nderson sent me to bring you ashore and take you to the mission
house."

Mary was lowered from the great ship into a large canoe. Her baggage was
brought down and placed in the boat. Then with powerful strokes the rowers
sent the boat skimming across the water toward Duke Town. Mary was helped
ashore by the tall Negro who had come for her.

"At last," she said to herself, "at last I am in Calabar."

#3#

_In Africa_

"Welcome, welcome, Mary," said "Mammy" Anderson, as she hugged Mary. Mammy
Anderson and her husband, William Anderson, were among the first
missionaries at Duke Town in Calabar. "This is Daddy Anderson," said Mammy
Anderson, "and Daddy, this is Mary Slessor, just come from bonny Scotland
to help us."

Daddy and Mary shook hands. "Long ago you preached in our church in
Dundee," said Mary. "You told how many missionaries were needed. I wished
then I could help you. I hope I can."

Mary liked this fine Christian couple from the start. The mission house
where they lived was high on a hill above the town. Mammy took Mary around
the house and the yard, which they called a compound. She showed Mary where
the workers stayed who helped at the mission house. She showed her the
school where the little black children were taught to read and write and
told of the dear Saviour who had died for them, too, that they might be
saved from sin and Hell and go to Heaven.

"And here," said Mammy, "is the bell. I am putting you right to work. One
of your jobs will be to ring the rising bell for morning prayers. You ring
this at six o'clock. Then everyone will get up, and we will have prayers
in the chapel."

That was Mary's first job, but alas! Mary often overslept and did not ring
the rising bell in time. One morning she awoke and saw that it was very
bright outside.

"Dear me," said Mary, "I've overslept again." She jumped out of bed,
slipped into her clothes and rang the bell, loud and long. Soon the
workers began coming, rubbing their eyes and yawning.

"What's the idea of ringing the bell now?" asked one of them. "It's much
too early."

"But look how bright it is," said Mary.

Daddy Anderson laughed.

"Mary, Mary," he said, "it's only two o'clock in the morning. The light you
see is our bright tropical moon. It's not the sun." And all the workers
laughed, and Mary laughed with them.

"I guess I'm not a very good bell-ringer," she said.

Mary's real job was to teach the children in the sch