d in doing it? Truly the ways
of God are past finding out. The only reason discoverable for this queer
conduct is that Moses' boy was uncircumcised. Zipporah, his wife, took a
sharp stone and performed the rite of circumcision herself, casting the
amputated morsel at the feet of the boy's father, with the remark that
he was "a bloody husband." The Lord's anger was thereby appeased, and
the text naively says that he then let Moses go.

Prompted by the Lord, Aaron went out into the wilderness to meet Moses,
and they soon appeared together before "all the elders of the children
of Israel," who readily believed in their mission when they heard
Aaron's account of the Lord's conversation with Moses, and saw the
wonderful signs. Afterwards the two brothers visited Pharaoh, but God
had hardened his heart; so he denied all knowledge of the Lord, and
refused to let Israel go. On the contrary, he commanded the taskmaskers
to be even more rigorous with them, and, instead of giving them straw to
make bricks, as theretofore, to make them gather straw for themselves.
And when they complained, Pharaoh replied that they were an idle lot,
and only wanted to go out and sacrifice to the Lord in order to avoid
work. Whereupon they remonstrated with Moses for his interference,
and he, in turn, remonstrated with God in very plain and disrespectful
language. "Nonsense!" said the Lord, "now you shall see what I will do
to Pharaoh."

Again Pharaoh was visited by the two brothers, who this time commenced
to work the miracle. Aaron cast down his rod, and it became a serpent.
But the magicians of Egypt, who were present by invitation of the King,
were in nowise astonished. "Oh," said they, "is that all you can do?"
Saying which, every man of them threw down his rod, and it also became
a serpent. That was indeed an age of miracles! The magicians of Egypt
wrought this wonder without any help from the Lord, and solely "with
their enchantments." Here, then, was a pretty fix! So far, neither
side had any advantage. Presently, however, Aaron's serpent--which thus
proved itself a truly Jewish one--created a diversion by swallowing all
the others up. We must suppose that it afterwards disgorged them, or
else that Aaron's, rod was exceedingly stout when he got it back.

Pharaoh's heart remained obdurate, notwithstanding this sign, and he
still refused to let the people go. And then the plagues commenced.

The first was a plague of blood. Aaron stretched