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outh　sky　yet；　and　it　is　hardly　more　than　the　seventh　hour。　Somebody　will　come　to　us。　Let　us　have　faith。　God　is　good。〃

Thus　the　mother。　The　words　were　simple　and　effective；　although；　eight　years　being　now　to　be　added　to　the　thirteen　she　had　attained　when　last　we　saw　her；　Tirzah　was　no　longer　a　child。

〃I　will　try　and　be　strong；　mother；〃　she　said。　〃Your　suffering　must　be　as　great　as　mine；　and　I　do　so　want　to　live　for　you　and　my　brother！　But　my　tongue　burns；　my　lips　scorch。　I　wonder　where　he　is；　and　if　he　will　ever；　ever　find　us！〃

There　is　something　in　the　voices　that　strikes　us　singularlyan　unexpected　tone；　sharp；　dry；　metallic；　unnatural。

The　mother　draws　the　daughter　closer　to　her　breast；　and　says；　〃I　dreamed　about　him　last　night；　and　saw　him　as　plainly；　Tirzah；　as　I　see　you。　We　must　believe　in　dreams；　you　know；　because　our　fathers　did。　The　Lord　spoke　to　them　so　often　in　that　way。　I　thought　we　were　in　the　Women's　Court　just　before　the　Gate　Beautiful；　there　were　many　women　with　us；　and　he　came　and　stood　in　the　shade　of　the　Gate；　and　looked　here　and　there；　at　this　one　and　that。　My　heart　beat　strong。　I　knew　he　was　looking　for　us；　and　stretched　my　arms　to　him；　and　ran；　calling　him。　He　heard　me　and　saw　me；　but　he　did　not　know　me。　In　a　moment　he　was　gone。〃

〃Would　it　not　be　so；　mother；　if　we　were　to　meet　him　in　fact？　We　are　so　changed。〃

〃It　might　be　so；　but〃　The　mother's　head　droops；　and　her　face　knits　as　with　a　wrench　of　pain；　recovering；　however；　she　goes　on〃but　we　could　make　ourselves　known　to　him。〃

Tirzah　tossed　her　arms；　and　moaned　again。

〃Water；　mother；　water；　though　but　a　drop。〃

The　mother　stares　around　in　blank　helplessness。　She　has　named　God　so　often；　and　so　often　promised　in　his　name；　the　repetition　is　beginning　to　have　a　mocking　effect　upon　herself。　A　shadow　passes　before　her　dimming　the　dim　light；　and　she　is　brought　down　to　think　of　death　as　very　near；　waiting　to　come　in　as　her　faith　goes　out。　Hardly　knowing　what　she　does；　speaking　aimlessly；　because　speak　she　must；　she　says　again；

〃Patience；　Tirzah；　they　are　comingthey　are　almost　here。〃

She　thought　she　heard　a　sound　over　by　the　little　trap　in　the　partition…wall　through　which　they　held　all　their　actual　communication　with　the　world。　And　she　was　not　mistaken。　A　moment；　and　the　cry　of　the　convict　rang　through　the　cell。　Tirzah　heard　it　also；　and　they　both　arose；　still　keeping　hold　of　each　other。

〃Praised　be　the　Lord　forever！〃　exclaimed　the　mother；　with　the　fervor　of　restored　faith　and　hope。

〃Ho；　there！〃　they　heard　next；　and　then；　〃Who　are　you？〃

The　voice　was　strange。　What　matter？　Except　from　Tirzah；　they　were　the　first　and　only　words　the　mother　had　heard　in　eight　years。　The　revulsion　was　mightyfrom　death　to　lifeand　so　instantly！

〃A　woman　of　Israel；　entombed　here　with　her　daughter。　Help　us　quickly；　or　we　die。〃

〃Be　of　cheer。　I　will　return。〃

The　women　sobbed　aloud。　They　were　found；　help　was　coming。　From　wish　to　wish　hope　flew　as　the　twittering　swallows　fly。　They　were　found；　they　would　be　released。　And　restoration　would　followrestoration　to　all　they　had　losthome；　society；　property；　son　and　brother！　The　scanty　light　glozed　them　with　the　glory　of　day；　and；　forgetful　of　pain　and　thirst　and　hunger；　and　of　the　menace　of　death；　they　sank　upon　the　floor　and　cried；　keeping　fast　hold　of　each　other　the　while。

And　this　time　they　had　not　long　to　wait。　Gesius；　the　keeper；　told　his　tale　methodically；　but　finished　it　at　last。　The　tribune　was　prompt。

〃Within　there！〃　he　shouted　through　the　trap。

〃Here！〃　said　the　mother；　rising。

Directly　she　heard　another　sound　in　another　place；　as　of　blows　on　the　wallblows　quick；　ringing；　and　delivered　with　iron　tools。　She　did　not　speak；　nor　did　Tirzah；　but　they　listened；　well　knowing　the　meaning　of　it　allthat　a　way　to　liberty　was　being　made　for　them。　So　men　a　long　time　buried　in　deep　mines　hear　the　coming　of　rescuers；　heralded　by　thrust　of　bar　and　beat　of　pick；　and　answer　gratefully　with　heart…throbs；　their　eyes　fixed　upon　the　spot　whence　the　sounds　proceed；　and　they　cannot　look　away；　lest　the　work　should　cease；　and　they　be　returned　to　despair。

The　arms　outside　were　strong；　the　hands　skillful；　the　will　good。　Each　instant　the　blows　sounded　more　plainly；　now　and　then　a　piece　fell　with　a　crash；　and　liberty　came　nearer　and　nearer。　Presently　the　workmen　could　be　heard　speaking。　ThenO　happiness！through　a　crevice　flashed　a　red　ray　of　torches。　Into　the　darkness　it　cut　incisive　as　diamond　brilliance；　beautiful　as　if　from　a　spear　of　the　morning。

〃It　is　he；　mother；　it　is　he！　He　has　found　us　at　last！〃　cried　Tirzah；　with　the　quickened　fancy　of　youth。

But　the　mother　answered　meekly；　〃God　is　good！〃

A　block　fell　inside；　and　anotherthen　a　great　mass；　and　the　door　was　open。　A　man　grimed　with　mortar　and　stone…dust　stepped　in；　and　stopped；　holding　a　torch　over　his　head。　Two　or　three　others　followed　with　torches；　and　stood　aside　for　the　tribune　to　enter。

Respect　for　women　is　not　all　a　conventionality；　for　it　is　the　best　proof　of　their　proper　nature。　The　tribune　stopped；　because　they　fled　from　himnot　with　fear；　be　it　said；　but　shame；　nor　yet；　O　reader；　from　shame　alone！　From　the　obscurity　of　their　partial　hiding　he　heard　these　words；　the　saddest；　most　dreadful；　most　utterly　despairing　of　the　human　tongue：

〃Come　not　near　usunclean；　unclean！〃

The　men　flared　their　torches　while　they　stared　at　each　other。

〃Unclean；　unclean！〃　came　from　the　corner　again；　a　slow　tremulous　wail　exceedingly　sorrowful。　With　such　a　cry　we　can　imagine　a　spirit　vanishing　from　the　gates　of　Paradise；　looking　back　the　while。

So　the　widow　and　mother　performed　her　duty；　and　in　the　moment　realized　that　the　freedom　she　had　prayed　for　and　dreamed　of；　fruit　of　scarlet　and　gold　seen　afar；　was　but　an　apple　of　Sodom　in　the　hand。

SHE　AND　TIRZAH　WERELEPERS！

Possibly　the　reader　does　not　know　all　the　word　means。　Let　him　be　told　it　with　reference　to　the　Law　of　that　time；　only　a　little　modified　in　this。

〃These　four　are　accounted　as　deadthe　blind；　the　leper；　the　poor；　and　the　childless。〃　Thus　the　Talmud。

That　is；　to　be　a　leper　was　to　be　treated　as　deadto　be　excluded　from　the　city　as　a　corpse；　to　be　spoken　to　by　the　best　beloved　and　most　loving　only　at　a　distance；　to　dwell　with　none　but　lepers；　to　be　utterly　unprivileged；　to　be　denied　the　rites　of　the　Temple　and　the　synagogue；　to　go　about　in　rent　garments　and　with　covered　mouth；　except　when　crying；　〃Unclean；　unclean！〃　to　find　home　in　the　wilderness　or　in　abandoned　tombs；　to　become　a　materialized　specter　of　Hinnom　and　Gehenna；　to　be　at　all　times　less　a　living　offence　to　others　than　a　breathing　torment　to　self；　afraid　to　die；　yet　without　hope　except　in　death。

Onceshe　might　not　tell　the　day　or　the　year；　for　down　in　the　haunted　hell　even　time　was　lostonce　the　mother　felt　a　dry　scurf　in　the　palm　of　her　right　hand；　a　trifle　which　she　tried　to　wash　away。　It　clung　to　the　member　pertinaciously；　yet　she　thought　but　little　of　the　sign　till　Tirzah　complained　that　she；　too；　was　attacked　in　the　same　way。　The　supply　of　water　was　scant；　and　they　denied　themselves　drink　that　they　might　use　it　as　a　curative。　At　length　the　whole　hand　was　attacked；　the　skin　cracked　open；　the　fingernails　loosened　from　the　flesh。　There　was　not　much　pain　withal；　chiefly　a　steadily　increasing　discomfort。　Later　their　lips　began　to　parch　and　seam。　One　day　the　mother；　who　was　cleanly　to　godliness；　and　struggled　against　the　impurities　of　the　dungeon　with　all　ingenuity；　thinking　the　enemy　was　taking　hold　on　Tirzah's　face；　led　her　to　the　light；　and；　looking　with　the　inspiration　of　a　terrible　dread；　lo！　the　young　girl's　eyebrows　were　white　as　snow。

Oh；　the　anguish　of　that　assurance！

The　mother　sat　awhile　speechless；　motionless；　paralyzed　of　soul；　and　capable　of　but　one　thoughtleprosy；　leprosy！

When　she　began　to　think；　mother…like；　it　was　not　of　herself；　but　her　child；　and；　mother…like；　her　natural　tenderness　turned　to　courage；　and　she　made　ready　for　the　last　sacrifice　of　perfect　heroism。　She　buried　her　knowledge　in　her　heart；　hopeless　herself；　she　redoubled　her　devotion　to　Tirzah；　and　with　wonderful　ingenuitywonderful　chiefly　in　its　very　inexhaustibilitycontinued　to　keep　the　daughter　ignorant　of　what　they　were　beset　with；　and　even　hopeful　that　it　was　nothing。　She　repeated　her　little　games；　and　retold　her　stories；　and　invented　new　ones；　and　listened　with　ever　so　much　pleasure　to　the　songs　she　would　have　from　Tirzah；　while　on　her　own　wasting　lips　the　psalms　of　the　singing　king　and　their　race　served　to　bring　soothing　of　forgetfulness；　and　keep　alive　in　them　both　the　recollection　of　the　God　who　would　seem　to　have　abandoned　themthe　world　not　more　lightly　or　utterly。

Slowly；　steadily；　with　horrible　certainty；　the　disease　spread；　after　a　while　bleaching　their　heads　white；　eating　holes　in　their　lips　and　eyelids；　and　covering　their　bodies　with　scales；　then　it　fell　to　their　throats　shrilling　their　voices；　and　to　their　joints；　hardening　the　tissues　and　cartilagesslowly；　and；　as　the　mother　well　knew；　past　remedy；　it　was　affecting　their　lungs　and　arteries　and　bones；　at　each　advance　making　the　sufferers　more　and　more　loathsome；　and　so　it　would　continue　till　death；　which　might　be　years　before　them。

Another　day　of　dread　at　length　camethe　da