THE voyage was in more ways than one good for Miss Slessor. It was well for her to have a break in her life, crowded as it had been with work of varied kinds; sea breezes, and the rest she was obliged to take on shipboard, did much to restore her health. On her arrival in Scotland she found her mother and sister in very poor health. The doctor said that neither were strong enough to bear the cold of a Scottish winter, but might be better if they could live where the winds were not so piercing, and bright, sunny days more frequent.
Acting upon his advice, Mary removed first her mother, then her sister, to Topsham in Devonshire, where a small house was taken, and simply though comfortably furnished, and where for some weeks the invalids appeared to be gaining strength daily. But when the time for her return to Africa drew near, she felt she must make some arrangement that would result in their being well cared for in her absence. It must have been a great cheer and relief to her to find that a friend of her own early days was willing and able to take charge of the little household when she again sailed for Africa.
A short time after her return to Calabar, her mother, who had for some time been failing, died almost suddenly, and three months later her much-loved sister received her home-call. While she felt their loss keenly, she said, "There is no one left now who will be anxious about me if I go up country.”
It was decided that for the sake of her health she must not, for a time at least, return to the mud hut, but with her family of rescued little ones share the house of fellow-missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Goldie.
Her work was in the day and Sunday schools, Bible classes, infant school, visiting and teaching the women in their yards; added to which was the care of her own household. Jeanie, who had been named after her sister, had grown into a fine strong girl, four years old, merry and good tempered, but high spirited, and needing a firm though loving hand to train her rightly. Miss Slessor had heard that both her parents were dead, but one day her father appeared at the mission house. She asked him to enter and look at his child, but he shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, and seemed unwilling. She took his hand and drew him in, and told Jeanie to put her arms round his neck and kiss him.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////// P. 57 ILLUSTRATION /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
JEANIE PUT HER ARMS ROUND HIS NECK AND KISSED HIM.
The child, though trembling with fear, obeyed. His face grew softer, and he smiled at her, and at last took her on fearing. When she went to Scotland she had been, though very unwillingly, obliged to let him return during her absence to his heathen home and its ways, but when she settled at Creek Town he was again with her. Next came Inyang, a tall girl of thirteen, who did not take kindly to reading and writing, but was honest and hard-working, and never seemed so happy as when employed in some kind of household work.
Twin babies, five months old, who had been found by her when they were only a few days old lying on the ground, dirty, uncared-for, and ready to perish, were the latest additions to her little family. She had washed, nursed and fed them, and under her care they had grown into healthy, happy babies. Another wee mite, neglected and starving, the child of a slave, was sent to her by a daughter of the old king Eyo, who was really very friendly with Mary but when she asked if a slave woman could not be spared to look after it, as her hands were so very full, the answer returned was, "Let it die." But she took the baby.
Household duties, as well as the care of her family of children, had to go on often under difficulties. She was never sure of a really free five minutes. Sick people from the villages for miles round came or sent to her for medicine. Hungry people wanted food, and those who were in trouble sought her advice and help.
At Creek Town, as elsewhere, much of her work lay among the women, and though she could not speak of many who had openly confessed their faith in Christ (Miss Slessor knew better than many how hard it was for a woman living in a heathen family to come boldly out for the Lord), she could and did rejoice over some whom she felt sure really and truly loved the Savior.
One blind woman interested her greatly. Of her she wrote, " She is so poor that she has not a farthing in the world but what she gets from us; she has no one to care for or help her, her mud hut is open to sun and rain, and the cows walk in and out of it just as they please, but her voice seems set to music; and she has always so much to tell of the loving-kindness of the Lord; so unlike most of the people here, who seem to know only how to complain and grumble. Blind Mary is a bright testimony for the Lord.”