The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-12
THE LITTLE GIRL AND TILE
GREAT GENERAL.
The International Sunday School
Lesson for October II is elisha
Heals Naaman the Syrian. I'll
Kings ch. ).
fBy WILLIAM r. EIiLIS)

Kings ch. D.
fBy WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
How the newspaper nowadays
fridge the gulf OF the centuries: They
link the old Bible right up with the
events Of today; Bible places figure in
the latest news and Bible incidents are
para,leied in current events. All of US
have been reading about Damascus as
a military center in the present war,
and for many months the place where
the civilian French, British, Russian
and Italian were interned by tht
Turks, before they were carried of
10 'Irfa. in Mesopotamia. Now. many
millions of Sunday school members
are studying about this same Darlas-
Gus the oldest living city on earth
in connection with a famous military
general, a little girl, and a preacher.
The incident is one of the most fami-
liar and interesting stories OF the Old
Testament.
Zest for the human interest ele-
Ment in history leads up to accent
the part borne by the little Hebrew
sewing maid in the miracle Of the
healing of Naaman the leper. Be-
cause she was not ashamed Of her
race or her religion, and because she
did not harbor any petty resentments,
she did great service for her nation
and for her faith, and became one Of
ent time there are thousands Of Arnw-
nian girls being carried Oft from
devastated homes and murdered fam
lilies into Turkish harems. II we
can imagine one of these magnani-
nously seeking 10 save the life of
Enver Pasha we shall have fair
analogy Of the ancient story.
"a Great Man, But
Every biography fas its but -
"He was a generous man, but he
drank He was brilliant. but un-
reliable" She had charmin - man
ners, but was insincere." They were
wealthy and cultured, but their son
was a prodigal." All, these blem-
ishes, these handicaps, these skeletons
in the closets. The great Naaman.
commander In chief of the Syrian
armies, the brains of Syrian states
manship. closest confident of King
Benhadad, was a great man
but he was leper."
That terrible fact took the sparkle
from the jewels, the glitter from the
gold, the flavor from the feasts, the
qualification from military and pOlit-
ical honors. Nothing else in al
Damascus, or in all the world, really
mattered to Naaman alongside of the
fact that he was q leper. So sin, anC
its consequent sense Of separation
from God, mars all the successes and
joys that come into a mans life. A
man with a waStrel son, or an IN
happy home, cannot get any peace
out of prosperity or public honor. Lit
lie cared Naaman for the huzZah
that greeted him as he went fOrtl
on the streets of Damascus; he SaY
the look Of compassion in the eyes o
the crowd, and no strong man want
TO be pitied.
4 Little Girl to the Rescue.
Nevertheless, it was the compass
sion OF golden hearted little He
brew maiden, a slave girl, torn from
her home and people and a mer
menial in Naaman's palace, that ,ef
fected his deliverance rare char
acter was this girl. She did no
nurse grievances nor eXlllt in the i'll
fortune of her master Her religio
was uppermost in her mind. Will
busy about the tasks OF her miStres!
her Thoughts were off in Israel, an
she Toasted her memory on the word
and deeds of the prophets Of Go
among her own people. Only such
broad minded child of Jehovah cOul
have been chosen to do so notable
deed for her faith. This loss is
famous illustration Of the truth the
it Is possible TO live u great life in
small place.
No mistaken mOdesty kept th
hebrew maiden from bearing Wi
ness TO her faith. Doubtless SHE
heart was in her mouth as she sal
40 Naaman's wife ''Would that r1
lord were with the prophet that is
Samariai then would he recover hi
of his leprosy." That ray Of hoI
flashed through Naaman's househol
and into the most sacred precincts
the royal palace itself, and reacht
the ears of the king
OF course the king knew only OF
way of putting the idea into exec'
tion: he sent a formal embassy
the king of Israel. That IS a blu,
der kings and rulers are forever MAJ
Ing. They think that all things can
accomplished according to Il
ancient royal rules of order. Offci
processes, sometimes called "r
APE" bind them hand and foot. TIL
10 not understand that the simple. {
rect measures Of democracy, and
the fuIinf nnnhSe11,nd IL