THE CALL OF THE LAND 



but life earthly life, too actively, practi- 

 cally lived. According to his creed, the per- 

 fection of walking with his Maker was use- 

 fully to walk with men. He had not 

 immured himself in a cave in order to be 

 at peace with his conscience. His goodness 

 had shown itself rather in all sorts of acts 

 useful to his fellowmen. According to the 

 story, which is unquestionably a good ana- 

 logue of the exact facts of Elisha's life, it was 

 his joy, when need arose, to increase a 

 widow's stock of provision. At his inter- 

 cession a dear child given up for dead had 

 been laid back living in its mother's arms. 

 He had furnished food for one hungry com- 

 pany and rendered innocuous that of an- 

 other when it had been poisoned. 



Not alone kindness and charity to special 

 individuals marked the temper of this 

 religious hero, but still more an intense civic 

 spirit, broadening out into philanthropy, a 

 zeal for the welfare of men far and wide. 

 A benign act at the request of the citizens 

 of Jericho, purifying their water supply, 

 began his prophetic career. Though not a 



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