The White Queen of Okoyong: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Faith — John Shaqi
The White Queen of Okoyong: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and FaithLivingstone, W. P. (William Pringle)
Religion
The White Queen of Okoyong: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Faith
Livingstone, W. P. (William Pringle)
Missionaries -- Nigeria -- Biography; Slessor, Mary Mitchell, 1848-1915; Women missionaries -- Biography
After a time Ma left this haunt of peace to go and speak at meetings,
for she was a famous person now, and every one was eager to see and hear
the wonderful pioneer who lived alone amongst savages. She was very shy,
and would not open her mouth if men were listening, and if any one began
to praise her she would run away. It was always the work she spoke
about, and the need for more women and girls to go out and help.
Once in Edinburgh she was coaxed to address a meeting in the Synod Hall.
"I dinna ken how I'm to do it," she said to a friend. "You'll pray for
me? Where will you sit?" Her friend said, "In the gallery." "I'll look
for you, and ken you are praying, and that will help."
And, as usual, she spoke well. By and by many students of the Church
College came creeping in under the gallery and listened, and she did not
seem to mind, but appealed to them too, saying, "There are many
students who are ready, and making ready, to serve Jesus, and to tell
about Him, and they will be running after fine churches and good manses,
but there are multitudes who have never heard of Jesus out yonder. And
for His sake will they not come out and work for Him there?"
Sometimes she spoke of the good of prayer. "If you are ever inclined to
pray for a missionary, do it at once, wherever you are," she said;
"perhaps she may be in great peril at the moment. Once I had to deal
with a crowd of warlike men in the compound, and I got strength to face
them because I felt that some one was praying for me just then."
At another meeting, when Mary with her bright happy face was with her,
she told the young people how to be real ladies and gentlemen. "It is
not," she said, "the wearing of fine clothes, or the possession of great
wealth, but having gentle manners and kind consideration for the
feelings and happiness of others--not the giving of our money or the
denying of ourselves of small luxuries to help the coming of the
Kingdom, but the cheerful daily giving of ourselves for the good of
others at home and abroad."
She was most at home with children, and at her best at the tea-table, or
when she curled herself up on the rug in front of the fire. Then came
fearsome stories that made them tremble--true stories of what she had
seen and done in dark Okoyong.
"Oh, mother," the children would say when being tucked in bed, "how can
Miss Slessor live alone like that with wild men and wild beasts and
everything?"
"Ah," was the soft reply, "she does it because she loves Jesus, and
wants to help Him. I wonder, now, if you could love Him as much as
that?"
And the little minds in the little heads that were snuggling down
amongst the comfy pillows also wondered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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