The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-04-05

svsa.r Amm ) Kpa. s, IS 81.

appesr % bs gfospsa together here
vilhout regard 10 The time wbss they
occurred.
PtaeE shuneu, a ANAL town about
hvc miles from Mount Tabor. and three
% four aorth d The city OF JeErcei.
Moans Carmel VA about seventeen
miles n~orthwes, Of sheen. Elisha
chen bad occasion Il 70 back Asd forth
from Samaris 10 Mount Carmel. As Su.
p~sautendeat 81 The Religious schools.
These othcial journeys would take bin
through shuBem. A certain woman Of
that place. noted fot her wealth aud
her piegY. had observed the " man Of
God as be passed.. "A impulse Of
sacred hospitality had moved her to
persuade her husband TO provide for
the prophet a prophets chamber " 10
their o~n home. suitably furnished
With bed. chair Aad table, where he
might stop for rest ard meditation.
This pioas act had not been unreward-
ed. Il had happened, according to the
saying Of our S%ayior, " He that r~eeeiv.
eth . prophet. il the name OF a prophet
shalt receive a prophets reward
Matt /; 4042 a sou 10 their old
age bad beea given them. (See 2 Kings
~ iI3ls)
The death Of their child aud what
the mother made haste 10 DO. (See 2
Kings IA :ls q II would take one
not Tar from three hours 10 go from
ShuRem to Carmel.
SrES AyAR Orr. t2l. The man Of
God looking from HIS mountain home
far down the valley saw one. a woman.
coming. pressing forward and up the
mountain slope with unusual speed
He easily suspected that it must be
some one on al anxious errand. So ia
the parable. the Father saw the return.
ing prodigal while yet q great way
or" So sure and quick is our Father
in Heaven 10 detect the first obedient
impulse OF repentance 30 ready to
welcome those who come.
The Swnr MESSAGE OF GREETING.
" Run now, ! pray thee, to meet her,"
The people Of the East are eminently
polite. No laws are more binding with
them than the rules Of etiquette. Gus
tom rules with q rod OF iron. Though
custom is often q most obsti.
nate hindrance to reform, il is quite as
often, perhaps, an important proven.
tive Of return to barbarism or lawlsss
savagery. But all that we know OF
Elisha i%nclines us to believe that he
was a man Of cnlture Of
mind and great refinement Of spirit.
A mat to command respect. just the
same whether 10 presence OF some poor
widow or before the king, and yet a
man TO be loved.
1t is well" replied the woman TO
Gehazi's question; anu 80 it was so far
az he was concerned. The formal re-
Spouse Of civility to his polite inquiry.
THE MEETING OF THE WOMAN AND THE
Mas OF Con. [23 1t was N affecting
sceue-a mother who had left her only
child dead in her house, who had riden
in utmost haste to the prophet, accor-
ding to whose promise from the Lord
the child had been given her, who had
suppressed all the anguish Of her soul
until che reached hin. now in an out.
burst Of grief and entreaty. finging
herself before him and clasping his feet
as If she would not let him go without
q blessing.
GEHAz's lLL-rIMED REBuFF, [2T, This
Gehazi doubtless had some bright aud
admirable qualities, or he would not
have been chosen to be the prophets
attendant but there was something
wanting One hardly knows whether
Ia call il more a lack of sense
or Of conscience pehaps Of both. In
this instance no yever, his behavior
may have been the result u ineIperi
nee, as was the case with the disciples
who Legan 10 forbid those mothers who
were bringing their children to Jesus.
And the man OF God said, Let her
alone for her sou. ia vexed within her:
aud the Lord had hid it from me, aud
hath not told me-" How many people
there are about Us whose deepest
causes Of nameless grief are mostly hid
den from others.
THg MorHER's EXPLANATION. She
does not need TO use many words. Nor
can she bear 10 say directly. My son
is dead" Neither does she venture
10 prescribe 10 the mar Of God what
she would have him do. As TO bis will
lingness to help her in her distress, she
knew him will enough to know that be
would. With admirable ~delieacy, and
with oudcriul brevity. she tells the
whole story Did | desire a o Of
nv lord did | o say do not deceive
me- Unasked the child had been Civ
en-: had such JOY been given. only so
10 be taken away, turning in one mo.
n -. f..A..t kau.e snfn df..r-