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tality, knew no better return for her kindness than to prom- ise that she should be blessed with a child within a year." The woman protested : " O, my husband is an old man, nor am I of an age to bear children ; the promise cannot be ful- filled." Yet it happened as the prophet had foretold. Be- fore a twelvemonth had passed, she was a mother.
A few years later her child died a sudden death. The mother repaired to the prophet, and lamented before him: " O that the vessel had remained empty, rather than it should be filled first, and then be left void." The prophet ad- mitted that, though as a rule he was acquainted with all things that were to happen, God had left him in the dark about the misfortune that had befallen her. With trust in God, he gave his staff to his disciple Gehazi, and sent him to bring the boy back to life. But Gehazi was unworthy of his master. His conduct toward the Shunammite was not becoming a disciple of the prophet, and, above all, he had no faith in the possibility of accomplishing the mission en- trusted to him. Instead of obeying the behest of Elisha, not to speak a word on his way to the child of the Shunam- mite, Gehazi made sport of the task laid upon him. To whatever man he met he addressed the question : " Dost thou suppose this staff can bring the dead back to life ? " The result was that he forfeited the power of executing the errand with which he had been charged. Elisha himself had to perform the miracle. The prophet uttered the prayer: " O Lord of the world ! As Thou didst wonders through my master Elijah, and didst permit him to bring the dead to life, so, I pray Thee, do Thou perform a wonder through me, and let me restore life to this lad." " The prayer was
