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It was night, and Mary Slessor with her two companions marched out into the darkness, the lanterns throwing up strange shadows that looked like fierce men in the darkness. Through the night they walked till at midnight they reached the village where they were to ask for the drum. The chief was surly. "You are going to a warlike people," he said. "They will not listen to what a woman says.
"The result," says the report, "is a sign of the civilising influence worked through the Court by that admirable lady, Miss Slessor." Some of her methods were not of the accepted judicial character. She would try a batch of men for an offence, lecture them, and then impose a fine.
Mary Slessor showed the quality of a ruler as well as that of a winner of souls. In the intellectual region, Richard of St. Victor was supreme in contemplation, and also a psychologist far in advance of his time. We are apt to forget the mystical side of Aquinas; who was poet and contemplative as well as scholastic philosopher.
"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.
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.
Miss Slessor had a sure consciousness of her limitations, and knew she was nothing but a forerunner, who opened up the way and made it possible for others to come in and take up the work on normal lines. Both in the sphere of mission exploration and in the region of ideas she possessed the qualities of the pioneer, imagination, daring, patience, and like all idealists she met with opposition.
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.
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.
In charge of it at first was a white chauffeur, who, curiously enough, was a member of Wellington Street Church in Glasgow, which now supported Miss Slessor, and with him was a native assistant, a young well- educated Anglican, who came from Lagos.
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.
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