Miss Bishop was brought up in a comfortable home in New England. But she gave up the comforts of life to live as a missionary among the Indians of the Far Northwest.
She was kind, gentle and very patient with the children; none of them had ever seen her lose her temper. They could see that she acted so much like the Lord Jesus she told them about.
Some of the big boys felt uncomfortable as they listened to what Miss Bishop taught them. They wished they could see Miss Bishop do something wrong just once; if they could only see Miss Bishop get mad! Then they could convince themselves it was not necessary for them to become Christians.
One day after school they were talking together, and they tried to think of something they could do that would make Miss Bishop angry.
“I know,” exclaimed Jimmie the Beaver. “I won’t tell you now. You come tomorrow early-find out then. Miss Bishop, she get mad! very mad!”
The next morning was very cold, but the boys were there at the schoolhouse bright and early. When Jimmie the Beaver told them of his plan, they all agreed that it was a good one. After they had stealthily carried out the bad deed, they hid and waited to see what the teacher would do.
Miss Bishop had to make her own path through the snow that morning. She was thoroughly chilled by the time she reached the schoolhouse.
Taking her little basket of kindling wood, she opened the door of the stove to start the fire. To her amazement the stove was packed with snow!
She rubbed her eyes to be sure she was awake. Then the truth dawned on her; the boys had played a nasty trick.
Picking up the water pail and the fire shovel, she quietly set to work to take out the snow. There was not one angry word or impatient look.
This was too much for the boys. They came out of their hiding places looking very sheepish. Then after asking Miss Bishop’s forgiveness, they took the shovel and the pail from her hands and fell to work themselves. They soon had the snow cleaned out and a good rousing fire going.
The patience of their teacher had a subduing effect on the boys. It convinced them that what she taught them about Jesus, the meek and lowly One, was true and in some of them at least there was a desire to turn to Him and want to be like Him.
ML-06/25/1978