y
telling her to borrow empty pots and pans of all her neighbors, and
pour into them her one little pot of oil. The oil increased until all
the pots and pans were full, and she had plenty to sell.

He saved the sons of the prophets from death by casting meal into the
pot when a poisonous nut had been mingled with the food, and he fed a
hundred people with the bread that was brought as a portion for himself.

But the most beautiful story in the life of Elisha is that of the
Shun-amite mother and her son. The mother was a noble lady of Shun-em,
who believed in God, and in the good man who passed her house so often,
and she said to her husband,

"Let us make for him a little chamber on the wall." And so they did,
and when Elisha came again he lodged there. He was grateful to these
kind people, and asked the woman what he should do for her--if she
would ask anything of the king, but she only said,

"I dwell among mine own people."

Then the prophet, knowing that she had no child, promised that she
should have a son, and though it was hard to believe, the little son
was sent to her, and she was very happy. But one day when he went out
in the field where his father and his men were reaping, he cried out,
"My head, my head!" and they carried him in to his mother. She held
him in her arms until noon, and then he died and she laid him in the
prophet's chamber. Perhaps the heat of the harvest time had been too
great for one so young. Did the mother cry out and call her husband?
No, she called for a servant and a donkey, and rode as fast as she
could to Mount Carmel where Elisha was. His servant saw her coming,
and Elisha sent him to meet her and ask if it was well with her and her
husband and her child, and she said,

"It is well," though her heart was breaking.

"Did I ask a son of my lord?" she said as she came to Elisha and fell
at his feet. Then he knew that the child was ill or dead, and he would
have sent his servant to lay his staff on the child, but the mother
cried,

"As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee,"
and he arose and followed her.

When he came to the Shun-amite's house he went into his little room
where the dead child lay upon his bed, and, shutting the door, prayed
to the Lord. Then he stretched himself upon the child, and breathed
upon him until life began to creep back into the little cold body, and
when he had done this twice the child opened his eyes Then El