Part 17 (2/2)

Her heart was full. She went out in the cool of the night and stood gazing over the dim plain. All was silent and still, and the stars were s.h.i.+ning more gloriously than she had ever seen them before. Her eyes swept over them, as they often did, and rested on the Southern Cross, the group she loved most of all, because it was the symbol of her dear Lord watching over the dark and sinful world, and her thin worn face was beautiful, for her dream had come true.

She went in and sat on the floor, and leant her weary back against the wall of the room, and wrote by the light of a candle stuck in its own grease, telling her friends how happy she was--the happiest woman in all the world.

”I can't think,” she said, ”why G.o.d has so highly honoured and trusted me.”

She was a wreck, her body was a ma.s.s of pain, she was growing deaf and blind, she was tired and weak, and oh, so lonely! Yet her heart was bursting with love and grat.i.tude and joy. O wonderful Ma!

All this time she was working three stations--Use, Ikpe, and Odoro Ikpe, and going constantly between them. She kept a diary, and every night--often in the middle of the night--she wrote in it the story of the day. And what a story of toil and heroism it is! Here are several sentences from it:

Left the beach for Ikpe in the evening, sail in moonlight; reached Ikpe 4 P. M. next day; ran on to a tree; boys thrown into the water.

Egbo out all night, screaming and drumming like mad-men till daylight. All drunk.

First night in new house. Sorry to leave the wee hut I have enjoyed so much comfort and blessing in.

Patients from early morning; man bitten by rat; another by snake. School begun, nearly a hundred scholars.

First Christian funeral at Ikpe.

Chiefs here by daybreak for palavers.

Splendid congregation. People changing for the better.

Terrific thunderstorm. School-boys drenched. Got a big fire on in hall, and all sat round the blaze and I gave them a reading lesson.

A great reception at Use--thank G.o.d for the girls and home.

Thank G.o.d for sleep!

On roof all day, head and neck aching, hands broken and bleeding.

Carrying sand, cleaning corn patch, mudding and rubbing walls.

Cut my first two roses from the rose bush--lovely, a tender gift from G.o.d.

After sleepless night found white ants in millions in the drawers.

Washed a big was.h.i.+ng.

Terrific rain storm, no school.

Very feeble, scarcely able to stand upright in church.

Horrid night with cross child.

Lovely letters from dear ones. G.o.d is very good to me.

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