Aunt Sally and Mary did not, however, neglect their usual avocations. They had plenty of work now that Jane had not time to assist them.
The garden had to be attended to, and they persevered in their visits to the neighbouring poor. Mary very frequently went to see Mr Shank. The old man received her with more apparent gratitude than he used before to exhibit, and willingly listened when she read to him. He was evidently deeply interested in the account she gave him of the expedition in search of Ned, as also when she repeated the information she had received from Charley Meadows about Africa and the slave trade.
“Terrible, terrible,” he muttered, “that men should sell each other for gold and produce all this suffering, and yet—” he was silent and seemed lost in thought. Mary did not for some minutes again speak. She then continued—
“It is the duty of all who have the means to try and put a stop to this fearful state of things, and to assist in sending missionaries of the Gospel and artisans to teach Christianity to the poor blacks, and to instruct them in the useful arts of civilised life.”
“The Government should do that,” said Mr Shank. “We pay them taxes.”
“The Government do their part by sending out ships-of-war to stop the dhows and the Arabs who steal the slaves, making the trade so difficult and dangerous a one that many will be compelled to give it up—so uncle says—and what more than that can the Government do? Private people must carry on the rest of the work, and a more noble and glorious one I am sure cannot be found. If I had ever so much money, I should like to spend it in that way.”
“But you would get no interest, you would see no result,” said the old man.
Mary pointed to the Bible she had brought, and from which she had previously been reading. “There is a verse there which tells us that we are to lay up riches in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal,” she answered in an unaffected tone. “I should not expect interest, and I am very sure that I should be satisfied with the result.”
The old man again mused, this time far longer than before. “And so you want to make Christians and civilised men of those black Africans of whom you spoke?” he observed.
“Yes; it is the only way to make them become happy here and happy hereafter,” she said, energetically. “I am sure of it. If all the money that is hoarded up or spent uselessly were devoted to such a work, how soon might the condition of the unfortunate negroes be changed for the better.”