  ELISHA'S MIRACLES. FIRST READING.
THERE was a poor little girl who was stolen away from her own home in Israel by Syrian soldiers, and carried far from her mother and friends, to be a slave. It must have been very sad and lonely; but God lets nothing happen but for good, and so this poor little captive maid did great good. Her master was named Naaman. He was the captain of the army—brave and strong; but he fell ill of a disease that no doctor could cure, and which would go on getting worse till he would die of it. The little maid was sorry for him; and though she was all alone in a heathen land, she had not forgotten about God and His prophets, and she told her mistress that at home, in Israel, there was a prophet who could cure her master by God's power. So Naaman set out in his chariot, and came to the prophet's door. He thought the prophet would come out, and strike his hand over the place, and cure him directly—all the more because he was such a great man. But, instead of that, the prophet sent out word to him that he was to wash seven times in the River Jordan, and he would be well. This made Naaman very angry. He thought the bathing in Jordan would do no good, and that the prophet made light of him; and he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants persuaded him. They said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?" Naaman was wise enough to listen to them. He did go and wash in the River Jordan, as the prophet bade him; and God gave the water the power to make him quite well again. Then he came back and thanked the prophet, and said he would never pray to any god again but to the One true God, who had healed him. So you see the little maid did great good to her master, both to his body and his soul, because she was good, and remembered her God, even when she was far away from home. QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
THE great enemies of the kings of Israel were the Syrians, who lived at Damascus; but whenever the Syrians made a plan to come and fight with the Israelites, God made it known to the Prophet Elisha; and he told King Joram, so that the Israelite soldiers were always ready before hand to fight with the Syrians. The king of Syria began to think one of his own men must tell Joram; but they said it was the Prophet Elisha who told the king of Israel what was said in the most secret chamber of the king of Syria. Then the Syrians sent an army of men to take Elisha at Dothan, and kill him. They came by night, and when Elisha's servant looked out in the morning, he saw horses and chariots all round the place. He was afraid, and cried out "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" But Elisha said to him, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And he prayed that the young man's eyes might be opened that he might see: and so they were—to see the whole mountain round about full of chariots of fire and horses of fire; many, many more than the Syrians had, and all come to take care of Elisha. And God made the Syrians unable to see that Elisha was before them, and he led them all the way to Samaria, and put them before King Joram as his prisoners. Joram wanted to put them to death, but Elisha would not let him, and they were all sent safe home, and did not come back as enemies for a long time. And we know that, though we cannot see them, God's angels are still in great armies encamped all round about those who fear Him, to deliver them. QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
IF King Joram had been good he would have had no troubles; but he would let his mother Jezebel worship her false gods, so God sent the Syrians against him again. And they came all round Samaria, and shut it in so close that nobody could get out; and all the food was eaten up, so that even such food as a donkey's head was so dear that hardly anybody could buy it, and everyone was getting starved. Joram was so angry, that he said at last, in his wickedness, he would cut off Elisha's head the next day. But Elisha said quietly that to-morrow there would be quantities of food in the city, so that it would cost almost nothing. One of the king's lords laughed, and said, "If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" "Thou shalt see it with thine eyes," said Elisha, "but shalt not eat thereof." Now, that night the Lord made the Syrians hear a great noise, as if an army was coming up to help the Israelites. And they were so frightened, that they all fled away in the night, and left all their tents standing, and their armor in them, and their stores of food. In the early morning, three poor leprous men, who could not get any food in Samaria, crept down to see if the Syrians would give them anything, or they thought if the Syrians should kill them, that would be better than being starved. But when they So the king sent out to see, two men upon lean, starved horses. They found it was all true, and everybody went rushing out to get food. The king sent the lord who had laughed at Elisha, to stand in the gate to keep order; but the people were so very hungry that they did not mind him, and he was knocked down and trodden upon, and trampled to death: and so it came to pass that he saw the plenty, but did not eat of it, because he had mocked at the word of the Lord. QUESTIONS.
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