“We must have a hospital,” said Mary.  “I know what we will do.  We will make my house here a hospital.”

Soon the house was filled to overflowing with sick people.  She had to be doctor, nurse, and undertaker.  Many of her close friends died.  Chief Ekponyong, who at first had worked against Mary and then had become her friend, died.  Chief Edem, the chief of Ekenge, was very sick.  The tired missionary did everything she could to save the old heathen’s life.  But one dark night he died.

Mary was all alone.  Mary made a coffin for the chief.  She put his body in it.  Then she dug a grave.  She dragged the coffin to the grave and buried it.  Completely tired out she dragged herself back to Akpap.

Just at this time Mr. Ovens and another missionary came up from Duke Town.  They came to Mary’s hut at Akpap.  All was still and quiet.  Mr. Ovens looked at the other missionary.

“Something is wrong,” he said.  He knocked loudly at the door.  He knocked and knocked again.  Finally Mary awoke and opened the door.  The missionaries saw how tired and sick she looked.

“What is wrong?” asked Ovens.

Mary told them about the sickness at Ekenge.  She told them of what she had done.  “I don’t see how you could have done that work alone,” said Mr. Ovens.

“Won’t you go and bury the rest of the dead?” asked Mary.  “I was just too tired to do it.”

“Yes, we will,” said Mr. Ovens.  The two missionaries went to Ekenge.  There they found the mission house filled with dead bodies.  They buried these people and preached to those who were still living about the Saviour.

Mary was weak and sick, but she kept right on working.  In one of her letters to a friend she tells about some of her work: 

Four are at my feet listening.  Five boys outside are getting a reading lesson from Janie.  A man is lying on the ground who has run away from his master, and is staying with me for safety until I get him forgiven.  An old chief is here with a girl who has a bad sore on her arm.  A woman is begging me to help her get her husband to treat her better.  Three people are here for vaccination.

Every evening she would have family worship.  Mary sat on the mud floor in one of the shed rooms.  In front of her in a half-circle were the many children she had adopted and was taking care of.  Behind them were the baskets holding the twin babies she had recently rescued.  The light from a little lamp shone on the bright faces.  Mary read slowly from the Bible.  Then she explained the Bible reading to the children and prayed.  Then she sang a song in the native language.  The tune was a Scottish melody and as she sang she kept time with a tamborine.  If any of the children did not pay attention, Mary would lean forward and tap his head with the tamborine.

Mary did not get her strength back.  She was not well.  The mission committee at Calabar decided that even though they had no worker to take her place, she must go home on a vacation which was long overdue.