White Queen of the Cannibals | Page 9

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.