The days passed very slowly and wearily to Claudia, wife of Naaman, as
she awaited in her palace home the return of her husband. Sometimes her
heart was filled with hope, then, again, she would be plunged into the
deepest despondency, when it seemed madness to believe that any man had
power to heal the leper.
Leah, the little maid, watched her mistress wistfully, tenderly. One
morning, as she sat at Claudia's feet, she looked up into her pale,
beautiful face and said:
"Why art thou so sad, my dear mistress?"
"Ah, maiden," replied Claudia, "thou canst not understand the tortures
of suspense which consume me."
"Suspense!" repeated the little maid. "Then thou dost doubt the power
of Elisha to heal my lord of his leprosy?"
"Yes," answered Claudia. "For how can man be possessed of such power?"
A smile of rare sweetness lighted up the face of the little maid.
"My own dear mistress, put aside all thy doubts, all thy trouble, for
my lord will return healed of his leprosy," she said.
"Child, great indeed is thy faith in this man, Elisha," said Claudia.
"Hast thou ever seen him, spoken with him?"
"No," answered the little maid. "I was on my way to seek him when I was
captured by the Syrians."
"What was thy purpose in seeking Elisha, maiden?" asked Claudia.
Leah's lips quivered, her soft eyes filled with tears.
"In the land of Israel I have a brother who has been a cripple from
birth," she murmured. "I was on my way to Samaria to seek Elisha and
beg of him that he heal my brother."
"But, child, thou art poor, how didst thou propose to reward Elisha for
healing thy brother?" asked Claudia.
The little maid looked up inquiringly.
"What meaneth thou, dear mistress?" she asked.
"Surely thou knoweth, maiden, that the magicians of the court of
Benhadad, king of Syria, receive rich salaries," replied Claudia. "But
even they possess not the power of this Elisha for they cannot heal the
leper. Therefore, Elisha must be even more richly rewarded than are the
magicians of Benhadad's court."
"Dear mistress, Elisha is no magician, but a holy man of God," said
the little maid. "He dwelleth not at the court of the king, neither
does he receive aught in recompense for the good that he doeth."
"I--I do not understand," murmured Claudia, perplexedly. "Why, Naaman,
my husband, did take with him to Samaria ten talents of silver, six
thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment with which to reward
Elisha should he be healed of his leprosy."
Leah smiled.
"My lord will bring back with him from Damascus the ten talents
of silver, the six thousand pieces of gold and the ten changes of
raiment," she said, "for Elisha will have none of them."
Claudia sat for some moments in thought.
"Perhaps this Elisha is a seeker after fame, and so to win the praise
of men he uses his power for the poor as well as the rich," she said,
at length. "But I believe not that he will refuse the treasure which my
husband carried with him to Samaria."
Leah did not answer. Claudia, after regarding her attentively for some
moments, said:
"Thou seemeth to give no heed to my words, maiden. Dost thou in truth
believe that Elisha will refuse to receive the treasure which Naaman
carryeth with him?"
"I know dear mistress, that Elisha will refuse to accept the treasure
which my lord carryeth with him to Samaria," replied the little maid,
firmly. "Elisha careth not for riches nor the praise of men. He seeketh
only to please and serve the Lord who hath given to him his great
power."
"What manner of man is this Elisha who can inspire such great and
unswerving faith?" mused Claudia. "Is the God of Israel more powerful
than the god of Syria, for Rimmon hath given to no man in Syria power
like unto that possessed by Elisha?" she said aloud.
The little maid looked up earnestly into her mistress' beautiful face.
"There is no God save the God of Israel," she said.
Claudia smiled indulgently.
"Thou art of the land of Israel, little one," she said, "and,
therefore, thou dost believe that the God Israel worships be the only
true God. Perhaps, if thou dwelleth long in Syria, thou will learn to
worship Syria's god."
"No, dear lady, that could never be," replied Leah, earnestly. "I may
see no more my people and my country, but I shall ever remain faithful
to my God. He dwelleth not alone in the land of Israel, but he ruleth
over all the earth. 'Tis He, Who through his prophet, will heal thy
husband of his leprosy."
"Thou speaketh idle words child," said Claudia, a little impatiently.
"The God of Israel would not bestow His favors upon a Syrian who does
worship Syria's god. But, there, enough of this; let us speak of other
things. Tell me of thy people. Hast thou brothers and sisters in the
land of Israel?"
"I have but one brother, dear mistress," replied Leah.
"And this brother has been a cripple from birth?" gently asked Claudia.
"Yes, dear mistress."
"And thou dost love him very dearly?"
"Ah, so dearly," murmured the little maid, with quivering lips.
"Poor child, thy young life has known much sorrow," said Claudia,
pityingly. "And, yet, thou thinketh more of the sorrows of others than
of thy own."
"My heart is sad at times," said Leah. "But I must not rebel against
the will of the good God."
"And is this why thou dost bear so patiently and unmurmuringly
the sorrows which have darkened thy young life?" asked Claudia,
wonderingly. "But the gods are wont to send afflictions upon those who
offend them, thou canst not have offended thy God."
"God, in His wisdom, doth often afflict those whom He loveth," said
Leah.
Claudia smiled.
"This God of thine is a strange God," she said.
[Illustration]