took from my leg. If sickness comes, I will kill this
+man."
+
+"The village people have sworn to you that they did not put those things in
+your path," said Mary.
+
+"Perhaps they are lying."
+
+"They are not lying, but you have lied.  You promised to go home and not
+harm these people. You lied to me. You have made trouble. You went to their
+village and made them swear. You stole this young man. It is wrong to
+lie. God will surely punish those who speak with a lying tongue. Please set
+this young man free so that he may return to his village and his people."
+
+"Ma," answered Chief Njiri, "you do not understand these things. You do not
+know the badness in the hearts of these people.  You do not know the bad
+things they want to do against me. You do not know about witchcraft."
+
+"Oh, yes, I do," said Mary. "I know that God will punish those who do
+witchcraft. He will punish those who are foolish enough to believe in
+it. The people who trust in Jesus do not fear witchcraft. Why do you not
+trust in Jesus?"
+
+"I don't need Jesus. I am a strong chief.  I have many warriors. No one can
+harm me."
+
+"If no one can hurt you, why don't you set this young man free?"
+
+"I will not set him free. If I keep him, his people will be afraid even to
+try hurting me."
+
+"But think, Chief, how you would feel if you were captured and taken away
+from your people? Think how sad this young man feels.  Great chiefs show
+mercy and kindness to the weak. Will you show mercy and kindness to the
+people of the village and free this young man?"
+
+"A great chief is not weak. He does not act like a woman. A woman shows
+kindness and love. I am not weak. I will punish. I will revenge myself on
+those who would do evil to me."
+
+"Revenge belongs to the true and powerful God. He will punish those who do
+evil. I beg you, Chief Njiri, to set this man free."
+
+"Ma, if I were not a good chief I would have killed you a long time
+ago. But go now.  I do not want to hear your talk. I will not set this
+young man free. Maybe I will kill him. Maybe I will not kill him. But I
+will not set him free. Go, before I become angry with you."
+
+"I will go, but remember Chief Njiri, the great and powerful God who sees
+and knows the badness in your heart. He knows the evil you do. Please turn
+to Him and believe in Him before it is too late and you end in Hell, the
+place where bad people suffer forever."
+
+"Go," said Chief Njiri angrily, "get out of my village. Go back to Ekenge."
+
+Sadly Mary started back to Ekenge.
+
+"I have failed these people who asked for my help. O God, soften the heart
+of Chief Njiri and keep Your protecting hand over the young man Kolu."
+
+When Chief Edem heard that Njiri would not set the man free, he said,
+
+"Njiri has insulted our Ma. Let the warriors get their spears and
+shields. Let us get ready for war."
+
+The women slipped quietly into Mary's room to tell her the latest news. It
+made Mary sad that these men were getting ready for a war, but neither one
+of the chiefs would listen to her. Mary knew where to go for help. She
+prayed to God.
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "You can stop this war. You can soften the hearts of
+these cruel chiefs. Please stop this war so that the warriors may not be
+killed and their wives made widows and their children orphans.  Hear me for
+the sake of Jesus, my Saviour."
+
+A man knocked on the door of Mary's hut.  "Ma, Ma," he cried, "Kolu has
+been set free. Chief Njiri let him go, and he is back at the village. There
+will be no war!"
+
+"Thank You, Father in Heaven," prayed Mary. "Thank You that You heard my
+prayers and that peace and quiet will again be in the villages."
+
+Mary had a true friend in Ma Eme, the sister of Chief Edem. She helped Mary
+often.  She did everything she could to help Mary and the mission, but one
+thing she never did, that was to confess Christ openly. She and Mary talked
+of many things as they worked together. One day Ma Eme said,
+
+"When my husband died, I had to go through the chicken test."
+
+"What is that?" asked Mary.
+
+"All of my husband's wives, I too, were put on trial. The witch doctors
+were trying to find who caused my husband, a great chief, to die. Each of
+us had to bring a chicken.  The witch doctor chopped off the heads of the
+chickens one at a time. If the headless chicken fluttered one way, the
+witch doctor said the wife was innocent. If it fluttered the other way, he
+said she was guilty."
+
+"What happened when they cut off the head of your chicken?" asked Mary.
+
+"It fluttered wildly in the right direction.  The witch doctor said I was
+innocent. But the strain had been so great I fainted and had to be carried
+to my hut. But many of the other wives were killed."
+
+"You do not believe in the witch doctors, do you?" asked Mary.
+
+Ma Eme looked all around. Then she stepped close to Mary and whispered,
+"No, but I would not tell anyone else. They are too strong and tricky. They
+could cause me much trouble if they knew I was against them."
+
+"I shall fight the witch doctors as long as God gives me strength. God is
+against the witch doctors who do such evil things."
+
+Chief Edem had promised Mary a house, and the people of the village had
+said they would build it. But whenever Mary wanted to start, they would
+say, "Tomorrow, we will start, Ma." But tomorrow just did not come.
+
+At last Mary and the children she had adopted and the native children
+cleared the ground. They stuck sticks in the ground for the wall. They
+began to make the roof. Then some of the lazy people of the village began
+to help, and at last the house was built.
+
+Mary also wanted to build a church and school at Ifako. The chief there had
+promised to help. But the people of that village were lazy, too. They were
+always putting off doing the building. One morning a man came from Ifako.
+
+"My master wants you," he said.
+
+Mary went to Ifako. The chiefs were together at a cleared piece of ground.
+
+"See, Ma, here is your ground. Here are the sticks, and mud, and palm
+leaves and other things we need to build. Shall we build the church today?"
+
+It did not take long for Mary to say yes.  The people of the village forgot
+to be lazy.  They were having fun building the church.  When it was finally
+finished it was twenty-five feet wide by thirty feet long. We would not
+think that was a very big building, but it was the biggest in the village.
+
+"See," said the Chief of Ifako, "it is much better than the house at
+Ekenge."
+
+"It is a fine church," said Mary. "Now we must keep it clean and
+nice. There should be no dirty things in or around God's house."
+
+We would not think it was such a fine church. The walls were made of dry
+mud and sticks. The roof was made of palm-leaf mats.  The floors were made
+of mud and so were the seats. But everything was polished and rubbed as
+smooth as possible. There were no windows or doors in the building. There
+were just holes in the wall to let in the light for windows and a larger
+hole to serve as an entrance.  But Mary thought it was a fine church
+because it was the best in that part of the country and because it was a
+place where people could hear about the Saviour and learn "book."
+
+"We will hold our first service in the new church next Sunday," said
+Mary. "I want you all to come."
+
+"We will come, Ma," promised the natives.
+
+
+
+
+#8#
+
+
+_The Poison Test_
+
+"Tomorrow we will have our first service in our new church. You must dress
+right for it," said Mary.
+
+She took out of her mission boxes clothes of all kinds and colors which the
+people in the homeland had sent to her.
+
+"You must wear these to church tomorrow," said Mary. "In God's house you
+must be clean. You must be dressed. You must not bring your spears into
+church."
+
+"Can we come?" asked the children.
+
+"Indeed you can," said Mary. "The children can come and the slaves can
+come. God's house is open to everyone."
+
+The next day was indeed a happy day for Mary. The church was filled with
+people.  Many of them came just out of curiosity, but there were many who
+had learned to know and love and trust in Jesus.
+
+Mary now started day classes and these too were crowded because many wanted
+to learn "book." They wanted to learn about Ma's God and about the Saviour
+who took away sins. It was not long before a change could be seen in many
+of these people. They had become Christians. The look of fear was gone from
+their eyes. They no longer feared the demons because they had a Saviour who
+loved them and took care of them. They did not do the wicked things they
+had done before. They tried to live as God wanted them to live.
+
+Mary was happy. Now she wanted to build a larger and better mission house
+in Ekenge.  Chief Edem wanted that too. He felt that the church schoolhouse
+in Ifako quite outshone the little two-room house in Ekenge. Mary wanted
+doors and windows in the new house.  She could not make them. The natives
+could not. They had never seen any.
+
+Mary wrote to the Mission Board about it.  The Mission Board put a notice
+in the magazine they published asking for a practical carpenter who was
+willing to go to Calabar.  Mr. Charles Ovens saw the notice.
+
+"This is God's call to me," he said. "I have wanted to be a missionary ever
+since I was a little boy. I could not study to be a minister.  I learned to
+be a carpenter. Now I can be a carpenter for God. I can build mission
+houses and churches and while I build I can tell the people about my
+Saviour."
+
+It was in May, 1889, that Mr. Ovens started for Calabar. In Duke Town he
+found a native helper and the two of them went to Ekenge. Mary was very
+glad to have him come. He was a very jolly man. He sang at his
+work. Everyone liked him and the natives gladly helped him in building the
+houses.
+
+For a long time Mary had been trying to get the chiefs of Okoyong to trade
+with the traders on the coast. They would not listen.  Now she invited them
+to her new house. She showed them the things she had and how useful they
+were. The chiefs looked at the door and windows. They liked them. The women
+looked at the clothes and at the sewing machine. They liked them. They
+looked at the clock on the mantel. They liked it, too.
+
+"We will trade with coast people," said Chief Edem.
+
+Mary wrote to the traders and invited them to Okoyong. She told them to
+bring dishes, dress goods, mirrors, clocks, and the like to trade for
+ivory, oil, and bananas and other things in the jungle.
+
+"It is too dangerous to come up-country," answered the traders. "We are
+afraid the native guards on the jungle paths will kill us."
+
+Mary wrote to good King Eyo, of Duke Town. She asked him to invite the
+Okoyong chiefs for a conference. She promised they would bring jungle goods
+to trade.
+
+King Eyo invited the chiefs. They did not want to go. Mary told them of the
+interesting things they would see on the coast. She told them of the good
+things they could get by trading. At last they agreed to go. They collected
+two canoeloads of bananas, barrels of oil and other jungle crops. Then the
+chiefs and warriors came marching down to the river to go to the coast.
+
+"Wait," said Mary. "You cannot take those spears and swords and guns
+along. You will only get into trouble. You must leave your swords and
+spears, your guns and knives at home."
+
+When Mary said this, many of the natives disappeared into the jungle. They
+would not go without their weapons.
+
+"Ma, you make women of us," argued those who remained. "Would a man go
+among strangers without arms?"
+
+"You may not take arms," said Mary.  "You are not going to war. You are
+going for a friendly visit."
+
+"If we cannot take our swords and guns we will not go. We will stay home."
+
+"But you promised and I promised King Eyo that you would come. Will you go
+back on your word and make me a liar?"
+
+For two hours they argued with Mary. The beach filled with natives from the
+village who wanted to see the chiefs start on their trip.  The chiefs did
+not want to look like cowards to the people of the village. At last they
+took off their swords and gave their guns to their white Ma. Those who had
+run away to the jungle came back and decided to go along.
+
+"We do not like this," said the chiefs, "but we will go. We will not make
+you a liar, Ma."
+
+They got off into their boats. As one of the boats rowed off, one of the
+bags shifted. Mary saw the gleam of flashing swords.
+
+"Stop!" cried Mary. The rowers stopped.  Mary took the swords and threw
+them into the river.
+
+"Shame on you," said Mary. "I did not think you would try to fool me like
+that." The chiefs said nothing. They just rowed down the river.
+
+The chiefs who went to Duke Town had a wonderful time. They went to the
+church services. King Eyo Honesty talked with them about the Gospel and
+what it meant for their lives. He took them to his house and had a big
+dinner for them. They traded the bananas, oil, and other things which they
+had brought for things to take home like mirrors, clocks, and white
+people's clothes. Then the next day they rowed back to Ekenge.
+
+The village people were all gathered down at the landing place to welcome
+the chiefs home. They watched patiently for the boats.  When the boats came
+the people shouted for joy.
+
+"Welcome home, Chief Edem," said Mary.  "How was your trip? Did you enjoy
+your visit at Duke Town?"
+
+"The trip was fine, Ma," said Chief Edem.  "Duke Town is a big
+village. They have a big churchhouse. We saw many things."
+
+"Did you need your guns and swords?"  asked Mary.
+
+"No, Ma, you were right. We did not need guns or swords. King Eyo was good
+to us.  We have many fine things."
+
+"If you work hard and get things to trade, you can get many more fine
+things," said Mary.
+
+"We are going to work hard. We want many of those fine things we saw."
+
+The men did work. Because they were busy they had less time and less desire
+to get drunk and quarrel. Mary's missionary work was having its effect on
+the lives of the people. Slowly they were changing from their heathen ways,
+but there was still much to do.
+
+One day while Mary and Mr. Ovens were working on the mission house they
+heard a wild scream from the nearby jungle. Mary jumped up.
+
+"Something is wrong in the jungle," said Mary. "Johnny, go and see what it
+is."
+
+One of her orphan boys ran off to find out what was wrong. In a few minutes
+he came back.
+
+"Ma, Ma," he cried, "a man is hurt. Maybe he is dead. Come quick."
+
+Mary grabbed her case of medicines and followed Johnny into the
+jungle. When she reached the place where the young man was lying, she
+looked into his face.
+
+"It is Etim, the son of our chief, Edem. He is going to get married soon
+and is building his house. A tree fell the wrong way and hit him. He cannot
+move his arms or legs. This means bad trouble. The people will say it is
+witchcraft."
+
+Mary with her helpers quickly made a stretcher to carry Etim. They carried
+him to his mother's home at Ekenge.
+
+"I will nurse him," said Mary to Etim's mother.
+
+For two weeks Mary took care of him night and day. She prayed God to spare
+the young man's life. She did everything she knew to help him. Etim did not
+get better. Day by day he became worse. Sunday morning came.  Mary could
+see that he did not have long to live. She left him for a short time to
+arrange for Mr. Ovens to take care of the church services. Hearing Etim
+groaning and crying out, she rushed back to the house where he was.
+
+The natives were blowing smoke into his nose. They were rubbing pepper into
+his eyes. His uncle, Ekponyong, shouted into his ears. They thought they
+were helping him to get well. Instead they made him die sooner.  In a
+moment he gave a cry and fell back dead.
+
+"Etim is dead!" cried the people in the house. "Witches have killed him!
+They must die! Bring the witch doctor at once!"
+
+The people who were in the house quickly disappeared, and soon only Mary
+and Etim's relatives were left. When the witch doctor came, he did all
+kinds of queer things, which he said would tell him who had made the young
+man die. He pretended to be listening to the dead boy talk.
+
+"It is the people of Payekong. They are to blame. They put a spell on him,"
+said the witch doctor.
+
+Chief Edem called for the leader of his soldiers.
+
+"Take my warriors and go to Payekong," said Chief E'dem. "Capture the
+people and burn down the houses. Quickly now!"
+
+The warriors were too late. Chief Akpo, the chief of Payekong, had heard
+the news.  He and his people had run off into the jungle.  Only a few
+people were left in the village.  Those were captured by Edem's soldiers
+and brought to Ekenge.
+
+Mary was sure that Chief Edem would make the people take the poison bean
+test.  This is how the test was made: A small brown bean full of poison was
+crushed and put into water. The person who was tested had to drink the
+poison water. The natives thought that if the person drank the water and
+died, he was guilty; if he lived, he was innocent.
+
+"That is no way to honor your son, Chief Edem," said Mary. "You know it is
+wrong and sinful to kill people."
+
+"But they are bad people. They deserve to die."
+
+"You do not know that. That water is poison. Anyone who drinks it would
+die."
+
+"Oh, no, Ma, if the one who drinks it is innocent he will live."
+
+"I do not agree with you. Come, let us honor your son in a better way."
+
+Mary wrapped the young man's body in silk. She dressed him in the finest
+suit she could find. She wrapped a silk turban around his head and then
+placed a high red and black hat with bright colored feathers on his head.
+No chief had ever been dressed so fine for his burial. The body was carried
+out into the yard and seated in a large chair under an umbrella.  A
+silver-headed stick and a whip was placed in his hand. This showed he was a
+chief's son. A mirror was also put in his hand so he could see how
+wonderful he was.  On a table beside him were placed all his
+treasures. Those included skulls he had taken in war. Then the people were
+let into the yard to see Etim.
+
+The people shouted. They were so happy they danced around. They called for
+whiskey to drink. Chief Edem gave them much whiskey to drink. They became
+wilder and wilder.
+
+Mary and Mr. Ovens took turns watching the prisoners. They were afraid the
+people would kill them. As Mary was going to her house for a little rest,
+she saw some poison beans on the pounding stone. This filled her with
+fear. She was not afraid for herself, but for the poor prisoners. She fell
+on her knees and prayed.
+
+"Dear Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "watch over these poor people. Do not
+let harm come to these prisoners. Keep the other people from doing
+murder. Give me the courage to face the chiefs and tell them they are
+wrong. In all these things may Thy will be done. I ask this in Jesus'
+name."
+
+After she had prayed Mary got up and went to Chief Edem and his brother
+Ekponyong.
+
+"You must forbid the poison bean test," said Mary. "It is wrong and
+sinful. God is watching what you do. Do not do that sinful thing."
+
+"That is my business," said Chief Edem.  "I am the chief of this tribe. I
+will do what seems good to me."
+
+Mary argued with the chief, but he would not listen. Ekponyong, his
+brother, encouraged Edem to make the prisoners take the poison bean
+test. Mary then went to the yard where the prisoners were kept. She sat
+down in the gateway. She was not going to let anyone get the
+prisoners. This made the chiefs very angry. The crowd of village people
+howled and yelled. Chief Edem's warriors shook their swords and guns at her
+and stamped the ground angrily.
+
+"Raise our master from the dead," shouted the people, "and we will free the
+prisoners!"
+
+Mary kept her place. She wrote a note to Duke Town asking for help and sent
+it off secretly by one of her orphan boys. Still she watched over the
+prisoners. She would not leave her place in the gate. The people were angry
+with her, but still many of them loved and respected their white Ma and
+would not hurt her. Suddenly a man pushed his way through the crowd. He
+shoved Mary aside.  He grabbed one of the women prisoners. He dragged her
+in front of the body of Etim. He handed her the cup of poison.
+
+"Drink!" he cried. "Drink and prove that you are innocent, or drink and
+die!"
+
+
+
+
+#9#
+
+
+_Victories for Mary_
+
+"Oh ma, do not leave us. Please do not leave us," begged the other
+prisoners as the poor woman prisoner got ready to drink the poison.
+
+"Lord, help me and help these poor people," prayed Mary.
+
+Mary went up to the woman. The woman raised the cup of poison to her
+lips. Mary grabbed her arm.
+
+"Run," she whispered. "Run to the mission house."
+
+Before the crowd knew what was happening, Mary and the woman had run far
+into the jungle. They went to the mission house.  No one would dare to harm
+anyone in the mission house. Mary then went back to the other prisoners.
+
+"O God, I thank Thee that I was able to help this poor woman get away. Help
+me to save these other prisoners also."
+
+When Mary got back to the other prisoners, the argument with the chiefs
+started again.
+
+"An innocent person will not die if he drinks the poison," said
+Ekponyong. "Only a bad, guilty person will die."
+
+"That is not right," answered Mary.  "Poison will kill anyone, good or
+bad. Chief Edem, you know it was an accident that your son died. It was not
+the fault of any of these people. Please let them go free."
+
+"I want my son to be buried in a box like the white people," said Chief
+Edem. "Will Bwana Ovens make a fine box for my son?"
+
+"I will make a coffin for your son if you will let the prisoners go free,"
+said Mr. Ovens.
+
+"No, no," said Chief Edem.
+
+"Then I will not make a box for you."
+
+"Well, then I will let some go free," said Chief Edem.
+
+"No, you must not let them go free," said Ekponyong.
+
+"If I want to let them go free, I can," said Chief Edem. "I am chief, don't
+forget that."
+
+"Show that you are a great and wise chief," said Mary. "Let them all go
+free."
+
+Chief Edem thought a while. Then he spoke.
+
+"If Bwana Ovens will make a fine box for my son then I will let all go free
+but Mojo, Otinga, and Obwe," said Chief Edem.
+
+"But why keep them?" asked Mary.
+
+"Mojo and Otinga are related to Etim's mother. They planned bad things
+against my boy. Obwe is related to Chief Akpo who has run away because he
+is guilty. Now if I let these others go will you build me a box Bwana
+Ovens?"
+
+"Yes, I will build you a box," said Mr.  Ovens.
+
+"Please let the three go free, too," said Mary. "They have done you no
+wrong."
+
+"We have done more for you than we have ever done before. We will do
+nothing else," said Chief Edem. He turned his back on Mary and walked away.
+
+People from other villages came to take part in the wild parties that were
+always held when there was a funeral. Mary tried again and again to get
+Edem to free the three prisoners. Mary and Mr. Ovens managed to take Mojo
+and Otinga to the mission house where they were safe. Again Mary pleaded
+for Obwe. Chief Edem was very angry.
+
+"Will you not have me honor my son? You have run off with my prisoners. I
+will burn down the mission house. I will send you back to Duke Town. Then
+you cannot trouble me any longer."
+
+"Brother, you do not speak wisely," said Ma Eme, E'dem's sister. "The white
+Ma has done many good things for us. If we burn down the mission house you
+will have a bad name among all tribes. Chain Obwe in the white Ma's yard so
+that the village people cannot harm her. She cannot get away and you can
+find out later whether she is guilty or not."
+
+"Very well," said Chief Edem, "I will do that. But the three must be killed
+for the funeral. What kind of a funeral will that be for a chief's son if
+no one is killed? He will have no one to go with him on the way to the dark
+land."
+
+The next day two missionaries came from Duke Town in answer to Mary's
+note. It was a great honor to have so many white people at a funeral. Chief
+Edem was no longer as angry as he had been. The missionaries showed slide
+pictures. The natives had never seen anything like it before. It pleased
+them very much and it also quieted them down.  The next day when the
+funeral was held, a cow was killed and put in the coffin with Etim instead
+of the people who were thought to have worked witchcraft against him.
+
+Mary was glad and thankful to God that she had been able to save the
+prisoners. The last of the prisoners was let go free on the promise that if
+Chief Akpo was caught he would take the poison test. Mary heard that Etim
+was the only chief in Okoyong ever to be buried without some people being
+killed as a human sacrifice. The people of the jungle thought Mary was
+wonderful indeed.
+
+Mary thought that this trouble was over, but a short time later Etim's
+uncle, who lived in a nearby village, was accused of having killed the
+young man. He came to Ekenge and met with the village chiefs.
+
+"I am willing to take the poison bean test," said the uncle, "if all of the
+chiefs will take the test. That means you, too, Edem. Those who are
+innocent will not be hurt. I will take the test, but all the other chiefs
+must, too."
+
+When Mary heard that Etim's uncle was going to take the poison bean test if
+the other chiefs would, she rushed to the village. The men were
+arguing. They were shaking their swords and guns at one another. Mary
+looked around until she found the bag of poison beans. She took them and
+ran off with them.
+
+The chiefs could not find the poison beans.  Finally, they quieted
+down. Chief Edem went to Mary.
+
+"Give me the poison beans," he said. "I know you have taken them."
+
+"Yes, I took them," said Mary, "but I will not give them to you. There has
+been enough trouble and sadness and fear. When will you be satisfied that
+your son's death was an accident?"
+
+Chief Edem turned around and went back to the village. He sent all the
+chiefs home.  Nothing more was said about the poison bean test.
+
+Now Mary began to plead for Akpo, the chief of the village which the witch
+doctor had said had caused Etim to be killed.
+
+"Chief Edem, let him come home. Forgive him. He has done you no wrong."
+
+God softened Edem's heathen heart. After several weeks he agreed to let
+Akpo come home.
+
+"You may tell him," Edem said to Mary, "that all thought of revenge is gone
+from my heart. If he wishes to return to his own village, he may do so, or
+he may go anywhere in Okoyong in safety."
+
+Nothing like that had ever been done before in the jungle. The heathen
+people did not forgive. They always took revenge. Akpo did not believe Edem
+had forgiven him. He did not want to trust Edem. At last Mary convinced him
+that Edem meant just what he said and that Akpo could really go home.
+
+Mary and Akpo came to his home village of Payekong. The houses had been
+burned. The cattle had been stolen. But it was still home.  Tears came to
+Akpo's eyes. Thankfully the chief kneeled at Mary's feet.
+
+"Oh, Ma, thank you, thank you for what you have done for me and my
+people. I and my people will always do whatever you ask."  Akpo kept his
+promise. Other chiefs often argued with Mary and threatened to hurt her,
+but Akpo and his people always helped her and did whatever she wanted them
+to do.
+
+Chief Edem now was kind to Akpo and his people. He built houses for them
+and helped them get their gardens started again. He gave them some cattle,
+too. After some time had gone by, Chief Edem came to Mary. He kneeled down
+before her.
+
+"Thank you, Ma, for being brave. Thank you for keeping after me until I let
+those prisoners go. I am glad that people were not killed at the time of
+Etim's death. Your ways are better than ours. We are tired of the old
+ways."
+
+Many other people came and told her how glad they were that the old ways
+were changing.  They said that they knew the old ways were bad. Mary had
+had a very hard time in the jungles, but now things were going better. She
+was busy all the time, teaching and preaching and nursing. She journeyed
+through the jungle where the wild animals were, but she did not fear. She
+was trusting God to take care of her as He had taken care of Daniel in the
+lions' den. Always she told the people of the loving Saviour who had died
+for their sins.
+
+After a time Mary fell sick. She caught the jungle fever. She became very
+weak.
+
+"Mary," said Ovens, "you must take a vacation.  You must get away from the
+jungle for a while. You must go to England for a long rest. That way you
+can get well and come back to work here at Okoyong."
+
+"You are right," said Mary. "Much as I hate to leave my work here, I know I
+must go. I will ask for a furlough at once."
+
+For three years Mary had worked in Okoyong.  But already there was a change
+among the heathen people. The Gospel of Jesus has a wonderful power to
+change hearts and lives.  As soon as word came that another worker was
+being sent to take her place, Mary got ready to leave for England.
+
+At last the day came that Miss Dunlop, the new worker, arrived. Mary was
+ready to leave. Her friends carried her trunk and suitcases down to the
+Ekenge landing. A great crowd had come to the landing to tell her good-by
+and wish her a safe journey.  Mary was telling them to help Miss Dunlop and
+to remain true to the Bible teaching. Suddenly a man was seen running
+through the crowd. He ran up to Mary.
+
+"Come, white Ma, a young man has been shot in the hand, and he wants your
+medicine!"
+
+"Don't go Ma," said Ma Eme, Mary's friend. "You are tired and sick. You
+must get back to England. If you go with this man you may miss your
+boat. Let someone else go."
+
+"It is a bad tribe. They are always fighting.  It is dangerous to go," said
+Chief Edem.  "Do not go with the man."
+
+"You cannot go," said her other friends at Ekenge. "You are too sick to
+walk. The wild animals in the jungle will kill you. The wild warriors are
+out. They will kill you in the dark, not knowing who you are."
+
+"But I must go," said Mary.
+
+"If you must go," said Chief Edem, "then you must take two armed men with
+you. You must get the chief of the next village to send his drummer with
+you. When the people hear the drum, they will know that a protected person
+is traveling who must not be hurt."
+
+It was night. Mary Slessor and the two men marched out into the
+darkness. The lanterns threw strange shadows that looked like fierce men in
+the darkness. At last Mary and her guard came to the village where they
+were to ask for the drummer. They told the chief what Chief Edem had said,
+but the chief did not want to help them.
+
+"You are going to a fighting tribe," said the chief. "They will not listen
+to what a woman says. You had better go back. I will not protect you."
+
+"You don't think a woman can do much.  Maybe you are right," said Mary to
+the chief.  "But you forget what the woman's God can do. He can do
+anything. I shall go on."
+
+Mary went on into the darkness. The natives watched her go. She must be
+crazy, they thought. She had talked back to their chief who had the power
+to kill her. She had walked on into a jungle where wild leopards were ready
+to jump on her. She was going where men were drinking and making themselves
+wild. But Mary was not afraid. Once in talking about her trips through the
+jungle Mary said, "My great help and comfort was prayer. I did not used to
+believe the story of Daniel in the lions' den until I had to take some of
+those awful marches through the jungle. Then I knew it was true. Many times
+I walked alone, praying, 'O God of Daniel, shut their mouths!' and He did."
+
+After pushing on through the darkness, Mary saw the dim outlines of the
+huts of the village. All was quiet. Suddenly she heard the swift patter of
+bare feet. She was surrounded by warriors shouting, pushing and shaking
+their spears.
+
+"What have you come for?" asked the chief.
+
+"I have heard a young man is hurt. I come to help him. I also heard that
+you are going to war. I have come to ask you not to fight," said Mary.
+
+The chief talked with some of his men.  Then he came up to Mary.
+
+"The white Ma is welcome," he said. "She shall hear all we have to say
+before we fight.  All the same we shall fight. Here is my son wounded by
+the enemy. We must wipe out the shame put on us. We must get even for this
+bad thing. Now Ma you may give my son your medicine. Then you must
+rest. Women, you take care of the white Ma. We will call her at cockcrow
+when we start."
+
+Mary fixed the young man's hand. Then she laid down in one of the huts for
+an hour's sleep. It seemed as though her eyes were hardly shut, before she
+heard a voice calling her.
+
+"Ma, they are going to battle. Run, Ma, run!"
+
+The warriors were on the warpath. Mary could hear their wild yells and the
+roll of the war drums. Mary ran after them. She was tired from the hard
+trip to their village. She was weak from the sickness she had. But nothing
+could stop her. She caught up with the warriors just as they were getting
+ready to attack an enemy village.
+
+"Behave like men," she yelled, "not like fools. Be quiet now. Do not yell
+and shout."
+
+The warriors became silent.
+
+"God says that revenge is wrong," said Mary. "He will pay back wicked
+people for the wrong things they do. You should not try to get even. Leave
+that to God."
+
+"No, no," said the chief. "If we do not pay back for the wrong done us, the
+tribe will not be afraid of us. They will do more bad things to us."
+
+"Yes, yes," shouted the warriors. They kept shouting and shaking their
+swords and guns.
+
+"Did the whole village hurt you? Did the whole village shoot the young man?
+When you fight against the village you will hurt many women and
+children. They are innocent.  They have done nothing. Let us pray to God
+about it."
+
+All the warriors were quiet as Mary prayed. She asked God to please stop
+the war if it was His will. She prayed for the young man who had been
+hurt. She prayed for whoever it was that hurt him, that he might turn away
+from his wickedness and become a Christian. She prayed for the people of
+the village.
+
+Then Mary spoke to the warriors.
+
+"You stay here," she said, "I am going over to the village."
+
+Fearlessly she walked over to where the line of village warriors were drawn
+up with their swords and spears.
+
+"Hello," said Mary.
+
+The warriors said nothing. Mary looked over the angry faces. Then she
+laughed.
+
+"Nice bunch," she said. "Is this the way you welcome lady visitors?"
+
+The warriors stirred uneasily. They did not say anything.
+
+"Where is your chief?" asked Mary.  "Surely he is not afraid to talk to
+me."
+
+An old chief stepped out from behind the village warriors. To Mary's
+surprise he kneeled down in front of her.
+
+"Ma," he said, "we thank you for coming.  It is true we shot the young man,
+the young chief of those who have come to fight us. But it was one man who
+did it. The whole village was not at fault. Please make peace. Tell us what
+we must do."
+
+Mary looked into the face of the chief. It was Chief Okurike. Long ago she
+had made a hard trip through the jungle in pouring rain to help when he was
+deathly sick. Because of what she had done then, he was now at her feet
+asking her to make peace. Mary shook hands with Chief Okurike. Then she
+spoke to his warriors.
+
+"Stay where you are," she said. "Some of you find a place where I can sit
+in comfort.  I am hungry. Bring me breakfast. I will not starve while men
+fight."
+
+The warriors did as she told them.
+
+"Now," she said, "choose two or three men to speak for you. We shall have a
+palaver. In that way we will settle this thing."
+
+The four men met and talked with one another while Mary ate breakfast.
+
+"Why do you want to fight and kill because one drunken man wounded your
+young chief?"  Mary asked the men from the fighting tribe.  "Let the tribe
+of the drunken youth pay a fine."
+
+A long talk followed. Sometimes it became very exciting. The arguing grew
+loud. The father of the young man wanted to have the man who had shot him
+punished hard. When the men became angry, Mary would stop them.
+
+"Let us pray about this," Mary would say.  After she had prayed they would
+settle the point. Finally Mary and her God won out.
+
+The fighting tribe at last agreed to be satisfied with a fine. The village
+paid the fine.  They did not use money. So the fine was paid in barrels and
+bottles of trade gin. Now Mary was worried. What should she do? She knew
+the warriors would drink the gin right away.  She knew this would make them
+fight after all in spite of their promises. A quick thought came to
+her. According to the law of these people, clothes thrown over anything
+gave it the protection of your body. No one else could touch it. Mary
+snatched off her skirt. She took off all the clothes she could spare. She
+spread them over the barrels and bottles.  Now no one could touch them.
+
+Mary took the one glass the tribe had. She gave one glassful to each chief
+to show that there was no trick and that the barrels and bottles were
+really filled with gin. Then she spoke to them about fighting. "If all of
+you go to your homes and don't fight," said Mary, "I'll promise to send the
+stuff after you. I must go away. I have been sick and I must go where I can
+get strong again. I am going across the great waters to my home. I shall be
+away many moons. Will you promise me that you will not fight while I am
+gone? It will make me very happy if you will make that promise. It will
+make me sad if you don't, for I will always be wondering whether you are
+fighting and hurting one another."
+
+"I will promise," said the chief of the village, "if the other chief will."
+
+All the warriors looked at the chief whose son had been hurt. For a long
+time he said nothing. His tribe had always been fighters.  It would be hard
+for them to give up fighting.  The chief rubbed his chin. He scratched his
+head.
+
+"Yes, Ma," he said finally, "I will promise that we will not fight while
+you are gone."  The two villages kept the promise made by their
+chiefs. When Mary came back the two chiefs could say, "It is peace."
+
+Mary was very tired. Slowly she tramped through the hot jungle. After many
+hours she came to Ekenge.
+
+"We have sent your trunks and things on ahead," said Chief Edem. "Here are
+my best rowers and best soldiers. They are ready to take you to Duke Town."
+
+Mary once more stepped into the canoe.  This time there was no one to call
+her back.  Little black Janie, whom Mary had adopted, was with her.
+
+"Good-by, good-by, Ma," shouted the crowd.  "God keep you safe and bring
+you back to us again."
+
+The rowers pulled their oars strongly, and swiftly down the slow moving
+river went the canoe. Three years Mary had spent in Okoyong.  Already she
+had seen a change in the heathen people. A greater change was still to
+come. Mary was going to see more of the power the Gospel has to change
+heathen hearts and lives.
+
+
+
+
+#10#
+
+
+_A Disappointment_
+
+Mary wrote to the Mission Board;
+
+Charles and I are very much in love.
+We would like to be married. Charles
+is a wonderful Christian and a very
+fine teacher. He would be a very great
+help in my jungle work. We hope that
+you will agree to our marriage and let
+Charles go into the jungle with me.
+
+I am ready to do what you say. I lay
+the whole matter in God's hands and
+will take from Him what He sees best
+for His work in Okoyong. My life was
+laid on the altar for that people long
+ago, and I would not take one jot or
+tittle of it back. If it be for His
+glory and the advantage of His cause
+there to let another join in it, I
+will be grateful. If not, I will be
+grateful anyway, for God knows best.
+
+The Board was very much surprised to get this letter. If the Board members
+had thought about it at all, they had thought that Mary would never
+marry. She was forty-three years old and Charles Morrison, her sweetheart,
+was twenty-five. He was a mission teacher at Duke Town. The difference in
+their ages did not bother the sweethearts.  They met and had fallen in
+love. They wanted to marry.
+
+"I will marry you if the Mission Board will agree to letting you work in
+the jungle with me," said Mary.
+
+"But suppose the Board will not let me go into the jungle, wouldn't you be
+willing to come back to Duke Town with me?" asked Charles.
+
+"No, Charles, I couldn't. I love you very much, more than anyone I have
+ever known, but my work for God is in the jungles. There no one else has
+yet planted the Gospel seed.  To leave a field like Okoyong without a
+worker and go to one like Duke Town with ten or a dozen workers where the
+people have the Bible and plenty of privileges--that's foolish.  If God
+does not send you into the jungle with me, then you must do your work and I
+must do mine where we have been placed."
+
+It was not long after Mary had returned to England that the Mission Board
+gave its answer to her request. The answer was no.
+
+"What the Lord decides is right," said Mary. "I believe that the Mission
+Board is giving me God's answer because they are His servants."
+
+What Mary suffered no one knew. She longed to have a life's partner by her
+side in the great work of bringing the Gospel to the jungle, but having
+given her life to God, she felt that He must be her first love. Charles
+Morrison, however, took the refusal very hard. He became sick and had to go
+home.  Later he went to America where he died.
+
+Now that Mary was home in England, she soon got over the jungle
+fevers. People wanted to hear about the missionary work in Africa. Mary
+went from church to church telling about her work. She did not like to do
+this. She would rather be in the jungle telling the natives about Jesus.
+
+"It is hard for me to speak," said Mary, "but Jesus has asked me to do it,
+and it is an honor to speak for Him. I wish to do it cheerfully."
+
+Everywhere people were thrilled to hear about the work for Jesus in the
+jungle. They wanted to do something, too. They gave money. They sent boxes
+of clothes and food and other things out to Africa to help the heathen.
+
+Then Mary got sick with influenza and bronchitis. She could not go around
+speaking any more. Instead, she wrote some articles for a missionary paper.
+
+"The Gospel must be preached to the people of Calabar," she said. "Then the
+people ought to be taught some trades. They should learn to be carpenters
+and farmers and the like. We ought to send out people who can teach them
+these trades so that they can make a living."
+
+This was a new idea to many people. They wrote to other missionaries to
+find out what they thought about it. Later a school, "The Hope Waddell
+Training Institute," was started.  This school taught the boys and girls of
+Calabar many trades.
+
+Mary was slow in getting well. She and Janie, the black girl she had
+brought with her, went to the southern part of England, where the climate
+was milder. It was hoped that the sea breezes and the mild climate would
+bring back her health. Days and weeks went by. Little by little Mary got
+better. The year 1891 came to an end. The bells rang in the New Year.
+
+"Soon we can go back to dear Calabar," said Mary. "Oh, how I want to get
+back and tell more people there about the Lord Jesus."
+
+In February, 1892, Mary and Janie sailed for Calabar. What new adventures
+awaited them in Africa?
+
+"Welcome home, Ma, welcome," shouted the people of Okoyong. "God bless
+you. Praise the Lord for sending you back to us!"
+
+When Mary came back to Okoyong, things were much different from what they
+had been the first time she came. Now there was a fine mission
+house. Churches and schoolhouses had been built in many of the villages.
+The people were slowly but surely turning away from their heathen
+customs. Formerly no chief ever died without the sacrifice of many human
+lives, but this was not done any more. One of the chiefs said, "Ma, you
+white people are God Almighty. No other power could have done this."
+
+There were still many chiefs who liked to go to war and to fight with other
+tribes. But Mary had friends who would tell her of the plans of these
+chiefs. She would have to go to them and persuade them not to fight.  One
+of Mary's dearest friends was Ma Eme.  When she would hear of trouble, she
+would send a messenger to Mary with a medicine bottle. This would mean, "Be
+ready for trouble."
+
+Mary was so good at settling the arguments between the chiefs that the
+British government made her a vice-consul. This was something like a
+governor and judge. The jungle people would not let the white men come and
+make new laws or settle their arguments, but they did listen to Mary. She
+was a very fair and honest judge. The people loved and obeyed her.
+
+But life was not easy. Not all the natives were Christians. Even those who
+were, were not always good Christians but would sometimes slip back into
+the old heathen ways.  Then it was hard for Mary and her helpers to get to
+the different places. There were no easy roads through the jungles, and
+wild animals were always there ready to kill the careless traveler.
+
+Mary received many gifts both from the natives and from her friends in
+England and Scotland. One of the gifts she loved the best was a little
+steamboat, which the natives called "smoking canoe." The boys and girls in
+Scotland had given the money to buy this boat.
+
+But Mary was not satisfied. She did not want to take life easy. As soon as
+she had built a church and the people were beginning to become civilized,
+she wanted to move on to wilder places.
+
+"I want to start new work," said Mary.  "Let those who are younger and who
+have not been in this work as long as I have, take the places where the
+work has been begun."
+
+Many of Mary's friends among the natives had gone to Akpap, which was a
+village south of Ekenge. This village was about six miles from the Cross
+River. It was a large trading center. Many heathen came to this village to
+trade their goods for other things they wanted. Mary wrote to the Mission
+Board and asked them to let her begin work in this new place.
+
+"We cannot at this time let you start work at Akpap," wrote the Mission
+Board. "To start there we would have to build a mission house, and we do
+not have the money for that. Besides the nearest landing place is
+Ikunetu. This is six miles from Akpap. The forests are wild and hard to get
+through. We believe you should continue the work at Ekenge."
+
+Mary wrote again and again, trying to persuade the Board to let her start
+work at Akpap. At last the Mission Board agreed to let her start work
+there. They promised to build a mission house and a boathouse for her
+steamboat.
+
+Mary did not wait for the house to be built.  In 1896 she built a two-room
+native shed.  Here she began her work. The house was not as good as the
+first house she built in Ekenge.  This did not bother Mary. She was more
+concerned about bringing the Gospel to the heathen.
+
+The work here was like that in Ekenge. The chiefs came with the troubles
+they were having in their tribes. They wanted her advice.  The people came
+with their family problems and wanted her to tell them what to do. There
+were many heathen people who came from the jungle to visit her. Mary taught
+her classes.  She conducted Sunday services. She was busy all the
+time. Then one day the smallpox sickness broke out.
+
+"You must all be vaccinated," said Mary to the natives. "I will scratch
+your arm with this medicine and the smallpox will stay away from you."
+
+Hour after hour, far into the night, day after day, Mary vaccinated the
+natives. When her medicine ran out, she took blood from the arms of those
+who had been vaccinated to use as vaccination medicine.
+
+One day a man came running to the house where Mary was living in Akpap. He
+had run a long way. He was scratched up and sweating.  He had run through
+the jungle without stopping.
+
+"Ma, Ma," he cried, "the smallpox sickness has come to Ekenge. Chief
+Ekponyong and Chief Edem are sick and many, many more.  Come quick, oh,
+come to Ekenge or we shall all die."
+
+"I will come with you at once," said Mary to the messenger from Ekenge. "I
+will help your people fight the smallpox sickness."
+
+Mary went back to Ekenge. The smallpox sickness was very bad. Nearly the
+whole village was sick.
+
+"We must have a hospital," said Mary. "I know what we will do. We will make
+my house here a hospital."
+
+Soon the house was filled to overflowing with sick people. She had to be
+doctor, nurse, and undertaker. Many of her close friends died. Chief
+Ekponyong, who at first had worked against Mary and then had become her
+friend, died. Chief Edem, the chief of Ekenge, was very sick. The tired
+missionary did everything she could to save the old heathen's life. But one
+dark night he died.
+
+Mary was all alone. Mary made a coffin for the chief. She put his body in
+it. Then she dug a grave. She dragged the coffin to the grave and buried
+it. Completely tired out she dragged herself back to Akpap.
+
+Just at this time Mr. Ovens and another missionary came up from Duke
+Town. They came to Mary's hut at Akpap. All was still and quiet. Mr. Ovens
+looked at the other missionary.
+
+"Something is wrong," he said. He knocked loudly at the door. He knocked
+and knocked again. Finally Mary awoke and opened the door. The missionaries
+saw how tired and sick she looked.
+
+"What is wrong?" asked Ovens.
+
+Mary told them about the sickness at Ekenge. She told them of what she had
+done.  "I don't see how you could have done that work alone," said
+Mr. Ovens.
+
+"Won't you go and bury the rest of the dead?" asked Mary. "I was just too
+tired to do it."
+
+"Yes, we will," said Mr. Ovens. The two missionaries went to Ekenge. There
+they found the mission house filled with dead bodies. They buried these
+people and preached to those who were still living about the Saviour.
+
+Mary was weak and sick, but she kept right on working. In one of her
+letters to a friend she tells about some of her work:
+
+Four are at my feet listening. Five boys outside are getting a reading
+lesson from Janie. A man is lying on the ground who has run away from his
+master, and is staying with me for safety until I get him forgiven. An old
+chief is here with a girl who has a bad sore on her arm. A woman is begging
+me to help her get her husband to treat her better.  Three people are here
+for vaccination.
+
+Every evening she would have family worship.  Mary sat on the mud floor in
+one of the shed rooms. In front of her in a half-circle were the many
+children she had adopted and was taking care of. Behind them were the
+baskets holding the twin babies she had recently rescued. The light from a
+little lamp shone on the bright faces. Mary read slowly from the
+Bible. Then she explained the Bible reading to the children and
+prayed. Then she sang a song in the native language. The tune was a
+Scottish melody and as she sang she kept time with a tamborine. If any of
+the children did not pay attention, Mary would lean forward and tap his
+head with the tamborine.
+
+Mary did not get her strength back. She was not well. The mission committee
+at Calabar decided that even though they had no worker to take her place,
+she must go home on a vacation which was long overdue.
+
+"But who will take care of the work at Akpap?" asked Mary.
+
+"Mr. Ovens, the carpenter, who is building the mission house at Akpap, can
+do the work until we find someone to take your place," answered the
+chairman of the committee.
+
+"But what shall I do with my many black children? I don't want them to go
+back to heathen ways of living while I am gone. I don't like to ask the
+other mission workers to take care of them for me."
+
+"Don't worry, Mary. We will find places for them."
+
+Places were found for all the adopted children except the four black
+children whom she planned to take along with her. These were Janie, who was
+now sixteen years old, Mary was five, Alice three, and Maggie was only
+eighteen months old. Now Mary had to find ways of clothing the
+children. The rags they wore in the jungle would not do for the trip to
+Scotland. Mary took her trouble to the Lord, and He wonderfully answered
+her prayer. When she reached Duke Town, she found that a missionary box had
+just come, and it had just the things she needed.
+
+Mary took her children on board the big ship. It was the biggest "canoe"
+that any of the children except Janie had ever seen.
+
+"We're on our way to bonny Scotland," said Mary.
+
+
+
+
+#11#
+
+
+_Clouds and Sunshine_
+
+"The other missionaries at Calabar," said Mary, "work as hard, if not
+harder, than I do. We need more workers to preach the Gospel of Jesus
+Christ for your lost black brothers and sisters. They have souls just as
+you do. Jesus loves them just as He does you.  We must tell them of His
+love. I would like to go farther inland to people who have never heard the
+Gospel and make a home among the cannibals."
+
+Mary was giving a talk at one of the churches. As soon as she was well
+enough to make speeches, many of the churches wanted to hear her. The
+people were very much interested in the black children she had adopted and
+brought with her. Many of them had never seen black people before. Mary had
+some trouble speaking in English. For many years now she had been speaking
+almost all the time in the African language. It was sometimes hard for her
+to say the right English words, but the Holy Spirit helped her, and the
+people remembered her talks and gave generously for the work in Africa..
+
+Late in the year 1898 Mary and the black children got on the big "canoe"
+and sailed back to Africa. They spent a happy Christmas on the ship.
+
+Once more strong and well, Mary went back to work in Akpap. She taught the
+children and grownups. She healed the sick. She visited in the bush and in
+the jungle. During this time Mary had the joy of seeing six young men
+become Christians. These young men she trained and sent to the neighboring
+villages as Gospel workers. She had hoped for more helpers, but was
+grateful that God had given her these. More and more of the jungle people
+heard about her. Bushmen traveled hundreds of miles to see the white Ma who
+told them about Jesus.
+
+Mary used every chance she had to tell the Gospel to heathen who had never
+heard it.  The stories the visiting people told about their lands and the
+inland tribes filled Mary with the desire to explore other parts of the
+country.  Often in the mission boat or in a canoe she traveled to villages
+farther away. On one trip the canoe in which Mary was riding was attacked
+by a hippopotamus. Mary thought her end had come. Nevertheless, she bravely
+fought off the animal, using metal cooking pots and pans as weapons.
+
+In the southern part of Nigeria was a strong, wild tribe called the
+Aros. They were a proud but wicked people. They made war on peaceful
+tribes. They would steal people from peaceful villages and make them
+slaves.  They prayed to the Devil, and they killed people as human
+sacrifices to please their idols.  They were cannibals who ate people.
+
+The government decided to make this tribe stop doing these bad things. A
+small band of soldiers was sent against this tribe to make them obey. This
+made Mary sad. She knew that sending soldiers to fight against these people
+would not change them. She knew that only the Gospel could change the black
+men's hearts. She wished she could go to this tribe with the Gospel of
+Jesus, but the government said no. The government officers feared there
+might be a tribal war which would even come to Okoyong. They decided that
+Mary would be safer in Creek Town than Akpap. Sadly Mary left her friends
+and spent three months in Creek Town.
+
+Her Okoyong friends did not forget her.  They came often to visit her and
+brought her gifts. They also brought their quarrels to her to settle. They
+called her their queen. Finally, Mary was allowed to go back to Akpap.
+
+Three years went by. It was now fifteen years since Mary had first come to
+Okoyong.  On the anniversary of the day that she came a celebration was
+held. Seven young men whom Mary had won for Christ were baptized.  The
+Rev. W.T. Weir, a missionary from Creek Town, helped in organizing the
+first Okoyong Christian Church. The following Sunday the church was filled
+to overflowing.  Mary presented eleven children for baptism.  The Lord's
+Supper was served for the first time to natives and white workers who had
+accepted Christ as their Saviour. After songs had been sung and speeches
+made by others, Mary got up to speak.
+
+"You must build a church large enough to take care of all who come to hear
+God's Word.  Okoyong now looks to you who have accepted Christ as your
+Saviour and who have joined the church for proof of the power of the
+Gospel, more than it looks to me. I am very happy over all that has been
+done these past fifteen years, but it is God who did it. To Him belongs all
+the glory. Mission houses, schools, and a church have been built. Wicked
+heathen customs have been stopped. Chiefs have quit fighting, and women are
+much better off than they were when I came. Let us praise God for this and
+let us go on and do greater things. The Lord will help us and will bless
+our work."
+
+Mary was happy the way the work was going, but she was not satisfied. She
+wanted to go to other places.
+
+"This cannibal land of deep darkness with woods of spooky mystery is like a
+magnet," said Mary Slessor. "It draws me on and on."
+
+"Where is this country where you want to work?" asked Miss Wright, one of
+the teachers at the Girls' Institute at Calabar.
+
+"It lies to the west of the Cross River. It stretches for miles and miles
+toward the Niger River."
+
+"Haven't any missionaries been there?"
+
+"None have gone into the forest. Missionaries and traders have gone along
+the edge of it when they went up the Cross River."
+
+"What tribes live in this dark and mysterious country?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"The Ibo tribe lives in most of the country, but they are ruled by the Aros
+clan," said Mary.
+
+"Who are they? Tell me something about them, Mary. I know so little about
+the tribes, except those who come to Calabar or send their girls to our
+Institute."
+
+"The Aros clan are a wise but tricky people.  They live in thirty villages
+near the district of Arochuku, where I would like to begin a mission. They
+are strong and rule the Ibo tribe because of their trade and religion.
+They trade slaves, which their religion furnishes.  When they cannot get
+enough slaves that way, they raid Ibo villages and capture the people who
+live there and sell them."
+
+"You say their religion furnishes them with slaves? How is that possible?"
+
+"The Ibo tribe and the Aros pray to the juju god. They believe the juju god
+lives in a tree. They think this tree is holy. Each village has its own god
+and sacred tree, but the main juju used to be about a mile from Arochuku."
+
+"But you haven't told me about the slaves," interrupted Miss Wright.
+
+"I am just coming to that," said Mary.  "This main juju, called the Long
+Juju, was reached by a winding road that goes through a dense jungle and
+leads at last to a lake. In the center of the lake is an island on which
+was the Long Juju. Here hundreds of people came to ask advice from the
+priests and to worship. When the people came here, the Aros clan had
+captured them. Then they were either sold as slaves, sacrificed to juju, or
+eaten by the tribe."
+
+"How terrible!"
+
+"The Aros are tricky. One of their tricks, was to throw some of the people
+they captured into the water. The water at once turned red. The priests
+would tell the people that juju had eaten the men. The people believed it,
+but really the red was only coloring the priests had thrown into the
+river."
+
+"Is the juju still there?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"No. The British soldiers went over the Cross River. They had a battle with
+the natives and beat them. They captured Arochuku.  Then they chopped down
+the Long Juju. But of course the natives still have their village
+jujus. They still do many wicked things."
+
+"And you want to work among those terrible people?"
+
+"Yes, don't you think they have a great need for the Gospel?"
+
+"Oh, they do! But I would not have the courage to work among them."
+
+"I have no courage," said Mary, "except what God gives me."
+
+"Tell me, Mary, have you gone into that country at all?"
+
+"I have made some short exploration trips.  I told the traders to tell the
+chiefs that some day I would come to their country to live, but their only
+answer was, 'It is not safe.' That is what the people told me when I wanted
+to go to Okoyong. I trust in my heavenly Father and I am not afraid of the
+cannibals no matter how fierce and cruel they may be."
+
+"But Mary, did you know that when a chief died recently, fifty or more
+people were eaten at the funeral ceremonies, and twenty-five others had
+their heads cut off and were buried with the chief?"
+
+"Yes, I heard that. But things were almost as bad when I came to
+Okoyong. God blessed my work, and He can protect me in this strange new
+land of the cannibals. I do hope the Mission Board will let me go and work
+among the Aros and Ibos."
+
+The missionaries in Calabar wanted Mary to work at Ikorofiong and at
+Unwana, which were two towns farther up the Cross River from Akpap. But
+Mary did not think these were good places for her work. She wanted to be
+where she could reach the most people.  She wanted to work at Arochuku, the
+chief city of Aros which was also near the Efik, Ibo and Ibibio tribes. She
+wanted to open her first station at Itu, which was on the mouth of Enyong
+creek, her second station at Arochuku and a third at Bende. The
+missionaries at Calabar did not agree, but they decided to wait until a
+worker could be found to take Mary's place at Akpap. Mary would not reave
+these people until they could be taken care of by Christian workers.
+
+"Send a minister to take care of a station.  I cannot build up a church the
+way a minister can," said Mary.
+
+It looked as though Mary would not get to go to the land of Aros. Then Miss
+Wright, the teacher from the Girls' Institute, asked to be sent to Akpap as
+an assistant. This request was sent to Scotland for the Board to
+approve. Mary now decided to start work at once. In January, 1903, with two
+boys, Esien and Efiiom, and a girl, Mana, whom she had carefully trained,
+she loaded her canoe with food and other supplies and set off for the land
+of the cruel cannibals.
+
+They did not know how the people there would treat them, but they trusted
+in God to take care of them and help them in their work. Mary found a house
+for them.
+
+"I am leaving you here," said Mary to the three natives, "to begin a school
+and hold church services for the people of Itu. I must go back to Akpap but
+I will come again as soon as I can."
+
+But Mary had to stay at Akpap longer than she expected. At last she was
+able to come again to Itu and to visit the school and the church services.
+
+"You have done wonderfully well," she told the three workers. "God has
+blessed your work. My heart was filled with joy when I saw so many people,
+young and old, at the services. And your school is filled with people who
+want to learn book and learn the will of God. Now we must build a church
+and a schoolhouse."
+
+Mary began mixing the mud and doing the other work that was necessary for
+building a building in Africa. The native workers and the people of Itu
+helped her gladly. It did not take long with many willing hands to build a
+church and school. Two rooms were added to the church building.
+
+"These two rooms are for you, Ma," the people said. "You must have a place
+to stay when you come to us."
+
+After the church and school were built, Mary went back to Akpap. Here she
+heard good news.
+
+"The Board in Scotland has given me permission to be your assistant at
+Akpap," said Miss Wright.
+
+"Wonderful!" said Mary. "Now I can spend more time at Itu and more time in
+the jungle."
+
+On a beautiful morning in June, 1903, Mary packed her clothes and supplies
+and marched the six miles down to the landing beach at Ikunetu. Here she
+waited for the government boat which would take her to Itu. She waited and
+waited. At last she found one of the natives and asked, "Where is the
+government boat? Is it late?"
+
+"No, Ma, it long time gone."
+
+So Mary had to walk back six miles through the jungle to the mission house
+at Akpap.
+
+"Why, Mary," said Miss Wright, "what are you doing here? I thought that by
+this time you would be traveling on the government boat to Itu."
+
+"I am in God's hands," said Mary, "and He did not mean for me to travel
+today. I have been kept back for some good purpose."
+
+The next week when she again made the trip to board the boat, Colonel
+Montanaro who commanded the government soldiers in that part of the
+country, was on the boat.
+
+"I will be happy to have you travel with me and my soldiers," said the
+colonel. "You will be safer that way. I am going to Arochuku."
+
+"That is just what I would like to do," said Mary. "Now I see why God did
+not let me travel last week. I have been wanting for a long time to visit
+the chief city of the Aros. I want to see more about this juju religion."
+
+Some time before, the government had sent soldiers into the country to make
+the chiefs stop the juju worship. The chiefs had promised to stop it, but
+it still went on secretly.  After reaching Arochuku, Mary followed the
+jungle paths over which the slaves had been made to walk for hundreds of
+years. She came to the place of the Long Juju. There Mary saw the human
+skulls, the bones and the pots in which the bodies had been cooked.  Mary
+shivered when she thought of the cannibal feasts.
+
+Mary thought the people might be against her, but instead they welcomed
+her. They had heard about the good things she had done in the jungle.
+
+"O God," prayed Mary, "I want to bring the Gospel to these man-eaters for
+whom Christ died. Please, dear God, make the home church and the Mission
+Board see the great need here so that they will let me win this part of the
+country for Christ."
+
+Mary promised the people of Arochuku she would come again and open a
+school. Then she returned to Akpap and wrote the Mission Board for
+permission to open a station at Arochuku. Soon the answer came back!
+
+We are sorry, but it will be impossible at this time to open work at
+Arochuku.  We do not have the money or the workers.
+
+
+
+
+#12#
+
+
+_Among the Cannibals_
+
+"The mission Board says that they cannot open a mission station at Arochuku
+now," said Mary. "I have asked God to give me a mission station where His
+Gospel can be preached to the Aros. I trust in Christ who is able to do
+more than I am able to ask or think. I know God will give me what I have
+asked."
+
+"What are you going to do now?" asked Miss Wright.
+
+"I am going to do what I believe God wants me to do. I am going to take
+some native Christians and make a beginning in the land of the Aros."
+
+Mary took some native boys whom she had trained. They were able to help
+with school-work and church services. Mary and the boys went to Amasu, a
+little village which was nearer the creek than Arochuku. Here she opened a
+school. It was soon filled with boys and girls thirsty for book and the
+loving God.  She held church services for the people, and many of them came
+to hear the white Ma teach about Jesus.
+
+At last it was time for Mary to go back to Akpap. She left the native
+Christians to carry on the work of the school and church.  The people of
+the village gathered around her. They said,
+
+"Come again soon, white Ma. If you do not care for us, who will care for
+us?"
+
+As Mary went down the river in her canoe, she thanked God that He had let
+her open this new field to the Gospel. Suddenly there was a canoe barring
+her way. In it was a tall native.
+
+"I have been waiting for you. My master at Akani Obio sent me to stop you
+and bring you to his house."
+
+Mary told her rowers to follow the native to his master's place. Soon they
+came to a trading place. Here Mary was greeted by a handsome young man.
+
+"I am Onoyom Iya Nya, the president of the court and the chief of this
+district. This is my wife. Won't you please honor us by coming into our
+house?"
+
+Onoyom and his wife led Mary to a European-type house, which was very
+nicely furnished.  Onoyom's wife invited Mary to have some food with
+them. While they ate, Onoyom talked.
+
+"Many times I have sent my servants to find you," said Onoyom, "but they
+never found you until today. I am happy that you have come."
+
+"But why did you seek me? Why did you want me to come to you?" asked Mary.
+
+"When I was a boy," said Onoyom, "I served as a guide to a missionary. He
+told me the Gospel story. I wanted Jesus for my Saviour. But my tribe beat
+me and punished me in other ways until I gave up the white man's religion
+and followed the juju religion of the tribe. I took part in Arochuku feasts
+where we ate 'long pig,' that is, men and women."
+
+"But why do you want to talk to me?"  asked Mary.
+
+"I never forgot what the missionary told me about Christ. Later I had
+troubles and sickness. I tried witchcraft to find the person who placed the
+troubles and sickness on me. Instead, I met a white man. He said to me,
+'How do you know it is not the God of the white man who is angry with you?
+He is all-powerful.' I said, 'How can I find this God?' I hoped he would
+tell me, but he said, 'I am not worthy to tell you. Find the white Ma who
+goes to Itu and she will tell you.' O Ma, please tell us about your God."
+
+Tears of joy ran down Mary's cheeks. Onoyom called all the members of his
+family and the servants together. Mary told them of Jesus and His power to
+save them. She read from the Bible, prayed with the people, and promised to
+come back again on her next trip.
+
+"I will build a church for you," said Chief Onoyom. "I have money. I will
+give $1,500 for a mission house and school."
+
+As Mary rode down the Enyong creek she thought of the new missionary work
+that was opening up.
+
+"O God," she prayed, "I thank You for the new places at Itu and Amasu. I
+thank You for the chance to build a church at Akani Obio. Please let me
+open a station soon at Arochuku. There with Your blessing I hope to conquer
+the cannibals for Christ."
+
+"I do hope," she said to herself, "that the Board will soon send an
+ordained minister to take over the Akpap station. I must persuade Miss
+Wright to go with me to Itu. I am sure God will give her courage to come
+with me.  This Enyong creek region will give us all the work for Christ we
+can handle and more. We must go forward for Christ."
+
+Mary made many trips to Akpap, to Itu and Amasu. She stopped at many little
+villages and lonely huts along Enyong creek to tell the people about the
+Saviour who had died also for those with black skins. Often she slept on
+mud floors. She ate yams and native fruits.
+
+God blessed the work at Itu and Amasu.  The people of Itu built a church
+and more than three hundred of them attended the services. At Amasu the
+school pew fast.  The natives were learning to read.
+
+The natives at Itu started to build a six-room house at Itu for Mary. It
+was to be one of the finest homes in which the missionary had ever lived.
+
+"I am afraid it is too much work for you," said Mary to the natives. "It is
+too big."  "No, it is not too much." said the people of Itu. "Nothing is
+too much to do for you. We shall do it."
+
+Another time a native woman knelt at Mary's feet. She washed Mary's tired
+feet in warm water.
+
+"You are so kind to me," said Mary thanking her.
+
+"I have been so afraid, Ma, that you would think us unworthy of a teacher
+and take her away," said the woman. "I could not live again in darkness. I
+pray all the time. I lay my basket down and pray on the road."
+
+"That is good," said Mary. "Prayer can do anything. I know. I have tested
+it. Of course, God does not always answer our prayers the way we want them
+answered, but He does answer them and in the way that is best for us. Trust
+God always."
+
+One day Mary thought of a new plan she wanted to try out. She had been in
+the jungle for five years. She was due to get a year's vacation at home in
+Scotland. Instead of this she asked for something else.  She wrote to the
+Mission Board:
+
+I would like to have leave from the mission station at Akpap for six
+months.  This time I would spend traveling between Okoyong and Amasu. I
+would visit many places which I do not have time to visit now. Already I
+have seen a church and a mission house built at Itu, and a school and a
+couple of rooms at Amasu. I have visited several towns at Enyong and have
+found good enough places to stay.
+
+I shall find my own canoe and crew. I shall stay at any one place just as
+long as I think wise. The members of my family [she meant the twins and
+slave children and other unwanted children she had adopted] shall help in
+teaching the beginners in the schools.
+
+I plan to live at Itu as my headquarters.  I will look after the small
+schools I have started at Idot and Eki. I will visit and work for Jesus in
+the towns on both sides of Enyong creek all the way to Amasu. I will live
+there for a while or travel among the Aros telling them of Jesus. Then I
+will come back by easy stages to Itu and home.
+
+Please send an assistant to help Miss Wright at Akpap, so I will be free to
+do this new work in the jungle. I would like Miss Wright to help me with
+some work among the cannibals, in some places, so that I will have more
+time for pioneer work in the places farther away.
+
+Itu should be our main station. We can reach the various tribes best from
+it. It is the gateway to the Aros and the Ibibios and near many other
+tribes. That is why it became a slave market. It could be reached so
+easily. It is only a day's journey from the seaport of the ocean steamers,
+having waterway all the year round and a good beach front. Itu is a natural
+place for our upriver and downriver work to come together.
+
+Mary was now fifty-six years old. She had suffered much from sickness and
+from the lack of many things. Now she wanted to go on a "gypsying tour of
+the jungle," as she called it. This was hard and difficult work.  There
+were many dangers from wild animals and wild people. These tribes she
+wanted to visit did not know anything about the Saviour, or God's Word, but
+they did know how to do many wicked things like killing and eating
+people. Many a younger and stronger person than Mary would be afraid to
+tackle the job she had planned to do. Mary was not afraid. God had given
+her the chance to reach the wild cannibals. She was willing to die trying
+to bring the Gospel to them.
+
+"I am willing to go anywhere," said Mary, "provided it be forward among the
+cannibals."
+
+Mary anxiously waited for the answer from the Mission Board giving her
+permission to work for six months in the cannibal country.  The answer did
+not come and did not come.  At last she decided to go on a short trip
+through that country to encourage the black workers she had sent there. She
+went to see the Wilkies and Miss Wright.
+
+"I am going on a short trip through the cannibal country," said Mary. "I am
+inviting you to be my guests on this trip. I want you to see what God is
+doing among the cannibals.  Won't you come with me?"
+
+"We'll be glad to go with you," said Mr.  Wilkie.
+
+Mary and her friends first visited Itu, where they met Colonel Montanaro,
+who had first taken Mary to Itu. Then they went to Akani Obio. Here Chief
+Onoyom had a big party for them.
+
+"Ma, when are you going to come and stay a long time with us?" he asked. "I
+want you to bring the Gospel to me and to my people."
+
+"I hope it will be soon," said Mary. "I am praying every day that the
+Mission Board will let me work in your country."
+
+Mary and her friends now went to Amasu to see the Gospel work that was
+being done there. Then they visited the villages around Arochuku where the
+Long Juju was. Then they started back to Akpap. They visited many very
+small villages on the way back.  Everywhere the people said to them, "We
+want to learn book." They meant they wanted someone to teach them to read
+the Bible.
+
+At last they arrived at Akpap. Here there was the letter from the Mission
+Board.  Mary's hands shook as she opened the long-awaited letter. Would it
+give her permission to go to cannibal land or would it tell her to come
+home and take her furlough in the usual way?
+
+You may make the jungle trip that you plan, but you will have to pay your
+own expenses during this time. We do not have any money for that work.
+
+Mary was happy. Mary took the little money she had and bought supplies at
+Duke Town. Then she got her canoe ready. She took a crew of black rowers to
+row the canoe and a group of the black children she had adopted.
+
+"It seems strange to be starting with a family on a gypsy life in a canoe,"
+wrote Mary, "but God will take care of us. Whether I shall find His place
+for me upriver or whether I shall come back to my own people again, I do
+not know. He knows and that is enough."
+
+At last Mary and her group of travelers came to Itu, which was deep in
+cannibal land.  Mary had started the work here and then left native workers
+to carry on. Now there were three hundred people in the church. Mary found
+that the mission house at Itu was not finished. Mary herself mixed the
+cement for the floor while Janie did the whitewashing.  Someone asked Mary
+how she learned to make cement.
+
+"I just stir it like oatmeal, then turn it out smooth with a stick and all
+the time I keep praying, `Lord, here's the cement. If it is to Your glory,
+set it,' and it has never gone wrong."
+
+Every day Mary made calls and helped to solve the problems of the people of
+Itu. In the evenings she would hold prayer in the yards of many of the
+people. Always Mary told the people of the Saviour who died for them.
+
+The news that Mary the white Ma was in cannibal land soon spread far and
+wide. The tom-toms calling through the jungle told the different tribes
+where Mary was. From Ibibio southward, the natives sent messages to Mary.
+
+"Please, Ma," they said, "send us a teacher."
+
+"It is not `book' I want," said a chief in his message, "I want God."
+
+"We have three in hand for a teacher," said Chief Onoyom of Akani
+Obio. "Some of the boys have already finished the books Mr.  Wilkie gave
+us. We can do no more until you send us help."
+
+Mary spent the night praying to God to send more workers to Africa. "O
+Britain," said Mary, "filled full of ministers and church workers, but
+tired of Sunday and of church, I wish that you could send over to us what
+you are throwing away!"
+
+
+
+
+#13#
+
+
+_Blessings Unnumbered_
+
+God blessed Mary's work in cannibal land and more and more people were won
+for Jesus. Chief Onoyom stayed true to his faith.
+
+"Come," he said to his people, "we must build a church here at Akani
+Obio. Let us go to the jungle and cut down trees for the house of God."
+
+Chief Onoyom and his people went to the woods. The chief went to a tree and
+got ready to cut it down.
+
+"Chief," they cried, "you are not going to cut that tree, are you? You know
+that is the juju tree."
+
+"I know it is the juju tree," said Onoyom, "and I am going to chop it
+down."
+
+"The juju will be angry. He will not let us. He will kill us," cried the
+people.
+
+"Ma's God is stronger than our juju," said Chief Onoyom. "Cut it down."
+
+The people began to chop. The trunk of the tree was thick. After a while
+they stopped.
+
+"See, we cannot cut it," they said.
+
+The heathen natives were glad.
+
+"Aha," they said, "our juju is stronger than Ma's God."
+
+The next morning Chief Onoyom took some men who wanted to be
+Christians. Before beginning to chop at the tree they knelt and prayed that
+the white Ma's God would prove stronger than the juju. Then they got up and
+began to chop. Soon the tree fell with a mighty crash. Ma's God had won!
+
+The juju tree was used for a pulpit and seats in the church building. A
+large group of people came to the dedication services.  They were quiet and
+well-behaved. What a great change the Gospel had made! Only two years
+before the people were wild savages.
+
+Mary had to hold services at Arochuku out-doors, but now the people built a
+church and a schoolhouse. At other villages along Enyong creek
+congregations were organized, and churches and schoolhouses were built.
+
+In 1905 Mary had to go to the Mission Council meeting at Calabar. During
+the meeting Mary was called on to tell about her work.
+
+"God has done great things in cannibal land. We have congregations at Itu,
+Arochuku, Oko, Akani Obio, Odot, Amasu, and Asang. In all of these places
+churches have been built. In many of them we have built schoolhouses
+too. Many of the cannibals are being won for Christ. But we need more
+workers. In all this wide country of the Aros, I am the only white
+missionary. My six months' leave is almost up. Who will take care of these
+people who are as dear to God as you or I? Now they are being taken care of
+by native workers, but these have only little training. Send workers to
+cannibal land to change these man-eaters into Christians."
+
+The Council was thrilled by Mary's report.  They voted that she could spend
+six more months in cannibal land, but again they said she would have to pay
+her own expenses. This did not bother Mary. She had never been paid, much
+salary. In the first years she sent most of it back home to take care of
+her mother and sister. After they had died she used me most of it for her
+colored Christians. She had adopted many black children whose parents had
+thrown them out. But money never bothered Mary. She had a little bit saved
+up.  She was happy that she could go to cannibal, land and win souls for
+Christ.
+
+"But where shall I work now?" Mary asked herself. "Shall I keep on working
+on upper Enyong creek or shall I go south to the Ibibios?  The Ibibios are
+the worst heathen in this part of Africa. The worse the people are, the
+more they need help. I should go to the Ibibios."
+
+Meanwhile the Mission committee in Scotland decided to build a hospital at
+Itu. Dr.  Robertson was to be the head of it. The Mission committee chose a
+name for the hospital.  They named it, "The Mary Slessor Mission Hospital."
+The people in Scotland gave the money so the hospital could be built.
+
+"It seems like a fairy tale," said Mary when she was told about it, "and I
+don't know just what to say. I can just look up into the blue sky and say,
+'Even so, Father; let me live and be worthy of it all.' It is a grand gift
+and I am so glad for my people."
+
+Now that Itu was taken care of, Mary had all the more reason to go south to
+the Ibibios.  In their country the government was building roads and
+setting up courts. The government people wanted Mary to come to that
+country too, because she knew so much more about the people and customs in
+cannibal land.
+
+"Get a bicycle, Ma," said one of the government men. "Here is the
+road. Come as far as you can. And we'll soon have a motorcar for you."
+
+Mary started out. She took along one of the boys she had adopted. It was
+twelve-year-old Etim. He could read and she needed his help. Once more Mary
+was beginning mission work in a new part of the country where Christians
+had never been.
+
+Mary and Etim went to Ibibio-land. Mary started a school and a small
+congregation.  Etim was made the teacher of the school. He proved to be a
+very good teacher. Soon he had a class of fifty children.
+
+"It is my hope," said Mary, "that Ikotobong will be the first of a chain of
+stations stretching across the country."
+
+Mary went to visit the old chief of Ikotobong.
+
+"What do you think of our work here?"
+
+"It is good," said the chief. "I am happy you came. There are many things
+that are strange to me and my people. We do not understand them. I am glad
+for the light.  We will give Etim food as pay for teaching.  We will help
+build a schoolhouse and a church."
+
+Mary was happy that the people were willing and anxious to learn. But she
+wanted to go to a new part of the country and start more places. The
+government officer at Ikot Expene gave Mary a bicycle.
+
+"I think it's God's will that I learn to ride this bicycle. Think of an old
+lady like me on a bicycle!" said Mary. "The new road makes it easy to ride,
+and I'm running up and down and taking a new work in a village two miles
+off. It has done me all the good in the world, and I will soon be able to
+do even more work."
+
+The treatment of the women in Ibibio was very bad. They were treated worse
+than slaves. The men could do whatever they wanted to do with them. They
+were often beaten.  They were bought and sold like cattle. Mary wanted to
+help the poor women.
+
+"I want to build a home for girls, orphans, twins and their mothers, and
+those who have run away from harems," said Mary. "I also want to start a
+school where trades and skills can be taught. All the women know how to
+farm. They know how to weave baskets and make simple sandals. But I want
+them to know many more things so that they can take care of themselves. I
+am going to look for a place with good land and pure water near the roads
+and the markets. Then I will write to my friends and to the Mission Board
+for help."
+
+Mary's furlough had first been for six months and then was made six months
+longer. In April, 1906, it came to an end. She was supposed to go back to
+Akpap, because the Mission Council expected her to settle down in one place
+and work there. They appointed her to work at Akpap and that is where they
+expected her to work.
+
+"I do not want to settle in one place," said Mary. "God gives me different
+gifts; I think my gift is to explore and start new congregations.  Others
+are better fitted to take care of them after they are started than I
+am. God is pushing me onward. I don't dare look backward.  Even if my dear
+church turns against me and will not have me as its missionary, I must go
+forward. I can find food for myself and the children. That is all I
+need. God will help me."
+
+Mary thought and prayed much over this matter. She thought of starting a
+store or taking a government job so she could earn money to take care of
+the missionary work.  She wrote a long letter to the Mission Board.  She
+told how God had blessed the work at Itu and the villages on Enyong
+creek. Then she wrote:
+
+In all this how plainly God has been leading me. I did not think of doing
+these things in my lifetime, but God has led me on. First Itu, and then the
+Creek, then back from Aro, where I had set my heart, to a lonely, spooky,
+wilderness.  There no one ever went, but now miles of roads are being
+built.
+
+The Board says I am to go back to Akpap in April. I love no other place on
+earth so well. But I dare not think of leaving the crowds of untamed,
+unwashed, unlovely savages, and take away the little sunlight that has
+begun to flicker out over its darkness.
+
+I know that I am pretty old for this kind of work. But God will help.
+Whether the church permits or not, I feel that I must stay here. I must
+even go farther as the roads are made. I cannot walk now and I must be
+careful of my health. But I can get four wheels made and set a box on them
+and the children can pull me. I dare not go back.  If the Board insists, I
+will risk finding some other way to support myself and my family.
+
+As April drew closer day by day, Mary anxiously waited for the Mission
+Board's answer.  The Mission Board wrote to Mary:
+
+We are sending John Rankin to look over the field where you have been
+working.  After he has made his report we will decide what you should do.
+
+Mr. Rankin visited the different places in cannibal land where Mary had
+started congregations.  He talked with the chiefs and the people. One chief
+talking about Mary and the other women missionaries said, "Them women be
+the best men for the mission." He wrote to the Board:
+
+Close to Arochuku, within a circle of less than three miles in diameter,
+there are nineteen large towns. I visited sixteen of these. Each of them is
+larger than Creek Town. Most of the people are anxious to help. Already
+many of them have begun to live in God's way. Even the head chief of all
+the Aros wants us to do mission work in his country. He told the other
+chiefs he is going to rule according to God's way. He wants missionaries to
+be sent to his people. He offers to build a house at Arochuku for any
+missionary who will come.
+
+The Mission Board was thrilled when they read this report. They agreed to
+give the money for the work which Mary had planned.  They appointed Rankin
+to take charge of the stations at Itu and Arochuku. They agreed to let Mary
+go into the new territory.  She did not have to go back to Akpap.
+
+This made Mary very happy. Now she could work full time among the
+Ibibios. She offered to pay for the building of a mission station among the
+Ibibios if there was no money in the homeland treasury. In May the
+government appointed Mary to take charge of the courts in the Ibibio
+district as she had done in Okoyong. It paid her for this work so now she
+had money to carry on her mission work whether the Board paid her or not.
+
+Court was held at Ikotobong. Three chiefs and a jury helped Mary in trying
+the cases, but Mary's word was law. Mary was fair and kind, but at the same
+time she saw to it that those who did bad things were punished. In a letter
+to a friend she wrote:
+
+God help those poor helpless women.  They are treated worse than animals.
+Today I had a crowd of people. How wicked they were! I have had a murder, a
+poison bean case, a suicide, a man branding his slave wife all over her
+face and body, a man with a gun who shot four people. It is all horrible.
+
+But her work as judge did not stop her from doing her mission
+work. Everywhere she went she told the natives of Jesus' death for
+them. She opened schools and churches for natives. She also was thinking
+about the other missionaries. She planned a place for them where they could
+spend weekends or where they could rest when they were getting over
+sickness. She chose a place half-way between Itu and Ikotobong on Enyong
+Creek. It was high above the lowlands where most of the sickness was. A
+friend sent her a check for $100 and Mary used it as a start for this rest
+home. She had the ground cleared and a small English house built.
+
+Although Mary was busy she was not well.  During most of 1906 she had been
+ailing.
+
+"If you want to keep on with your missionary work," said the government
+doctor, "you must go home to Scotland where you can rest up and get the
+fever out of your system."
+
+Mary did not want to leave her work. A few days after her talk with the
+doctor, when he came to see her again, she was much better.
+
+"It looks as if God wants me to stay. Does that sound like He could not do
+without me!  I do not mean it so. How little I can do! But I can at least
+keep a door open for missionary work so others can come and do more."
+
+The year 1907 came. Mary was much worse. She could walk only a few steps.
+When she wanted to go anywhere, she had to be carried. At last she decided
+to do as the doctor told her and go to Scotland for a vacation.
+
+"Oh, the dear homeland!" she said with tears in her eyes. "Shall I really
+be there and worship in the churches again? How I long for a look at a
+winter landscape, to feel the cold wind, and the frost in the cart ruts!
+How I want to take a back seat in a church and hear the congregation
+singing, without a care of my own! I want to hear how they preach and pray
+and rest their souls in the hush and silence of our home churches."
+
+Mary took her six-year-old Dan, one of the many children she had
+adopted. The government officers were kind and helpful to her in getting
+ready for her trip.
+
+"God must repay these men," said Mary, "because I cannot. He will not
+forget that they did it to a child of His, unworthy though she is."
+
+Mary was now a wrinkled, shining-eyed old lady, almost sixty years old. She
+was carried on board the ship that would take her to Scotland. Her friends,
+both white and native, cried and wondered if she would ever come back to
+Africa again.
+
+
+
+
+#14#
+
+
+_Journey's End_
+
+"Send us workers for dark Africa," said Mary. "If I can get the Board to
+send us one or more workers, I will give half my salary to add to theirs. I
+will give the house for them to live in and find the servants. You who have
+so much, won't you do something for these poor people of Africa?"
+
+Mary was speaking in the churches of Scotland telling about her work in
+Africa. After she had returned to Scotland, she felt much better. The air
+and climate was much better than in the steaming jungles of Africa. As soon
+as she was strong enough, she began to go about telling about her work. She
+urged the people to give money and to send workers to Africa.
+
+Above all, she wanted to get money to support the industrial home for women
+which she had planned. From May until October she went among the churches
+telling about the "African sheep" whom the Good Shepherd Jesus wanted
+brought in.
+
+In October Mary asked to be sent back to Africa. She wanted to carry on her
+work there.
+
+"I am foolish, I know," said Mary, "but I just feel homeless without any
+relatives here in Scotland. I am a poor, lonesome soul with only memories."
+
+Back in Africa Mary was busier than ever, holding court, looking after her
+home, and doing missionary work. On Sundays she held a half-dozen or more
+services in the nearby villages in which lived the people with whom she
+worked during the week. On some of these trips she brought back orphan
+children to join her already "overstuffed" household.  But all this work
+was too much for her. She became sick again and very weak. Now her eyes
+began to get weak, so that she could not see as well. But nothing could
+stop her. She started the building of the industrial home for women and
+girls. She planted fruit trees there and planned to raise rubber and cocoa
+and cattle.
+
+Mary wanted to move again. Some natives had come from Ikpe to see her
+before she went on her vacation to Scotland. They asked her to bring the
+Gospel to them. Now they came again.
+
+"We have heard of the great white Mother and we want to learn to be God's
+men," they said.
+
+Mary made a two-day canoe trip to their town. Ikpe was a large town with
+many people in it. But the people were very wicked.  They did all the
+wicked heathen things that were against God's commandments. But there were
+people in it who wanted to become Christians. They had begun to build a
+small church building to which they had added two rooms for the missionary.
+
+Mary held a service in the church. Many people had gathered to hear for the
+first time the news of how Jesus saves us. After the end of the service
+Mary decided that it was God's will for her to move to Ikpe. But she had to
+arrange for someone to take care of her other work first.
+
+When she came home from this trip she was sick again. As soon as she was a
+little better she busied herself with the women's home. She wanted to get
+that running well before she left for Ikpe. The natives of Ikpe sent some
+more of their people to visit her and beg her to come to Ikpe. Whenever she
+could, she made trips to that village. Often she took other missionaries
+with her.
+
+In November, 1909, she resigned from her court work. The government did not
+like to lose her because she knew so much about the natives and their
+customs. But the government knew that Mary's first love was her missionary
+work. They let her give up her court work and thanked her for all she had
+done.
+
+"Just a few more things to take care of," said Mary, "and I will be ready
+to start for Ikpe. Those faithful people deserve a worker.  They are
+holding services even though they know very little of Christianity. I must
+go there. I know God wants it."
+
+It was the year 1910 and Mary was sure that now she could begin her work in
+the new territory that looked so promising. Suddenly Mary became very, very
+ill. The government sent its official automobile to take her to the Mary
+Slessor Hospital at Itu. Did God want Mary to work at Ikpe? Or would
+someone else preach the Gospel there?
+
+For many weeks Mary lay sick in the hospital at Itu. At last she was much
+better.
+
+"You must go to Duke Town for a longer rest," said the doctor.
+
+"But, Doctor," said Mary, "I have my work to do, I cannot spend my time
+lying in bed."
+
+"If you are unwilling to rest at Duke Town, I shall have to send you to
+Scotland on a long vacation."
+
+"Very well," sighed Mary, "I will go to Duke Town."
+
+The next day the government sent its boat, the "Maple Leaf," to take Mary
+down the river to Duke Town. Here she spent many weeks resting and gaining
+her strength. At last the doctor agreed that she could go back to her work
+at Ikotobong. Once more the government sent its boat to take her back to
+her mission station.
+
+"I want to go to Ikpe soon," said Mary, "but first I want to establish a
+station at Ikot Expene and at other places along the way."
+
+Whenever she felt strong enough, she rode her bicycle through the jungle to
+Ikot Expene choosing places for schools and churches along the way, talking
+to chiefs, and getting the things ready for more places where the Gospel
+could be preached.
+
+The people at Ikpe were holding services even though they knew very little
+about Christianity.
+
+"Soon the white Ma will come," they said.  "She will tell us more about
+Jesus."
+
+A native teacher from another station, who had received training from Mary,
+taught the people what he knew about the Gospel.
+
+"Oh, why cannot the church send two workers to Ikpe?" said Mary. "Why don't
+they use the money on hand for that? If there isn't enough money left after
+two years, let them take my salary. I shall be only too glad to live on
+native food with my children."
+
+Mary was busy collecting building materials and other things for the church
+of Ikpe. At last the time came. God wanted Mary at Ikpe. How happy Mary
+was! How happy were the faithful people at Ikpe who had waited so long!
+
+Mary at once was busy with much work.  She quieted mobs, she calmed
+quarreling chiefs, she held meetings with the crowds, and on Sundays
+conducted services. One day the smallpox broke out. The government sent
+down men to vaccinate the natives so the sickness would not spread. Mary
+heard shouting and yelling in the streets. She looked out of her house. The
+natives were yelling and shouting and waving guns and swords. Mary went up
+to the crowd.
+
+"What is this?" asked Mary. The crowd kept yelling.
+
+"Be quiet," shouted Mary and held out her hands. "Let your chief speak."
+
+"Ma," said the chief, "my people are afraid of the white man's juju. It
+makes the people sick." He meant the vaccination.
+
+"The vaccination may make a little sickness, but it keeps you from getting
+the big sickness," said Mary. Then she told them how vaccination had helped
+other tribes. She showed them her vaccination. After a long talk with the
+chiefs and the people the matter was peaceably settled.
+
+Mary wanted to keep in touch with her former headquarters at Ikotobong. She
+made many canoe trips back and forth. These trips were very hard on her and
+she did not rest well. Many people wondered how Mary could keep on working,
+but she trusted God who made her strong to carry on.
+
+During 1911 a tornado struck Mary's house at Use, one of the stations. She
+fixed the house herself. During this she strained herself and had a heart
+attack which was followed by a severe fever. Sometimes the fever was so
+great she was delirious. But still she would not stop working. She
+continued to teach school and hold worship services on Sunday.
+
+Dr. Hitchcock of the Slessor Hospital came to see her every week.
+
+"You must not go to Ikpe again," he said.  "You must not ride your
+bicycle. You must spend more time resting."
+
+But Mary disobeyed the doctor and held services the following Sunday. It
+was too much for her. She almost fainted before the service was over.
+
+"You must stay in bed," said Dr. Hitchcock, "until you are well enough to
+get up."
+
+"All right, doctor," said Mary.
+
+"And you must eat meat twice a day," said the doctor.
+
+"But I'm not a meat-eater," answered Mary.
+
+"You're going to be, or I will send you to Duke Town for a long rest."
+
+Mary laughed. "I've all my plans made and I must not draw a salary without
+doing something for it."
+
+At last the doctor sent her to the Slessor Hospital for a rest. Because of
+her hard work, she had a bad fever sickness. Now Mary saw that she was
+foolish in not listening to the doctor.
+
+"Life is hardly worth living," she said, "but I am doing what I can to help
+the doctor to help me, so I can be fit again for another spell of work."
+
+The Christians at Ikpe sent some men to see Mary to ask her when she would
+be back.  "Seven weeks," said Dr. Hitchcock.
+
+"I may run up sooner than that," said Mary. "I'm very well if the doctor
+would only believe it."
+
+Near the end of 1911 Mary was allowed to leave the hospital. She hurried to
+her friends at Ikpe. But Mary still was not very strong.  Her friends in
+Calabar and in Scotland urged her to take a long-earned furlough. While
+thinking about this, Mary decided to have a box on wheels made so that she
+could get around since the doctor would not let her use her bicycle. Some
+friends heard about this and they sent her a light cart which could be
+wheeled by two boys or girls.
+
+"Now I don't need a furlough," said Mary.  "Instead of going home as I had
+planned, I shall stay here and enjoy going over ground in my cart that I
+couldn't get over otherwise."
+
+A new government road was being built between Ikpe and Ikot Expene. Mary
+wanted to start schools and churches all along this road.  But she was not
+strong enough to carry out her idea. Her heart was very weak now and she
+had to rest often. If there had been someone to take her place, she would
+have gone home for a rest. Mary wrote to a friend:
+
+We were never so shorthanded, and I
+can do what others cannot, what indeed,
+doctors would not allow them to try. No
+one meddles with me and I slip along and
+do my work using less strength than
+many would have to use.
+
+Mary knew if she took a furlough her work at Ikpe and the other stations
+would stop because there was no one to take her place.  This she did not
+want to happen. She worked on through the summer of 1912. In September she
+completed thirty-six years as a missionary in Africa.
+
+"I'm lame and feeble and foolish," said Mary, "but I grip on well."
+
+Her friends were very much worried about her health. It was suggested that
+she be sent on an expense-paid trip to the Canary Islands. There the
+climate was milder than it would have been in Scotland during the
+winter. She was glad to go. Mary wrote:
+
+What love is wrapped around me! It
+is simply wonderful. I can't say anything
+else. Oh, if I only get another day
+to work. I hope it will be fuller of earnestness
+and blessing than the past.
+
+This vacation was a real blessing to Mary.  The fevers left her. With no
+committee meetings, no court cases or other problems to worry about, she
+grew stronger very quickly.  It was not many months before she was back at
+Duke Town. The doctor gave her an examination.
+
+"You're as sound as an elephant's ivory tusk," said the doctor. "You are
+good for many years, if you will only take care."
+
+Mary did not like that. She had never been willing to sit and twiddle her
+thumbs. Now her mind was full of new plans for more work. She wanted to get
+busy with her work for the Lord.
+
+For the next two years Mary worked hard at Use and Ikpe. She traveled
+between these two places, sometimes in a canoe, sometimes in the government
+boat, but mostly in her two-wheeled cart. There was still much to do. She
+was still fighting the juju worship, the sinful practice of eating people
+and the murdering of twins.
+
+Eight years had gone by since Mary had left Akpap. A new church was being
+finished and the missionaries who now worked there invited Mary to attend
+the dedication service.  Mary wanted to see the dear friends she had loved
+for years. She decided to go and take her adopted children with her.
+
+From all over Okoyong the people had come to see their Ma, their White
+Queen. Ma Eme, the missionary's old friend, was there.  When they met tears
+filled their eyes, they were so happy to see one another again. But Mary
+was sad, too, because Ma Eme had never openly accepted Christianity.
+Speaking of Ma Eme, Mary said, "My dear and old friend and almost sister,
+she made the saving of life so often possible in the early days. It is sad
+that she would not come out for Christ.  She could have been the honored
+leader of God's work. Hers is a foolish choice. And yet God cannot forget
+all she was to me and how she helped me in those dark and bloody days."
+
+Hundreds of people crowded into the new church at Akpap. Mary remembered
+the wild parties and drunken fights of the first days of her work among the
+people. How they were changed! How God had changed them through His Gospel!
+It was wonderful! Mary thanked God for His wonderful blessings.
+
+Shortly after her trip to Akpap, Mary was honored by the king of Great
+Britain. She was chosen by him to be a member of the order of St. John of
+Jerusalem. This was an honor given only to English Christians who had done
+great things for God. The government people of Calabar decided that they
+must have a public celebration of this great honor. They sent the
+government boat for Mary. The little old missionary, now nearly sixty-five,
+was brought to Duke Town. Here a great crowd filled the biggest hall in
+town.
+
+The governor made a speech and pinned the cross on Mary's left
+shoulder. During the speech Mary sat with her head in her hands.  When it
+came time for her to speak, she found it hard to talk. Turning to the boys
+and girls who were in the hall she said, "Be faithful to the government. Be
+Christians. Be friends of the mission and be followers of Jesus."
+
+Later she wrote to her friends in Scotland:
+
+Don't think there is any change in me
+because I received this honor. I am Mary
+Slessor, nothing more and none other
+than the unworthy, unprofitable but
+most willing servant of the King of kings.
+
+The only change the honor made in Mary was that she worked harder than
+ever. A government road was opened to Odoro Ikpe.  Mary at once started a
+mission there and reached out into the small jungle settlements.  There she
+talked with the chiefs and the natives.  At last she won their consent to
+build schools and churches. They gave her the land to do this. Now she was
+beginning all over in a new territory. She had the same hard work, the same
+troubles, the same heathen customs to fight. But Mary was glad to do it.
+She thanked God for the chance to bring the Gospel to people who had never
+heard about it.
+
+Mary saw to it that a house was built and then began teaching in the
+school, holding services, settling quarrels, winning souls for Jesus. In
+August, 1914, rumors reached her that Europe was rushing into war. This
+made her feel sick. She knew that this war would not only bring suffering,
+horror, and death to many of her dear friends, but it would also hinder the
+work in Calabar.
+
+Several months went by. The mail came.  Mary opened the newspaper. There
+she read the headlines: Russia declares war! France declares war! England
+declares war! Mary fainted. The trouble and excitement were too much for
+her. For two weeks more she carried on her work but it was too much for
+her. She became weaker and weaker.  On Sunday, January 10, 1915, she held
+her usual church service. After the church meeting she fainted.
+Dr. Robertson arrived from the Slessor Hospital at Itu. He was able to
+bring her to, but on January 12 she found it almost impossible to talk.
+Her last words were a prayer in the African language called Efik.
+
+"O Abasi, sana mi yok," said Mary. "O God, release me!"
+
+Janie, the first twin Mary had saved, was now a beautiful black woman. She
+and other children Mary had saved and adopted were watching beside Mary's
+bed through the night. A rooster crowed.
+
+"Day must be dawning," said one of the girls.
+
+Day was dawning for Mary, God's eternal day. She slipped away from the
+earth to be with her Saviour in Heaven.
+
+"Our Mother is dead, and we shall be slaves now that our Mother is dead,"
+cried the natives.  The news that the white Ma was dead spread
+rapidly. Natives came from all over the country to see the woman they
+loved.
+
+Mary's body was taken to Itu where services were held. Then it was taken to
+Duke Town.  Here another service was held. Then the coffin was carried to
+the beautiful cemetery on Mission Hill. From this place could be seen a
+large part of the city where Mary had begun her faithful missionary work in
+Africa.  Around her grave the grateful natives gathered and wept for her
+who had wept and prayed over them.
+
+"Do not cry, do not cry," said old Ma Fuller, Mary's native friend through
+the years.  "Praise God for His blessings. Ma was a great blessing."
+
+First the Africans called her "the white Ma who lives alone." Then they
+called her "the Ma who loves babies." But lastly they called her "#eka
+kpukpru owo#," "everybody's Mother."
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+Books on Women Missionaries
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+WHITE QUEEN OF THE
+CANNIBALS
+
+The Story of Mary Slessor
+By A.J. Bueltmann
+
+When Mary was young, she heard her mother read about the dangers and
+rewards of missionary work in Calabar, Africa. This challenged Mary
+Slessor's young heart and she determined to serve her Lord there. _White
+Queen of the Cannibals_ records her courage as a missionary to the worst
+of pagans. The story is simply told that it might inspire children to
+Christian service.
+
+NOT ALONE By Eunice V. Pike
+
+Many hundreds of languages in the world today have never been reduced to
+writing. Uncounted thousands of people cannot read God's Word. The work of
+Wycliffe Bible Translators is to master the language of a tribe, reduce it
+to writing, and then teach the people to read the Scriptures--in their own
+tongue. Eunice Pike recounts her years spent with the Mazatec Indians in
+Mexico, giving them God's Word.
+
+CLIMBING By Rosalind Goforth
+
+After returning home from many years of missionary service in China,
+Rosalind Goforth reflects on those incidents that most affected her life
+for Christ.  Written to display the mercy of the Lord and "to help others
+face life's hard problems," the author recalls her experiences from
+childhood to retirement--a life of constant _climbing_.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of White Queen of the Cannibals: The
+Story of Mary Slessor, by A. J. Bueltmann
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