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Slessor, Mary Letter no. 80 7th June 1913
This is a letter to Charles Partridge, senior, expressing her gratitude for the
Newspapers he has been sending her, and how well they are appreciated.. Mary
comments on them at length, and gives much news relating to the development
of the Church in Calabar and the country's more material progress. There is
news of her family. Several children will soon be back from school for the
holidays, and they nearly all will be attending the opening of a new Church in
Okoyon, her old Station, where most of her children were born as "twin or
outcast children".
[Envelope addressed to]
C. Partridge Esqr
Stowmarket
Suffolk
England
[the post marks indicate that this letter was posted in Itu on July 9th; left Calabar
on July 11th; and arrived in Stowmarket on August 5th]
Use Ikot Oku
via Itu
7th June 1913
Dear Mr Partridge,
Nearly every time the papers come, I write to you in my own
mind, & feel so ashamed of my not having written sooner, but I'm so easily
knocked up, that I dare not sit late, & so the days go past. I had to go to Grand
Canary last Autumn, & was there for a month, & so correspondence got into
arrears, & though I came back full of health & strength I had heaps of arrears in
work too, & then 3 months ago, I had a small accident to my eye, & that sent me
back again into debt with everything, so you must not think that lack of gratitude
& appreciation has kept me from writing my thanks to you. The papers are a
great comfort & uplift. I am specially interested in the Bible Study, & am
following it closely along side of my own portions for the Morning Watch. I
give away "The Xtian" [Note 1] & the other papers I take, to the English
speaking clerks & employees of the Government. But I'm keeping up the Life
of Faith for further use in the Classes for Teachers & etc., as well as for my own
use personally. It is so good to have as unequivocal a Testimony to Divine
Truth as the "Life of Faith" gives. I prize it & the Christian for their uniform
faithfulness to the pure Gospel. I suppose the "Overcomer" is given up! It
could never have been a popular paper, & there is no Capital in L.S.D. [Note 2]
behind the Editors. It upheld some aspects of the Xtian Life, but to the rank &
file of Xtians it was too polemical & too accademic in its style. I shall not say
too doctrinal, for want of that is the fault & lack of the present day preaching &
teaching I think. Doctrine is deprecated, but I'm Scotch, you see, & have had it
in my blood to be doctrinal as a foundation for practice. But I have felt of late
that the Overcomer was making the Xtian life too complicated & difficult, &
putting "Means of Grace" & fighting, in the Place of the Saviour Himself, & of
the work of the spirit. For my own work, It was too fatiguing, & too
complicated, & I could not give it to the clerks. What a lot of indifference there
seems to be in the Church! & yet how intense is the interest & prayer among
living Xtians. What a world of unrest & doubt & pessimism you seem to live in
at home. In every sense & sphere: Ecclesiastically, Socially, Nationally.
There seems to be no solid foundation for Mankind to rest on, & to form ground
for acheivement. Does it point to our Lord's near approach in the Parousia?
[Note 3] I think so & I hope so! My only draw back, is, that I fear my bairns
are not *all* ready, & what if we were seperated! But they are His, & He surely
has infinitely more interest & love, in & for them than I have, so He will do
*all* *things* well, for us all. He will not throw back the children given Him,
in loving trust. A Gentleman of the World would not do that. I have had a
rebuke this morning from 1st John 4.18, the last clause. "He that Feareth is not
made perfect in Love." How dishonouring to our Father to keep
misunderstanding Him, & imputing any thing unworthy to Him. I have been
humbled this morning over this, for after knowing Him so long. It is shameful
that Faith should be so small & so mean in its judgment.
Things here go on smoothly, too smoothly I sometimes think, for being healthy,
but we thank God for a Willing People, & for the adherence of the young. We
had only 3 adult baptisms last communion time, but those were Good Material,
& the number of candidates keeps growing here. At Ikpe Ikot Nkon, it is a hard
fight with heathenism. They all want their children educated, but they *dont*
want them to serve Christ. Whenever the Xtian & heathen practices clash, they
are fiercely on the heathen side, & few of the women are moving Xt-ward,
though they are friendly & kind to us personally. The boys are all with us, but
not a girl comes to school, not even a baby girl. Yet "Who art Thou, O Great
Mountain? Before "Our" Zerubbabel - Thou shalt become a Plain!" [Note 4]
"He is able" - heaps of Promises come after this Formula, for the individual soul
& for the Church & the Churches work. Zeceriah holds a very hopeful note all
through for the Xtian. I have been "browsing" in it, & its fine food.
I hope, D.V.[Note 5] to go to my old station Okoyon, on Friday for the opening
of their new Church. It is a semi European Church, as native material is not
durable, & they have raised all the money themselves. The two ladies who hold
the Fort there are having great encouragement there, & souls are being born into
the Kingdom. Most of my children were twin or outcast children there, so they
are *all* going except perhaps two of the married girls who I fear wont be able
to go. These will be an object lesson to them, & I hope there will be an
ingathering & an awakening all over.
Our own village here has a new Church built, & only a few of the seats are to be
put in, in order to be ready for opening, but we are not to dedicate a thing in
debt, so we are buying wood & having the seats put in as we are able. They
have raised it all among own selves too. Ikpe intend to try to build this year, for
the place, as well as the building is bad. I shall go up there D.V. when I return
from Okoyon. The children at school in Duke Town. Two boys at the Institute
of our Church, & two girls getting training in the Girls High School, will be all
coming for a fortnights holiday. They close on Friday First, so we shall have a
buzy & happy time I hope. I have not heard from Mr Partridge for a long time.
I wish he were back here again! The D.C.[Note 6] at Ikot Ekpene is very
unwell just now. He is extremely kind to us missionaries personally, but he
does not care for our work or our Lord. Only it is good to have a kind helpful
friend, even if he does not understand us, & we can pray, & thats a deal isnt it?
& try to commend Xt [Note 7] to them by our lives. Mr Partridge *made* this
District, & right welcome he would be if he came back, & the hardships he had
to endure are mostly removed. At least are greatly modified now a days. The
D.C. has an assistant, a Dr, a hospital, a motor car for his journeys & several
native courts, which releive the strain a bit. Also good buildings, & Telegraphic
& Postal Offices, etc.etc. He did more than any 2 mens work in his day, besides
the roughing of it. He has so much to do where he is that I dont like to bother
him by writing, as that makes him feel he must answer, but I hear of his welfare
often. We have a D.C. at Itu now - a further dividing of his old duty - who
comes from Lagos, & he gets news from there often.
Now dont think you must answer this. It is only a belated "Thank You", for the
papers, & to let you know how they are appreciated. May our Lord Himself
give you your reward in His Own Royal Manner, - a thousand fold -. With
kindest regards & trusting you are well & that Mrs Partridge is also well -
I am Yours Gratefully & Sincerely
Mary M Slessor
P.S.
Do you know that we have a Medical Missionary here from your quarter? Dr
Hitchcock? A Fine Xtian, a fine man! & a Fine Surgeon Physician.
He saw the Post Mark on your Papers one day, & exclaimed, & felt rather Home
sick I think while he talked of his old home.
MMS
EDITORIAL NOTES:
1] "The Xtian" = "The Christian", a periodical
2] L.S.D. = Pounds, shillings and pence
3] Parousia. The second coming of Christ
4] Quotation referred to is from Zechariah, 4:7
5] D.V. - God Willing [Deo Volente]
6] D.C. = District Commissioner
7] Xt = Christianity
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1997
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 81 10th August 1913
Miss Slessor has been awarded an Honorary Associate of the Order of St. John
of Jerusalem, which was bestowed on her at a special gathering in Duke Town.
Many old friends had gathered there, and her thoughts had turned to Mr
Partridge. She therefore writes to tell him of it, and to ask for news of him. She
approves of the new D.C. at Itu and is very appreciative of his work there. She
stresses the improvements in the life of the village in the six years she has been
there, and the advances being made by the missionaries in their schools and
Church work. She closes with many good wishes.
[Address on envelope reads]
C. Partridge Esqr
District Commissioner
Ijebu Ode
Lagos
Nigeria
[Ijebu Ode deleted & re-addressed in another hand to Idah]
[Post-marked Calabar Aug 15th; Lagos Sep 12th; presumably re-posted at
Lagos on September 21st; and arrived in Idah on Sep 13th]
Use
Sunday Evening 10. 8. '13
My Dear Old Friend
I have been reading the papers your Father so kindly sends me every
week, & it makes me think of how much I wished you had been here last week
when I saw so many old friends. I missed you & Mr Child, & thought how nice
it would have been to have seen you there. So many were new people, & I am
not good at making up with new people. You would no doubt hear of the
honour done me by the Government making me an Hon Associate of the Order
of St John of Jerusalem, & of how they would not hear of sending it, the Badge
up quietly to me, but told me a few old friends wd. meet in the Mission House at
the Institute. & Behold, they made quite a public thing of it. Mr & Mrs
Bedwell & Mr & Mrs Harcourt were there, & altogether it was quite imposing.
We spoke of you during that week of frivolity, & of Mr Child & those who were
so near, & yet so far & inaccessible. But that did not bring you, or any news of
you. How are you? & Where are you? & do you keep well? & is your work &
environment to your taste? & - & - & O, so many things I shd. like to know.
I note your excuse for not writing, that writing fills all yr. time & is nauseating.
Yes! but it limps a good deal that excuse. Seek a better one next time! Have I
disappointed you? or vexed you? I shouldnt like to do so, for my old fashioned
kind of affectionate respect, is of a sticky order, & I dont readily forget.
Besides I have many things tangible & real to keep me in mind, *if* *I* *did*
forget. But I often remember you where it is best to be remembered, & pray
God to be your environment & your guard & guide.
Mr Brooks is gone home rather ill with gastritis which would not be overcome.
We have a very fine gentlemanly, sympathetic & fair-minded man as D.C. [Note
1] at Itu at present. What a releif it is to have such! & how proud it makes me
when the natives see our men at their best. Those round here are rejoicing in
every bit of his work, but they always say, O, I hope he will not be taken away.
Thats the weak spot in our Service, the lack of continuity in the expression of
our Laws & rule. This gentleman is named Mr Porter. You may know him, as
he has been a long time on the Lagos side. Ikot Obon Court is an awful sham
now a days, & Udo Antia gets on his high Horse & invents his lies occasionally
when he is out of prison. He has supplied the Clerk of their Court with a wife as
usual & so gains power & prestige.
Our bairns are all growing up. In fact are big lads & women now. Annie
presented us with a fine baby girl 3 weeks ago. They are very proud of it. She
took the baby to Church today, & at the close of the forenoon Service she went
home to her own house.
Monday Morning
The light went away last night & I cant write by lamplight now a days. You
would know such a difference here now. The village has larger houses, open
yards, & spaces. A new Church with the village square in front, where the lads
play foorball, & the Chiefs sit in the evenings. All are nicely - not grandly -
clothed. Every house has its readers. No more witch doctors, no drinking. A
new Church semi European to stand the Tornados. Paid every penny
themselves, the old Church as school. All fronting the Road. A burying
ground, instead of the old Burial in the House, & many another thing which has
worked out in a very natural way. Following on their being told of the
Governments giving of honour, they have brought a load of yams, & a goat as
their congratulation. When I went to the opening of the Okoyon new Church
the other day, they sent a nice brotherly note with 20/- of a subscription, all
unknown to me. So you see they pay for better things than the old folks cared
for, & they are a most intelligent congregation to work on on Sabbath days.
You need not jump to the conclusion that I'm making them perfect. Thats not in
sight yet. Only when I'm at Ikpe, I can judge better the distance they have come
in 6 years. I have not any news. I'm only writing because, I felt how far away
you are when I was in Duke Town last week, & I wanted to send a Handshake
over to you. I never felt more unworthy, or more small in my own respect than
when I was singled out from others who are, & have been working with far
better results than mine. & I thought of all that you did & suffered in making
the foundations here firm & sure & stable. "God is not unrighteous to forget" -
that's the reward worth having, & the consciousness of having done what one
could. Now Good bye, God be with you & bless you,
I am as ever Yours Affectionately
M M Slessor
P.S. I have sold 4 New Testaments at 1/6 [Note 2] each - to lads out between
Use Ndon, & Itu Udo this morning. That will shew you how the light is
spreading. A lady - Miss Welsh is at Itu Ndo living in a Native House, & doing
a fine work from the boundary of Miss Peacock's parish on to near Ikot Ekpene.
Miss Peacock has schools at Ikot Ebom, Ikot Nsen, Ntre Obio, & on this side, all
self supporting & taught by lads from the district, also 300 people mostly every
Sabbath Afternoon at Ikot Obon, from all the surrounding district. MMS
EDITORIAL NOTES:
1] D.C. = District Commissioner
2] 1/6. One shilling and six pence (or 7 and a half new pence)
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1997
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 82 16th October 1913
Miss Slessor welcomes Mr Partridge's letter to her and comments on its contents.
With it was a news cutting which appears to relate to another Mary Slessor! She
thereupon gives the background to her own family, and says she is the last of her
line. Again she wishes he were back in Calabar, but is happy with the presence
of Mr Porter the current D.C. at Itu. She has thoughts of moving on could she
find someone else to take over her place. A second twin has been saved in Ikpe
"but it is slow work". Annie and baby are with her until a small pox vaccination
can be given it, and Mary is expecting another child.
[Address on envelope read]
C. Partridge Esqr
District Commissioner
Idah
va FORCADOS
So. Nigeria C.P.
[Post-marks include: Ikot Ekpene October 23rd 1913; Calabar Oct 24th; and
Idah Nov 6th]
Ikpe Ikot Nkon
16th Oct 1913
My Dear Old Boss
It *was* a pleasure to see your handwriting once more! I had given
up all hope of hearing again, & often & often wondered how I had disappointed
you. It is good indeed to have you writing in the Old Way. What do you mean
by not having obeyed the Authorities? It was a queer Authority, or a queer
Order! I am quite confident of that; & I think I can quite congratulate you too,
As to your independence of mind & spirit; Well, it does not "matter a button" to
me where you are, & why you are there! for I am perfectly satisfied that you
are at your duty. I am glad you like your Station! Thats a weakness of yours,
by the way. If you have the Apostles "Godliness", certainly the Great
"Contentment" is never lacking, & it is a gift which one thanks God for. Never
a Whine have I heard in all your experiences, & it brightens up ones own
outlook immensely to have such optimism always in the forefront. I wish you
had only been "banished" to this province! You will know that Mr Brooks was
sent home ill with Gastritis which refused to yield to treatment. So things have
gone in rather an irresponsible way up here. But we have had a rarely good
man in Mr Porter at Itu, who is the first Gentleman we have had for years. You,
Mansfield, Hargrove, Porter, thats how I count them.
This is the 20th, I never get long at a time to sit, to write or sew or read! I have
not had a mail for some time. I used to get it regularly, but I have only had 3 in
over 6 weeks, so I shall send this on at first chance whenever that may come, in
order to catch you before you go home. You will be going into the winter, & I
do not envy you that experience, but I hope it will be a good time for you & that
you may get a good stock of health & strength, of every kind, & a rest from
strain & [brain?] fag. I have been going over to Ndot, & Ekpri Abam of late &
we get some Xtian [Note 1] lads from the former town to our Sabbath services.
A good distance to come, isnt it? I wish I could get any one to take this place, I
should like then to build over there. The people are so numerous & the land lies
so high, it ought to be healthy. "Will ye no come back again?" You know all
the places better than anyone else even down to the present, & your personality
has been stamped on them. They dont want White Man's rule, or his God, but
one or two individuals represent to them the best & highest they have known.
Thank you for the newspaper cutting. What a romantic history that namesake of
mine had. I have no doubt we are of the same stock, for all are from the North
of Scotland, & came across the North sea I beleive. but I have never heard of
this branch. Our lot came from inland a bit, not from the Coast, & are farther
north than Peterhead. My Father was also a "Robert", & was from Buchan, &
his branch are New Deer & Glenlivet & Cabrach, etc Farmers, One family
Millers, from generations. Then last time I was there, 40 years ago, two sons
were at Cambridge; who have gone South. I saw Rev Alex Slessor of Aberdeen
time before last I was at home. His sons were at the University then in
Aberdeen, & one at least, is a Clergyman now, but I have never kept
correspondence with any of them, & my own family are all gone long ago.
Mother & Janie - the last of us - died in Exeter nearly 25 years ago. A Soldier
branch is in the North of England. Capn Slessor came to Sierra Leone a long
time ago with his regiment, & we had some correspondence, but I let it drop.
So I am a lonely creature, but I am human enough to like to see that there is
some virility in our blood after all. Well again I thank you for your thought of
me. What a "screed" this is all about myself, but I have no news at all. Miss
Peacock will be landing at Calabar today I hope. I long to see her, but Mary
expects an *event* in her family soon, so I shall not leave this side till it is over.
Annie & her husband with their baby are only 5 miles from us. They hold the
Nkana Station as Teachers family. Small pox has again broken out here &
there, so I have Annie & baby here till I get the latter vaccinated. I am asking
for Lymph from Ikot Ekpene. We have a fine twin boy & his mother in the
yard. He is a month old. They are to get a house in town ready for them this
week, so the twin will be the 2nd to have lived in Ikpe Town. but it is slow
work. Now it is school time, so ta ta, May your Furlough be a happy one. God
bless you & be ever your environment, actively & consciously wherever you are,
I am as ever
Yours Affectionately
Mary M Slessor
EDITORIAL NOTE:
1] Xtian = Christian
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1997
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 83 24th December 1914
Miss Slessor has [and is] not keeping too well and has suffered much distress
from the loss of two old friends, the advent of the First World War, and because
she thought she had been forgotten by Mr Partridge. However, here are his
Christmas Puddings to prove that is not so, and the household makes merry.
Her letter tells of her joy at hearing from him [while asking for more news of
him], and goes on to describe her health, her family, the Mission work, and the
village of Use, among many topics.
[Envelope addressed to]
Chas Partridge Esqr
Awka
Via Onitsha
Nigeria
[Date stamps read: Calabar Jan 2nd; Onitsha Jan 16th]
[Note: This envelope bears several additions in Charles Partridge's handwriting,
including the usual filing information giving the date it was written ie. "Miss
Slessor: 24 Dec.1914". On other occasions he has written the poignant note
"Miss S. died 13 Jan. 1915" and "Recd. 17 Jan. 1915"]
Use Ikot Oku
24. 12 '14
My Dear Old Friend
The Plum Puddings have just come in, & as this is Xmas Eve, I have
ordered one to be opened & the whole lot of us are to have it tonight, which has
caused great Excitement & all are jumping about like Crazy things. Whitie is
away to the village to tell Annie, so that she may come for her share.
But, dear friend, it is not the Puddings but the dear old Handwriting &
remembrance that gives me a full heart, & I must confess to you that by this
weeks launch I was telling Mr Maxwell - who is up the Cross River with troops,
having volunteered for the Nigerian Territorial Service - that the depression
caused by the death of two old friends such as Mr Child & Mr Grey, & *YOUR*
*DEFECTION*, has taken a very great part of the rest of life away, & made me
feel that I do not care very much whether I get over this long illness or not.
Please to forgive me for my want of Faith, but I thought you had let me drop out
of your regard & memory, & it pained me exceedingly. Specially since this
terrible trouble of German Hatred & *jealousy* has come to involve our Empire,
& threaten our Home life with unspeakable gloom. So my joy & comfort is
profoundly deep, & it is better than the medicine I am forced to take now a days
in order to help the old machine to run on, till warm weather, & Rest comes to
the Home land. O I have missed you, & I have had to tear up & burn so many
of your letters since I was able to get about a little, that it ached more, only I had
to clear out my desk, as one never knows how soon an attack may pick me off,
& I dont want to leave anything of personalities lying about for prying eyes.
Now here is a sheet of paper filled with my precious self! What about you?
Where are you? What are you doing? How do things go with you? O you old
dear, I *am* overjoyed to know you have thought of me. I felt almost ashamed
the other day, when Obon Asogni Amban came from Itu to see me & asked
about you, & I could give him no answer. We went over so many things that
happened in the Old days! days which were so different, & also so difficult,
compared with these days when things slip & slide along well defined lines, &
the old things are dear to both Native & European. During late months Use
have had trouble from Ikot Obon. The outsider says most of it arises from your
Old Interpreters ambition & domineering fashions. For he is an awful scamp!
When he is out of prison, there is not much Peace or Rest about, but whether it is
the superior "Kultur" of the Upper town, or his spite because Use refuses to give
him a site at their beach to build trade on. There is often talk about you & they
wish that you who ["Fioho-d"?] - Found them, & knew all the old relations, were
back again. When Udo Antia breaks out too, in the district, as he can when the
D.O. [Note 1] is changed, or a man who does not know him comes on, there is
many a cry for "Our Udo Afia Ikot Ekpene" [Note 2] to be here to understand.
& Perhaps one of God's reasons for keeping me here so long, is the keeping of
such miserable characters in subjection & silence to a certain extent. The fact is
that when I go to Ikpe, or to Odoro Ikpe, these, & other scally wags jump up &
do all they can to Feather their nests, & to trimph over the weaklings. Shall you
ever come round this way again to work? I hope against hope often that it may
be so. Calabar is only 3rd rate now, & very few Europeans come this way on
any errand. We seldom see a White face other than the missionaries, but in
those we are most fortunate. Dear Miss Peacock is still my neighbour at Ikot
Obon, & Miss Coupar, a new, & very young girl is with her, & is a comfort to
her & to me. I think you knew Miss Welsh. She used to be in Creek Town.
She has a native house at Ibiaku, Itu Udo & this is her 2nd term there. She gets
on wonderfully, & the lads are all at school. Indeed the bush schools are very
numerous all the way out to Ikot Ekpene. Miss Peacock herself is responsible
for 7 of them all taught by the natives of this district. We here in this place have
a neat Church fenced in, & all cleaned, & a big common for the boys of the
school & town to play Football -
the light failed here for we had our party & our Pudding, & tea, & the House
cups & saucers & tea pot, & a fine bit of bread, & it was lovely!! Only I got too
tired of the noise, & Annies baby, & retreated to do a bit of writing. Well I was
to say that you would not beleive this the same place as when you were here.
Nice houses, Flower gardens, wide paths in the village. The houses built up the
hills both sides of the road, & the bush all cleared. The doors of the houses
painted, windows, & seats in front of the Common, the Church with its small
belfry. Everything is beautiful, & they have cleared my Cycle road for a new
school, so as to let me have less fatigue. We have a small burying ground now,
& it tells its own tale of civilized life. Our old Chief Ekpo Nive died long ago.
Last week, another feeble old man who held his place died, & I do not know
who shall succeed. But this is Xmas Morning, & I must wish you - out loud
with my voice - a very happy Xmas & a very Good New Year. God can carry it
all to you, & give you all I wish, without any interval for Telegraph or Post, *&
He Will.* May 1915 be the best year you have yet known. I have a house now
in Odoro Ikpe, that high hill land 5 miles from Ikpe Ikot Nkon. & the people do
very well by me. I was there for 8 months, this Church carrying on its own
work. When the first serious *reverses * in Flanders & France came, it shook
me so, I thought it was a shock, & for long was so ill, that when they carried me
to Ikpe, & then brought me here, I was almost unconscious, & 3 months have
made little way towards recovery. But I can hold out till March, & things are
not worse at home I shall probably then take a trip to Scotland, or at least to
Canary. The two young women at the marriageable age, are such a drag on my
fears in leaving them. The Grandchildren are coming now, & Mary & David &
their 2 kiddies are now in Lagos I expect, as he got a months leave. I find this is
a half sheet of paper. I'm sorry it is so untidy, but it carries much loving
grateful regard all the same, & the whole household joins me in it. Hoping you
will soon write if only a scrap to say how you are, & where, & etc I am dear Old
Boss
Yours ever Affectionately
M M Slessor
EDITORIAL NOTE:
1] D.O. Probably "District Officer"
2] Udo Afia Ikot Ekpene. Charles Partridge's local name
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1997
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998Slessor, Mary Letter no. 84 n.d.[5th Dec 1914?]
This item comprises a Christmas Card in an envelope.
The envelope is addressed to:
C. Partridge Esqr.
Stowmarket
Suffolk
England
It is date stamped Dec.5, 1914, and carries a note in Charles Partridge's
handwriting "Sent to my Father C.P."
The internal leaf of the Card is printed
"Greetings and all Good Wishes from Calabar
Use Ikot Oku, Calabar
Xmas, 1914"
The card is inscribed "To thank you for Continued Kindness in sending me the
Precious Messengers from Week to Week, & to wish you & your family every
blessing for all the years to come
Yours most gratefully
Mary M Slessor"
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998 |