The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-11-24

direction. She might have said:
This is a judgment upon you
for stealing me from my native land.
Didn't they snatch me off in
the night, breaking my fathers and
mothers heart? and many n time I
have lain and cried all night because 1
was SO homesick." Then, flushing up
into childish indignation, she might
have said: Good for them; I'm glad
Mammals got the leprosy." No. For
getting her personal sorrows, she SYM
pathizes with the suffering of her mas
ter, and commends him to the famous
Hebrew prophet.
And how often Is it that the finger
Of childhood has pointed grown per-
sons in the right direction. Oh, Chris
tian soul, how long is it since you got
rid of the leprosy of sin? You say:
LET me see. 1t must be five years
now" Five years. Who was it that
pointed you to the divine physician?
s'Oh," you say, sit was my little Annie,
or Fred, or Charley, that clambered up
on my knees, and looked into my
face, and asked me why l didn't be-
come a Christian, and, all the time
stroking my cheek, SO l couldn't
get angry, insisted upon knowing why
1 didn't have family prayers" There
are grandparents who have been
brought to Christ by their little grand
children. There are hundreds of Chris
tian mothers who had their attention
first called to Jesus by their little chill
dren.
Years ago the astronomers calculated
that there must be O world hanging at
q certain point in the heavens, and q
large prize was offered for some one
who could discover that world. The
telescopes from the great observatories
were pointed in vain; but a girl at
Nantucket, Mass, fashioned q tele-
scope, and, looking through it, discov-
cred that star, and won the
prize, and the admiration of
all the astronomical world, that
stood amazed at her genius. And so it
is often the case that grown people can
not see the light, while some little
child beholds the star Of pardon, h
star of hope, the star Of consolation,
the star of Bethlehem the morning star
of Jesus. "Not many mighty men, not
many wise men are called; but God
hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the mighty; and base
things, and things that are not, to
bring to nought things that are" Oh,
do not despise the prattle of little chill
dren when they are speaking about God,
and Christ, and Heaven. Blessed be
God that the little Hebrew captive
| pointed in the right direction. Blessed
be God for tho saving ministry Of Chris
tian children.
No wonder the advice of this little
Hebrew captive threw all Naaman's
mansion and Ben-hadad's palace into
excitement. Good-by, Naaman! With
face scarifed, and ridged, and in
famed by the pestilence, and aid
ed by those who supported him on
either side, he staggers out to the
chariot. Hold fast the fiery coursers
| of the royal stables while the poor sick
man lifts his swollen feet and pain
struck limbs into the vehicle. Bolster
him up with the pillows, and let him
take q lingering look at his bright
apartment, for perhaps the Hebrew
captive may DO mistaken, and the next
time Naaman comes to that place he
may DO . dead weight on the shoulders
of those who carry him-an expired
ohisftain seeking sepulture, amid the
lamentations of an admiring nation.
Good-by. Naaman! Let the charioteer
drive gently e the hills of Hermon,
lest he Jolt the invalid. Here goes the
bravest man of all his day . captive OF
q horrible disease. As the ambulance
winds through the streets Of Damascus
the tears and prayers Of all the people
60 after the world-renowned invalid.
How the countrymen gaped IS the
procession passed. They had seen
Naamsn 60 past like q whirlwind in
days gone by, and had stood aghast a,
the clank Of his war equipments; but
now they commiserate him. They say;
''Poor man, he will never get home
alive; poor mani"
Gen. Nsaman wakes up from q rest.
less sleep in the chariot, and says to
the charioteer: "How long before we
shall reach the Prophet Elisha?" The
charioteer says to q waysider: "How
far IL It to Elisha's house?" He says
1.-TWO miles. Two miles?" Then they
whip up the lathered and fagged-out
horses. The whole procession bright
ems up at the prospect of speedy ar
rival. They drive up to the door Of the
prophet. The charioteers shout
"WhoaT' to the horses, and tramping
boots and grinding wheels cease shak
ing the earth. Come out, Elisha, com,
out, you have company; the grandest
company that yer came to your hous,
has come to It now. No stir insid,
Elisha's house. The fact was the Lori
had informed Elisha that the sicl
captain was coming and just how t.
treat him. Come out, Elisha, and at
tend to your business. Gen. Naamar
and his ~retinue waited, and waited, ani
waited. The fact was, Naaman had two
diseases, pride and leprosy; the one wa
IS hard to get rid of as the other
Elisha sits quietly in his house, an,
does not 60 out. After awhile, whel
he thinks he has humbled this prou,
man, he says to q servant: go on
and tell Gen. Naaman to battle seveI
times in the river Jord an, out yonde
Ave miles, and he will get e~ntirel,
we'll" The message comes out
"What" says the commander-in-chie
of the Syrian forces, his eye kindlin,
for weeks, and his swollen foot stamp
ing on the bottom Of the chariot, re
gardless Of pain, what! isn't he con-
ing out TO see me? Why, I thought cer
tainly he would come out and ute
some cabalistic words over ne, or tax
some enigmatical passes over m.
wounds. Why, I don't think he know
who l am. Isn't he coming out? Why
when the Shunamite woman cam
to him, he rushed out and cried
Is 1t well with thee? is it wei
with thy husband! is it wei
with thy child?' and will he treat
poor unknown woman like that. an,
let mt a titled parsonage, sit here 4
my chariot and wait, and wait?
won't endure it any longer. Charioteel