Chapter I.

In the Land of Israel, not a great distance from the city of Samaria, dwelt Ezra with his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Isaac and Leah. The sun was sinking behind the hills as Ezra and Sarah sat before the door of their humble dwelling resting after the labors of the day. On a couch in the doorway reclined a youth with a pale, sickly face and emaciated limbs. Isaac, the eldest-born of Ezra and Sarah, had been a cripple from birth. His eyes, dull and languid from constant pain, tired and sad, were fixed eagerly upon the wide white road stretching away in the distance until it was lost among the hills.

[4]

At length, with an impatient sigh, he turned his pale, wan face towards his mother and said:

"See, mother, the sun has nearly set; why tarryeth Leah so long? 'Twas but sunrise when she did set out for Samaria, surely she should have returned ere this."

"Thou dost forget, my son, that thy sister had much to do in Samaria," replied Sarah, soothingly. "First to dispose of the fruits and then to purchase necessities for our household; also the ass of our neighbor being old and stiff, can travel but slowly."

"All that thou urgeth be true, mother," exclaimed the lad, petulantly. "But my sister has ever the same tasks, still she always returned from Samaria before the setting of the sun. I fear that some ill hath befallen her," and his lip quivered with pain while his large, soft eyes dilated with fear.

[5]

"How now, lad! why dost thou frighten thy mother with thy sickly fancies?" cried Ezra, impatiently, as Sarah's cheek grew pale. "What ill could have befallen thy sister?"

"She may have fallen into the hands of the Syrians, whom thou knoweth do make raids into our country and carry off captives," answered the lad, tremulously. "Oh, if I were only as other lads these burdens should not fall upon the weak shoulders of a maiden. 'Twould be I who would journey into Samaria with the fruits," and tears of bitter pain and humiliation filled his eyes.

Sarah leaned forward and gently smoothed back the dark, curling hair from his white brow.

"Speak not thus, my son," she murmured, with infinite tenderness. "Thy mother loveth thee but the more tenderly because of thy affliction,[6] and well dost thou know how thy sister's heart yearneth over thee."

A faint smile touched the lad's pale lips.

"Ah, mother," he said, "it is wicked of me to repine at my affliction when thou and my sister, Leah, do love me so well. But, oh, mother, if I were but strong and whole," and, covering his face with his hands, he sobbed aloud.

"Look up, lad, and dry thy tears, for yonder cometh our Leah," cried Ezra.

With an exclamation of joy, Isaac obeyed, and, lifting himself eagerly upon his elbow, watched with joyous eyes, the slow approach of an ass upon which was seated a maiden.

Ezra went forward and lifted her to the ground.

"Leah! sister! thou art come at last!" cried Isaac.

[7]

She ran to the couch and bent over him; his weak arms clasped her neck, his eyes looked lovingly into her face.

The brother and sister had the same fine-cut features and beautiful, soft, dark eyes, but the lad's face was white and wan, while the rich bloom of health colored the cheeks and lips of the maiden. Her dark hair, curly and silken, fell to her waist; she was slenderly built, but erect, graceful and quick of movement.

"Why didst thou tarry so long, my child?" asked Sarah. "Thy brother has sorely fretted, fearing that some ill had befallen thee."

"I am sorry that thou didst fret, brother," said the maiden, bending to kiss his pale brow.

"Hadst thou trouble in disposing of the fruits, maiden?" asked Ezra.

"No, dear father," replied Leah, turning towards him with a smile.[8] "I was but a little while selling the fruits and making the purchases for my mother."

"Then it was the slowness of our neighbor's ass which did delay thee," said Ezra.

"I will tell thee, father, why I did tarry so long in Samaria," said the maiden. "They were talking in Samaria of the wonders wrought by the prophet, Elisha, and I lingered to listen. 'Twas of his last miracle that they did speak. Father, mother, brother, knoweth thou that the prophet, Elisha, hath power to raise the dead to life?"

She paused and turned her eyes upon the helpless form of the cripple lad while the color deepened upon her cheek and her breath came quickly. Isaac spoke not, but, as his eyes met his sister's, they lighted with passionate eagerness and a long, panting sigh left his lips.

[9]

"What sayeth thou, maiden, that the prophet, Elisha, hath power to raise the dead to life?" cried Ezra, wonderingly and incredulously.

"Yes, father," answered Leah. "Listen, and I will tell to thee what I heard in Samaria. There is a woman in Shunem who didst bear to her husband in his old age a son. This woman, who is charitable and good, is well known to Elisha. Indeed she had prepared a chamber for him in her home where he did rest and take refreshment when he travelled on foot from place to place. One morning, when the woman's child was but five years of age, he went into the field where his father was gathering in the harvest, and, there, he suddenly sickened from the heat of the sun. They carried him to his mother, she held him in her arms and, after some hours, he died. She took him up to[10] the little chamber where the prophet had rested and laid him upon the bed. Then, commanding the servant to saddle an ass, she set out to seek Elisha who was at Mount Carmel.

"Elisha, standing upon the summit, near the altar of Jehovah, saw her a-far off, for he sent his servant to inquire if all were well with her. But the woman would herself speak with the prophet, and, falling at his feet, did tell him that her son was dead. Elisha then returned with the woman to Shunem and shut himself into the room with the dead child. After a little while he called his servant and told him to summon the mother, and, when she did come into the room, Elisha said to her, 'Take up thy child,' and the child was risen from the dead."

The little maid ceased speaking, and throwing herself on her knees[11] beside the couch, put her arms gently about Isaac's frail form.

"Sister," murmured the lad, touching tenderly with his thin fingers the curling hair which fell upon her shoulders, "I know the thoughts in thy tender heart. Thou art thinking that if this great prophet hath power to raise the dead to life, then also hath he the power to make strong and straight these poor limbs of mine. Tell me, dear sister, are not these thy thoughts?"

"Yes! ah, indeed, yes!" cried the maiden, in a voice of passionate tenderness and yearning. "But I did not wish thee to know what was in my heart until I had spoken with our parents."

She arose and turned towards Ezra and Sarah. Both regarded her in silence; Ezra, pale and grave, Sarah, with tears in her eyes.

[12]

"Father, wilt thou give me leave to seek the prophet, Elisha, who dwelleth in Samaria that I may beg of him to heal my brother?" asked the maiden.

"Dost thou believe, maiden, that the wonderful things they relate of this Elisha be true?" asked Ezra.

Into the maiden's soft eyes there crept a troubled look.

"Oh, dear father speak not thus," she cried, imploringly. "Surely thou knoweth that unless we have faith, nothing will be granted unto us. Why shouldst thou or I doubt the wonders imputed to Elisha, for is he not a holy man of God?"

"Thou art only a maiden, but thou speaketh words of wisdom which do rebuke thy father," said Ezra. "Tell me, my son," turning to Isaac, "dost thou also believe that this man, Elisha, hath power to heal thee, who art from thy birth a cripple?"

[13]

The lad looked, smiling, up into his father's face.

"Yes, father, I do indeed believe that Elisha hath power to heal me," he replied. "Even though he had not raised the dead to life still would my faith in him be great, for, as Leah sayeth, he be a holy man of God."

Ezra moved forward and laid his hand on the maiden's dark head.

"Thy brother also hath great faith," he said. "Thou shalt seek Elisha in Samaria and make known to him thy desire."

Leah caught her father's hand and raised it to her lips.

"I thank thee, my father," she murmured.

"Dost thou think that Elisha will harken to thy request?" asked Ezra.

"I am sure that he will, for Elisha never turneth a deaf ear to the sorrowful and the afflicted," answered Leah.[14] "Father, when may I journey to Samaria and seek the prophet?"

"Nay, nay, have patience, maiden," said Ezra. "We will talk of that later, now 'tis time to prepare the evening meal. Assist thy mother, while I go forth and feed our neighbor's ass."

He turned away.

The sun had set, but a faint flush of crimson still lingered in the west. The ass stood patiently, with drooping head.

A light flashed out from the low doorway. Ezra, as he fed and watered the tired beast, could see his wife and daughter moving about within; also the form of the cripple lad stretched upon the couch. Would that wan cheek ever glow with health? mused Ezra. That weak body be upright and sturdy, those helpless limbs strong and straight?

[15]

"From his birth hath he been a cripple, sickly and helpless," murmured Ezra. "But surely this man who hath power even to raise the dead to life can heal a cripple lad."

"Father! father!"

Leah stood in the doorway, her cheeks the color of roses, the night breeze lifting her heavy curls, her soft eyes gazing forth into the gathering shadows.

"Come, dear father, the evening meal is ready," she said.

The day's tasks were done. Isaac, exhausted with the emotions and excitement of the day, slept heavily upon his couch. Ezra and Sarah sat in the doorway and the little maid lay upon the ground at their feet, with her curly head resting against her mother's knee.

"Art thou fatigued with thy journey, maiden?" asked Sarah, touching caressingly Leah's rose-flushed cheek.

[16]

"Fatigued!" repeated the maiden, with a smile. "No, dear mother, thy Leah is young and strong; 'tis only the poor old ass that is weary."

Ezra sat buried in thought. Now and again the little maid glanced wistfully up into his face. She longed passionately to learn when it was his will for her to seek the prophet in Samaria, but it never occurred to her to question her father or manifest any signs of impatience.

A silence fell upon the three. Sarah thought that the little maid had fallen asleep, so still she lay, but, as Ezra suddenly roused himself and spoke, Leah, sat upright, her eyes eagerly seeking his face across which the light from within fell.

"Maiden," said Ezra, "I have been considering the matter of thy seeking the prophet, Elisha, in Samaria. When ten days have passed the fruits[17] will again have ripened; then will I borrow the ass of our neighbor and thou shalt journey to Samaria. When thou hast sold thy fruits thou canst seek the prophet, Elisha."

Leah's eyes filled with tears, her lips quivered, she was bitterly disappointed. To wait ten days when she hoped and longed to start with the coming dawn for Samaria.

"Thou didst hear me, maiden?" said Ezra, as she did not speak.

"Yes, my father," she replied, as she wiped away her tears. "'Tis thy will that I again journey to Samaria when ten days shall have passed."

"Such is my will," said Ezra.

The little maid laid her head again upon her mother's lap and looked, with longing, wistful eyes, into the darkness towards Samaria.

[18]

Chapter II.

"Sister, how many days have passed since thou didst return from Samaria?" asked Isaac, as Leah, her morning's work completed, seated herself beside his couch.

"Five, brother," replied the little maid. "So but five more remain and then I shall again journey to Samaria."

The lad sighed deeply.

"Every day that dawns is long and dreary to me," he said; "but these last five days have seemed indeed the longest and dreariest of all my life. Leah, sometimes during the long, pain-racked hours of the night, my heart hath risen in bitterness against my father that he so long delayeth thy journey to Samaria."

[19]

"Nay, dear brother, speak not thus," said the little maid, gently. "Our father knoweth best."

"But, Leah," cried the lad, his eyes lighting eagerly, a faint flush staining the pallor of his cheek, "if our father had permitted thee to journey at once to Samaria, perhaps, when the fruits were ripe it would have been I who didst carry them to Samaria."

"Be patient a little longer, dear brother," said Leah. "And promise me that thou wilt not again cherish bitter thoughts against our father," she added, earnestly.

"I promise thee, sister," answered the lad. "Poor father, 'tis a heavy burden upon him that his eldest-born and only son should be a cripple; that while he toileth I lie here helpless, unable to give him a helping hand, to lighten his labor. But, oh, Leah, sister, how happy I shall be[20] when the prophet, Elisha, hath made me whole. How proudly shall I labor by my father's side; and thou shalt journey no more to Samaria; thou shalt stay at our mother's side while I carry the fruits to the city and purchase necessities for our household. Sister! Sister! what did the woman of Shunem when Elisha raised her child from the dead?"

"She fell in gratitude at the feet of Elisha," answered the little maid.

"I shall also fall in gratitude at the feet of Elisha when he hath made me whole," said Isaac.

"Thou must not forget to offer up prayers of gratitude to the great Jehovah from whom cometh the power of Elisha," said Leah, gently.

Ezra was at work in the fields when he saw his wife, Sarah, approaching.

"What seeketh thou, Sarah?" he asked, as she drew near.

[21]

"I would speak with thee, Ezra," replied Sarah.

"Of what wouldst thou speak, Sarah, that thou seeketh me in the fields at my labor?" asked Ezra. "Canst thou not wait until the day's toil be ended?"

"Nay, or I would not seek thee at thy labor," answered Sarah. "I would not speak with thee of this before our children lest they think that thy wife hold but lightly her husband's judgment. Ezra, the hearts of our children are sad that thou delayeth the maiden's journey to Samaria."

"Our children be young and knoweth not patience," said Ezra.

"Nay, Ezra, our son and eldest-born hath never known youth," sadly answered Sarah. "Youth is sturdy of body, light of limb, joyous of heart. Isaac knoweth naught of[22] these things. Impatient, sayeth thou, Ezra? Ay, and thou also would be impatient, even with the years of wisdom upon thy shoulders, if thou wert crippled from birth, and when the light of hope shone, for the first time, across thy dark pathway, thou wert bidden to wait."

"'Tis but a few days until the fruits shall have ripened," muttered Ezra.

"Ay, thou art right," said Sarah, "'tis but a few days, but a little while ago I did hear our son say that the five days of waiting had been the longest and dreariest of a life in which every day is long and dreary."

"Thou art but a woman, Sarah, and the softness of thy heart doth steal away thy wisdom," said Ezra.

"'Tis not so much the woman's heart as the mother's that doth plead with thee, Ezra," replied Sarah, the tears filling her eyes.

[23]

"Go back to thy children and thy work, woman," commanded Ezra. "And when the day's toil be ended we will speak of this again."

Sarah turned obediently away, but her heart was light, for her husband had not said her nay.

"Come hither, maiden," said Ezra.

The evening meal was over and the night shadows were falling. Leah arose from beside her father's couch and approached Ezra.

"Little maid," said Ezra, "maketh thyself ready, for to-morrow, at the dawning of the day, our neighbor will bring his ass and thou shalt set forth for Samaria."

The maiden's lips parted eagerly with surprise and joy. The lad, lifted himself upon his elbow, and gazed upon his father with radiant eyes.

"But, father, the fruits are not yet ripe," faltered Leah.

[24]

"That is true," replied Ezra. "But we shall not wait until the fruits have ripened. Art thou not eager, maiden, to seek the prophet, Elisha, in Samaria that thou mayest beg of him to heal thy brother?"

"Yes, yes, dear father," cried the little maid, with shining eyes and flushing cheeks.

"Then make ready to start upon thy journey at the dawn of day," said Ezra.

"I shall be ready, dear father," replied Leah.

She turned and went back to her brother's couch. She knelt down beside him and slipped her hand in his. He lifted the little hand to his lips and kissed it reverently and tenderly.

When in the gray dawn of the early morning Leah entered Isaac's chamber she found him sleeping. She pressed a kiss upon his brow and stole softly out again.

[25]

"Thou didst find thy brother sleeping," said Sarah. "He passed a night of pain and restlessness and now sleepeth from exhaustion. But it will fret him not to have bidden thee farewell."

"'Tis well that he is resting after his night of pain," said Leah. "Tell him, dear mother, that I kissed him as he slept."

"Come, maiden," called Ezra from without.

"Fare-thee-well, dear mother," murmured the little maid.

Sarah kissed tenderly the sweet, upturned face.

"Fare-thee-well, my child," she said, tremulously. "God be with thee."

Then the little maid passed through the doorway and out into the grayness of the breaking day. Ezra lifted her upon the ass's back and she turned her face towards Samaria.

[26]

When Isaac awoke he called his mother to him and said:

"Mother, has my sister started for Samaria?"

"Yes, my son," replied Sarah.

His lips quivered.

"Why didst thou not awaken me, mother, that I might bid my sister farewell?" he said.

"Thou wert resting, my son, after thy night of pain," answered Sarah. "Thy sister would not have thee awakened, but bid me say to thee that she kissed thee as thou slept. See," pointing to a golden gleam of sunlight which forced itself through the window and lay athwart the bed, "'tis the first ray of the rising sun; ere it sets thy sister will be again with thee."

And the lad lay gazing, with a smile upon his lips, at the shaft of golden light.

[27]

Ezra labored all day in the fields. The sun was sinking low in the heavens when he saw approaching the neighbor whose ass he had borrowed.

"Good-evening, neighbor," said Ezra. "Thou art come too soon for thy ass; the maiden hath not yet returned."

"I come not for the ass, neighbor," replied the man, whose name was Simeon. "I bring thee ill tidings."

"What meaneth thou, neighbor?" asked Ezra.

"Ill hath befallen thy little maid," was the reply.

"Ill hath befallen my little maid," repeated Ezra, bewilderedly. "Speak, man, what ill?"

"She has been taken captive by the Syrians," answered Simeon.

"How knoweth thou this?" asked Ezra.

"I will tell thee," said his neighbor.[28] "But a little while ago a stranger did come to my house mounted upon my own ass. 'Be this beast thine?' he did ask me. Much astonished I replied that the ass were mine. 'And the maiden who rode it, was she thy daughter?' asked the stranger. I replied that she was not my daughter, but the little maid of my neighbor, Ezra. Then the stranger said to me, 'Go to thy neighbor Ezra and tell him that his little maid hath been taken captive by the Syrians; that she will be carried to Damascus and sold into slavery.'

"It doth appear," continued Simeon, as Ezra stood pale and speechless, "that this man was traveling on foot from Samaria when he saw approaching from the direction of Damascus, a company of Syrians. They were evidently bent upon plunder, and the man, fearing that they would take[29] him captive, did hide himself. While in hiding he saw the Syrians fall in with a little maid mounted upon an ass. The maiden they did take captive, leaving the ass which is old and slow. When the Syrians had departed with the little maid, the stranger came forth and mounted the ass, turning its face in the direction from whence it came. And the ass returned home. It is with sorrow in my heart, neighbor, that I bring thee ill tidings of thy little maid."