The mission premises
had formerly been occupied by an Oriental bath; and here and there
were old pits, once used for carrying off the water, but now covered
up, so that no one knew where they were. One evening Miss Fiske
called the girls together, and told them some things she wished they
would refrain from. They promised compliance, and went out; but
hardly had they gone before their teacher heard the cry, "Hannah is
in the well!" She ran there, but all was right. Then they led her to
an opening just before the back door, saying, "The earth opened and
swallowed her up." The covering of one of the pits had given way,
and she had fallen perhaps twenty feet below the surface.
Fortunately, as in the case of Joseph, there was no water in the
pit, and in a few days she was able to resume her place in school,
but much more gentle and subdued than ever before. The change was
marked by all. Months after, in a private interview with her
teacher, she gave an account of the whole matter. She said the girls
went out, most of them saying, "We will obey our teachers;" but she,
stamping her foot, said, "I did right before, and I shall do so
again.
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