This made Mary happy and she was much happier when Mother Slessor said,
"Perhaps you can be a teacher and teach the little black children of
Calabar. Now, children, I want to be sure you know your memory verse for
Sunday school tomorrow. Let's all say it together." And Mother Slessor and
her six children joined in saying:
Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
As they finished reciting the memory verse they heard a hoarse voice singing:
Gin a body-hic, meet a body-hic,
Coming-hic, through the rye-hic.
"It's your father, children. Off to bed with you quickly now. Oh, I do hope Robert has brought some money home with him so that we can buy some food for tomorrow."
"Where'sh the shteps? Somebody alwaysh moving the shteps," said the father,
Robert Slessor, as he staggered drunkenly to the door.
Mother Slessor took hold of him and led him to a chair.
"Hello, dear," he said thickly. "Howsh my, besht gurl? There ish no shoemaker's got a prettier wife-hic-than I have. Yesh shir, we drank a li'l toash to you, my dear."
"Oh, Robert," said Mother Slessor to her husband, "I do hope you brought home some of your paycheck. We need it badly for food. We don't have any money in the house. All the food we have is what I kept back from the children's supper so you could eat."
"Shure, I brought money home," said Father Slessor. "All I did wash buy my friendsh a few drinksh."