will take away thy master from thee to-day?" And again he answered, "Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace."

Here Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, I pray thee, at Jericho, for the Lord sends me to the river Jordan." But Elisha answered, "As the Lord liveth, and as thou art living, I will not leave thee." And they went on again. A third time fifty young men from the schools of the prophets followed them.

Elijah and Elisha stood by the side of the river. Elijah took his mantle, wrapt it together, and struck the waters with it. Then the waters were parted before them, so that they two went over on dry ground. When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha asked,

Give me more of God's spirit in my heart,

even as thou hast."

"Thou hast asked a hard

thing," Elijah answered; "yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou askest for; if not, thou shalt not have it."

And as they walked on and talked together, behold there came a chariot of fire, with horses of fire; and in that chariot Elijah was taken up into heaven. Elisha saw it, and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" For he called Elijah Father, as was the custom to call the prophets in those days.

Then Elisha seized upon his own clothes and rent them in pieces; and with the mantle of Elijah which had fallen from him, he struck the waters of the river, and they parted for him as they had done for Elijah, and Elisha went back, alone. Here the fifty young men

from the school of the prophets, who had followed afar off, met him, and bowed themselves down to the ground before him. "Let us go, we pray thee, and look for thy master," they said to Elisha; "perhaps the Lord has taken him away and left him on some mountain, or in some valley." But Elisha answered, "Ye shall not go." But the young men begged him till he said at last to them, “Go.” They went then and searched three days for Elijah: but finding him not, they came back to Jericho and told Elisha. Did I not tell you not to go?" was all Elisha said.

STORY OF ELISHA.

And now that Elijah had ascended into heaven and his mantle had fallen upon Elisha, Elisha became the great prophet to the people of Judah.

One day the men of Jericho came to Elisha and said, "Our city is pleasant to live in, as thou seest, except that the water is not good to drink; and it makes the ground so barren that nothing will grow here. What can we do?" Elisha said to them, "Bring me a new cruse, and put some salt in it." They brought it, and he went to the spring from which the waters flowed and threw the salt in. Then he cried, "Thus saith the Lord: