Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-10-20

ms lnDtheiS knee the boys life Went
out. With IL went out the brightness
or sun, moon and stars. the beauty and
the hope of lie. only a mother who
has held a dead son in her arms knows
4ushi of the darkness which enshroud-
ed the Shunammitc's heart in tina,
hour.
one hope the mother had-a hope toe
wild and daring to be put into speech
even for her husbands ears. or i'm the
hearing of the prophet to whom she in
stinctively turned. There are some per
soiis who fulfil the old scripture that "a
man shall be Il hiding place" sThey are
high towers of help, rocks of refuge,
coyerts of comfort. Elisha was such.
He had not spent these years in help
ing people in vain. His name was the
lirst to occur to the minds of those In
trouble
SLACK NOT THY RIDING"
To him the bereaved mother FASTENED.
After laying the body of her boy on the
~token'ng the hope which she did not
venture to a~rticulate-she asked her
husband to furnish her with a servant
and n riding beast, making no clear
explanation to him of why she would
Journey to the prophet. Indeed. there
is an appearance of hysteria in the
woman's conduct which is quite ex-
I'i'.tDit VI tlt PREMISES.
Her itnpious haste is mirrored i'm the
command to the servant Drive. and
go forward; slack not thy riding for
me. except | bid thee" Yet how slow
must have seemed the animals gait:
and how slow The express train and
steamer which. a few days ago,w hirled
an American mother over land and sea
To the bedside of her titled daughter.
Mother-love's anxiety outruns the
SWjfteSt SnprI of hapct nv ,nnahinovv
Elisha saw the travellers afar off, and
recognizing his hostess, sent his SER
ant with : SOLICITORS greeting. Here
again the wonlans reply was incoher-
cnt. She spoke conventionally unheed-
ing her words because of the tumult in
her heart. In Il frenzy of s~upplication
she chung to the feet of the prophet. her
quent than speech. Great as had been
her desire for Il son. a t~housandfold
greater was now her desire that he who
had been hers for n few brief sweet
years should be restored to her again.
When ut last she found words, she
spoke of her son, and Elisha at once
OWNED the truth.
SENDING AND GOING.
AS quick to act as to feel. the man
of God gave his staff, n token of his
office, to his servant. bade him make
'"' '''tt "iiN q IL VII liz OK VI lIle
child. That was enough for the mother,
whose im~portunate faith craved the
presence of Elisha himself. Her in
tuition proved correct. for there was
neither voice nor hearing on the part
of the boy when Gehazi did as he had
hidden. There are some kinds of SER
vice which cannot be lone at long
ang Substitutes are of no avail in
the greatest summonses. Elisha's staff
II Elfsha's servant were powerless
when Elisha's presence was needed.
So Elisha came to the scene himself.
There lay the dead child upon his bed.
The prophet a performed many mir
acles. but he had attempted to
restore the vital spark to a house of
clay from which it had flown. The
greatness of the task overwhelmed him.
He went into the chamber upon the
wall, and closed the door: no one might
witness this great struggle; and prayed
to God.
THE DEAD RAISED.
This superhuman task called for the
of every ounce of the prophets
power. personal. physical and spiritual.
He gave himself wholly to it. He
stretched himself upon the little form
he loved. mouth to mouth, eye to eye,
hand to hand, as If he would impart of
his W Astounding vitality to 1t. The
intense strain were upon him so that
arose and walked to and fro, ever
praying. praying. praying. in a wrest-
ling of supplication such as Jacob
knew at Pencil. Again he Frustrated
himself upon the child. and gradually
the latter's flesh grew warm, and after
a time he opened his eyes, as one awak-
ening from a deep sleep.
What the rod and the messenger had
failed to do. the personal touch, the sur
rendered personality. accomplished.
Only they who give themselves wholly
to the service. pouring their very
lives, can be saviors Of their fellows.
The dead spirit must feel the throbbing
pulse of a living heart before it awak-
breathes. sees. lives.
The mother was given back her son
that was dead. alive again-verily full
payment for her gracious hospitality to
Gods servant. The nobility of the
woman shines forth in her action of
first falling at the prophets feet in
overwhelming gratitude. ere she took
up her son and went out rejoicing. In
her heart so crowded with joy and
thankfulness there was still room, we
may be sure. for a rejoicing thought of
the day she had first been moved to
kindness toward the weary traveller.