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