Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/101

Rh that to understand it fully is impossible. I would fain explain away what to me becometh daily more inexplicable, yet more certain. Oh, Magdalene, if thou couldst but travel in the spirit world, as I am doing, thou couldst not but believe. I have seen Jesus, and He hath charged me to bid thee tell His mother that three days hence she come to the house of Martha to see Him raise my body from the grave, where it now lieth; for the glory of the living God will this thing be done."

But, argumentative still, as women are, longing to convince herself by further questioning of the reality of what she saw and heard, she murmured: "Hast thou, then, been to heaven?"

"Nay," he answered, "not to the heaven where God doth reign, for no man can see His glory till the Messiah be ascended; but it is heaven to me to know that eternity existeth, and that from such glories and wonders, as neither thou nor I can understand, Jesus hath come down to save mortals, such as we. Oh, if the world could but understand or, not understanding, be content to believe and pray!"

The first faint streaks of dawn were trembling in the sky, a blue, cold light began to play lightly on the olive branches, and already the golden haze of glory seemed to be melting almost imperceptibly. Lazarus's face was growing indistinct. The air seemed filled with the rustling of wings; a noise, as a flight of birds, sounded in Mary's ears, mingled with the music of strings of countless harps in unison; and then a chorus of voices burst forth in such a chant of exultant praise and harmony, as it had never yet been given to man or woman to hear.