He has been occasionally employed in the school, and always proved a
very useful and acceptable teacher. When he bade Miss Fiske good-bye,
in 1858, he said, "You may rest assured that I will do all I can for
the women till you come back;" and the next Sabbath found him teaching
a class of adult females. In our favored land, the grace of God has
made it nothing strange for the governor of a state to be a teacher in
the Sabbath school; but one who has not lived in Persia can form no
idea of what it is for a brother of Mar Shimon to teach a class of
women. He has great skill in bringing out the meaning of Scripture,
and is every where exceedingly acceptable as a Bible teacher. Along
with unfeigned piety, he has more real refinement than any of his
countrymen, and few Nestorians can show kindness with such true
delicacy of feeling.
The health of Miss Fiske was so impaired in the spring of 1848, that
she reluctantly yielded to the advice of the mission, and went with
Mr. Stocking to Erzroom, to meet Mr. Cochran and family, then on
their way to Persia. When they returned, they found Mr. Stoddard's
health so seriously affected by long-continued over-exertion, that
he only awaited their arrival to leave for Trebizond.
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