founds fo like the trick of a needy traveller, and fhall I creduloufly give my staff from my hand in expectation of another dropping down from Heaven?--Nofriend--I understand fomething of this world ; and though I admire to do good, I muft not expofe myself to ridicule-for if I was to comply with your request, tell me honestly wouldst thou not laugh at my weakness? Farewell then, and be affured, I lament my inability as much as thou lamenteft thy neceffity.

Having thus fhewn what a very cautious woman might have faid: let us now see what was really the fentiment of the occafion. There is no other anfwer recorded than that she did according to the defire of Elijah. She did not even ftay to expatiate upon her own generofity-nor tell him, that if his prophecy fhould be unfulfilled, the must only ftarve fo much the fooner for her good nature, but, fhe relied fo implicitly on his fincerity, and obeyed fo willingly the infpired impulfe of benevolence,

that

that he hafted to make a little cake for Elijah first, and then attended to the wants of her little one and herself. But this courtefy and confidence was preternaturally rewarded for fhe and he, and her boufe, eat many days; "and the barrel of meal "wafted not, nor did the crufe of oil "fail."

Elijah now became a lodger in the widow's houfe, and was considered as a part of her family, till a fufpicious circumstance fell out, which gave her at first but too much reason to alter her opinion of him. Soon after this friendship was formed between them, the fon of the hostess fell fick, and his ficknefs was of fo fore a nature, that it prefently terminated in his death. The unhappy mother attributed it to fome secret exertion of cruel power in Elijah; for as he could divine oné miracle in her favour, fo the apprehended he might be able to effect another to her prejudice: However, certain it is, fhe entertained ideas exceedingly to his difcredit, and indeed, fteemed

efteemed the thing fo very ungrateful a return for her fair conduct and demeanour, that we find her reproaching him with all the feverity of an ill-intreated friend, and all the distraction of an injured parent. "What "have I to do with thee-thou man of "God! art thou come unto me, to call

my fin to my remembrance, and to flay "my fon?" This appears to have been spoken with the utmost bitterness of irony, as if she had faid:-Thou man, who pretendeft to have been directed hither by the express orders of God:-Thou meffenger from the Lord of Heaven-what have I done unto thee, that thou shouldest thus requite me?-Doft thou do this to warn me how I fhare again my laft meal with a ftranger? True it is, that thou haft in one instance been found faithful: true, that thou haft prolonged the lives which feemed to be drawing fooner to a period. But what of that-Haft thou taken this opportunity to render the mourning of the widow thus additionally fore, by firft conveying to her, the joyful tidings of plenty,

only

only to make the after-stroke the more intolerable, by flaying her dear and only darling; even him, whom the famine hath fpared? Inhuman! fhame upon thee! for this-fhall the widow's curie purfue thee for ever: for this-but I cannot fpeak. Behold, the innocent victim of your barbarity-behold-my child is breathlefs before you.-Alas! my fon-my fon! how haft thou been facrificed to the infidioufnefs of a stranger! It was highly in character to reprove him in this manner; and it is equally natural, that the good man fhould feel the reproof with all imaginable severity. Many circumftances concurred to make him truly wretched, even under fuch an imputation: for he doubtless confidered her in the tendereft degree, as his best benefactor-as one who had manifefted the fenfibility and duty of her heart, in the very crifis, both of his fate and her own; and lastly, as a widow, whofe life was wrapt up in the life of her fon. Nor could he indeed fairly blame her fufpicions. Since the time, the place, and the fuddeness of

the

the lad's death, gave in fome fort, a colour of probability to them. Her mifery too, had its fource fo near the foul, that he could not attempt either to check or to chide it; advice would have been rejected, and pity impertinent: he troubled her with neither; but taking the baby corpfe out of the mother's bofom, where (though it was dead) she was ftill careffing and still cradling it, he carried it up to his own apartment, and laid him gently upon his own bed.

And now being at liberty to addrefs the God who had fo often, and fo miraculously befriended and indulged, and honoured him, he broke out into the moft earnest fupplication. "Oh Lord my God, my Se God, haft thou brought evil upon the "widow with whom I fojourn, by flay

''

ing her fon? I pray thee, that the "child's foul may come into him again." The prayer was heard. In the mean time,' in what a fituation muft he have left the afflicted parent! it was however, one of thofe