I shall not follow the story further, except to say that because Naaman went in such a proud spirit, Elisha used every means to make him humble.  He seemed to be anxious to send Naaman home, not only a well, but a better man, and to teach him that there were other things to be thought of than great rivers, and fine cities, and temples of Rimmon.  Especially he wanted to teach him that the one, true God could make a small, rough nation greater and stronger than one that worshipped idols.  Naaman went home cured of his leprosy, with some earth to make an altar of, and all his gold and silver and fine garments, except what the foolish Gehazi got from him by lying.  How Naaman proposed to act when he should get home and be forced to go with the king into the temple of Rimmon, you will find discussed in the second chapter of the second part of “School Days at Rugby.”  My opinion is that Elisha told him he must settle that matter with his own conscience; but I can imagine that when he had worshipped God before the altar built of the earth brought from the Jordan, and then went into the temple of Rimmon and did what the king did, his conscience must have troubled him.

But I care a great deal more for our little maid than for Naaman.  I wonder what became of her.  If Naaman did what he ought, he sent her back to her home, and gave her all the gold and silver he had offered to Elisha.  I am quite inclined to believe this for several reasons.  Naaman was a reasonable man.  When he was told to “go and wash himself seven times in Jordan,” he was surprised and angry, because it was so different from what he had expected, and because he thought it was an insult to his own great rivers.  But when his servants reminded him that it was just as easy to do a little thing as a great thing, he saw the wisdom of it, and let good sense triumph over pride.  He was also a generous man, as the gifts he offered to Elisha show.  And he was conscientious, or he would not have asked Elisha about bowing down in the temple of Rimmon as a part of his duty to the king.  All through he showed himself grateful.  Yes; I think he went back to Syria not only with “the flesh of a little child,” but with a child’s heart.  And because he was reasonable and generous and conscientious and grateful, he did not forget the little maid who was at the bottom of the whole affair.  He owed quite as much to her as to Elisha; for people who start good enterprises deserve more praise and reward than those who carry them out.  So, when he reached home and met his wife and children—­why, it was almost like coming back from the dead!—­his first thought must have been of the little maid.  We can imagine the great Naaman taking her in his arms with tears, and saying, “What can I do for you, my little maid?  Tell me what you most want, and I will give it to you, even if it is the half of my possessions.”  We know that Eastern princes often said such things when their fancy or