their gratitude was deeply stirred; they gave full course to all their feelings, good and bad.  Perhaps she had become fond of Naaman’s wife, and would like to stay with her.  Perhaps they told her they would adopt her, and clothe her with rich damask and jewels of gold and silver.  But I doubt if she was a child who cared more for such things than for her parents and her home.  And as she heard the story of Naaman’s cure, and of Elisha and the Jordan, her mind went back to her native land and to her home, and a great longing filled her heart to see it again, and to live the old life with her parents and brothers and sisters.  The Jews do not easily forget their country nor their families; and this little maid was a true Jewess.  It might be a fine thing to live in a palace and wear jewels, but she would rather go home, and tend the sheep and goats, and pick the grapes, and go to the fountain for water.  Perhaps she had lived on the slope of Hermon, where the dew fell heavily every night, and the brooks ran full all summer; for Naaman’s march home led near it.

We found her in Damascus a slave; but we will leave her at home among the vines and flowers and kids, with father and mother and mates, for sh’e was a child who lived in her affections rather than in her ambitions.

The chief thing she teaches us is the beauty and blessedness of returning good for evil.  Long before Christ’s day she was Christ’s own child; for she loved her enemies, and prayed for those who had persecuted her.

HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF JOB

Read on the first Sunday of September

There was a man in the land of Uz named Job, and this man was simple, rightful and dreading God, and going from all evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters, and his possession was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred asses, and his family and household passing much and great.  He was a great man and rich among all the men of the orient.  And his sons went daily each to other house making great feasts, ever each one as his day came, and they sent for their three sisters for to eat and drink with them.  When they had thus feasted each other, Job sent to them and blessed and sanctified them, and rising every day early, he offered sacrifices for them all, saying:  Lest my children sin and bless not God in their hearts.  And thus did Job every day.

On a day when the sons of God were tofore our Lord, Satan came and was among them, to whom our Lord said:  Whence comest thou?  Which answered, I have gone round about the earth and through walked it.  Our Lord said to him:  Hast thou not considered my servant Job, that there is none like unto him in the earth, a man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going from evil?  To whom Satan answered:  Doth Job dread God idly?  If so were that thou overthrewest him, his house and all his substance round about,