ut he would not.

But Naaman begged of Elisha two mule-loads of earth to take to his own
country. He wanted to build an altar upon it to worship the God of
Israel, and he thought it must stand on the soil of Israel.

Did Naaman ever send the little maid of Israel to her home? We do not
know, but surely he was kind to her in some way.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE TWO BOY KINGS.

There were many kings over Israel from the days of Solomon until the
time when they were carried away captives to Babylon. The kingdom was
divided soon after Solomon's death, and a king reigned in Jerusalem
over the kingdom of Judah, and another in Samaria over the kingdom of
Israel. There were a few kings who tried to follow that which was
right, but the most of them were men who were given to idolatry, and
who did not help the people to remember the true God. The Lord sent
them prophets to remind them of Him, but they were often driven away or
ill treated. There were a few good kings of Judah, such as Asa and
Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, and among them were two who became kings
when they were very young.

When Ahaziah, King of Judah, was killed, his mother, who was a wicked
woman, killed all his sons, that she herself might be queen. All but a
baby boy who was hidden with his nurse in the temple, and tenderly
cared for by the good high priest and his wife for six years. Then
when he was seven years old the priests and the Levites brought out
little Joash and anointed him king. They formed a guard all about him,
and when the high priest had crowned him there was a great cry around
the temple of "God save the King."

The old queen heard this and came to see what it meant. When she saw
the little Joash standing by a pillar with a crown on his head she
cried out that the people were plotting against her.

The people did by her as she had done by her grandsons--they took her
life.

Then there was great rejoicing. The house of Baal was torn down, and
the Lord's gold and silver brought back to the temple, and the good
high priest began the worship of God in the temple after the manner of
former days.

When Joash was old enough to understand he longed to make the temple
beautiful again, for it was falling into decay, so he called for money
throughout his kingdom. Everyone was asked to drop a silver piece in
the chest that was set at the temple door, and more than enough was
brought to re-build the temple, and while the high priest li