m thy lips of this miracle. Wast thou of a
surety dead?"

"So sayest those who did entomb me."

"And yet do I see thee alive," and his hand came to a rest on his
flowing beard as he studied Lazarus.

"So do I bear witness," Martha said, laughing. "Though it has been
weeks since the strange thing came to pass, yet doth he devour food as
doth the grasshopper that eateth clean the face of the earth."

"Ha! ha! Four days be a good fast to one not given to fasting,"
Lazarus replied to Martha.

"Herein is a marvel," and the hand of Joseph still lay quiet against
his beard. "Thou sayest thou wert dead?"

"Nay. I said those who did entomb me so said."

"The Law doth teach," and Joseph moved his hand down his beard slowly,
"that when the sword of death doth enter the soul of man from its cruel
point doth a drop of corruption enter into the flesh, of which death
maketh more corruption. The sword of death did enter thy soul, but not
the drop of corruption?"

"Of this I bear testimony," Martha quickly answered. "I feared greatly
to have the tomb opened lest the stench of corruption should sicken the
mourners."

"And there was no stench?" said Joseph, turning to Martha.

"None save the odor of grave spices."

"Then of a fact there must be death from which there is an awakening."

"Yea, surely." It was Lazarus who answered. "In days of old did not
the prophets make some to sneeze and sit up on their biers while others
might not sneeze for all the prophets?"

"Much have I heard of prophets raising the dead. Yet had none turned
to corruption."

"Even Jesus doth make no claim of bringing back to life those whose
flesh hath turned black."

Joseph made no reply to the last speech of Lazarus, but turned to Mary
and said, "What thinketh thou?"

"As my brother hath spoken," she replied. "There is one death, and
there is another death. Into one hath corruption entered. Into the
other it hath not. Hath not Jesus made this plain? Yet because of
their ignorance do the people not understand. When he did enter the
house of Jarius, synagogue ruler at Capernaum, to raise his daughter,
did he not tell them plainly the damsel was not dead? Yet wept they
and howled. And when he sought to quiet them by again saying, 'She
sleepeth only,' did they laugh him to scorn. But when he did take the
little damsel by the hand and bid her arise, she awakened. Then did
the shout go up, 'A miracle! A miracle!' The Master dot