One thing still bothered Mary very much.  This was the way the natives treated twins.  As soon as twins were born, they would break the babies’ backs and stuff the little bodies into a jar made out of a big gourd.  Then they would throw the jar out into the jungle.  The mother would be sent away out into the jungle to die.

“It is very wicked for you to kill these twin babies,” said Mary to the people.  “It is a sin against God, who said, ‘You shall not kill people.’  Jesus loves all children.  He loves the twin babies, too.”

The natives would not listen to her.  They were afraid of the evil spirits.  One day Mary heard about some twins that were born.  She rushed over to the house and took the babies before they were killed.  She brought them to her house and took care of them.

“She will have lots of trouble taking an evil spirit into her house,” said one of the natives.  “Just you wait and see.”

“Maybe she is a friend of the evil spirit,” said another.

But weeks and months went by and nothing happened.  The people began to see that Mary was right.  Everywhere the people began to call Mary “the white ma who loves babies.”

Another wicked thing the people did was to kill the babies of slaves who died.  They did not want to bother taking care of them so they killed them.  Mary began to take these little orphans into her home and take care of them.  But it began to be too much work for Mary alone.  She wrote a letter to the Mission Board asking for someone to take care of these children.

One day a trader came and knocked at Mary’s door.  He was carrying a little black baby in his arms.

“I found this twin out in the bush,” said the trader.  “The other one was killed.  This baby would have died, but I know how you love these little ones, so I brought it to you.”

“Thank you,” said Mary, taking the tiny baby in her arms.  “I shall call her Janie, after my sister.”  Mary adopted the little baby and the baby brought Mary much joy and happiness.

One time Mary took a baby six months old into the mountains.  The baby was sick.  In the valley it was very hot.

“This child shall not die if the cold can save him,” said Mary.

Up in the mountains it was much cooler than in the valley.  Mary pitched her tent and stayed there for a time so the baby could get well.

One night Mary woke up.  She heard a growling noise.  She looked around.  A panther was in the tent!  He had the baby in his mouth!  He was going to carry it away!

Mary jumped up.  She grabbed a burning stick from the fire and rammed it into the panther’s face.  With a wild howl the panther dropped the baby and ran off.  Mary picked up the baby who was crying now.  She looked him over, carefully.  He was not hurt.  Softly she sang to the baby and rocked him to sleep.  After the baby was well, Mary went back to the mission station in the valley.