Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23

self of this fact, he clutched the hand of
Mary with a distressing, appealing clasp,
and tried to make over to her some burden
weighing upon his confused thought. This,
she saw, he found so difficult to do, that he
despaired of it, and his effort and despair in
tensified his evident suffering. Mary gath
cred her wits, and thought swiftly. She
knew little OF the world aud less of love;
but even Mary had OWNED that a woman
might be found at the source of all the mis-
cries which had befallen her brother.
"Dear Lazarus" she murmured. "I un-
derstand. Whatever thou willest / will
do-for her or for thee. Tell me her
name"
Struggling to articulate, Lazarus managed
to breathe "Zahara.''
'zahara? Thou speakest not of the
daughter OF Annas ?'
SIT is She"
what wouldst thou, o my brother, that
do for this Zahara ?'
"Remember-Zahara. Shelter-Zahara. /"
'He VANDERBILT" thought Mary. How
should ever shelter Zahara 2" But she
answered, soothiugly:
"Dear Lazarus. what more? What else
desirest thou ?'
Lazarus put his cold lips to his sisters ear
and whispered one word-a name.
"0h," mourned Mary, Eve have sent for
him. We send in vain. Messengers go
hither and thither. They run at our com.
mand. He traveleth. He is in distant
places. He cometh not. Thou shalt live
when he cometh. Thou shalt not die. He
loveth thee"
The gray countenance of the sick man ex-
pressed distress amounting to agony. He
turned his head feebly to and fro upon his
pillow with helpless and hopeless motion.
81 did neglect him." he groaned. He
will not come. 1 die. He cometh not
Tell him"
"What shall 1 tell him?" sobbed Mary.
Her tears rained on her brothers face. She
struggled to command herself and dashed
them away. Lazarus did not answer. Ex-
hausted by excessive effort, he sank into
something like q swoou. The color of his
face took on morbid hue. Terrified, Mary
stirred to call for help; but his hand neld
her in a clasp she could not wrench; Laza-
rus seemed to try to draw her back; his lips
moved. She made out that be strove to say:
''Love-Forgive."
With these, the two most solemn words in
the range of human speech, Lazarus lapsed
past the power of speaking. He lay as he
was in a stupor, all night. recognizing no
person after this. and giving no further evil
dence of consciousness. The physician
nuSIleu aDOuL, mdhlnp great s0OW OF tne
ignorant art of their times. Martha wept
noisily. But Mary sat as if she were turn
ing 10 ice.
At daybreak. without struggle and
without sigh, Lazarus ceased to breathe;
the beating OF his heart stopped; and Mary
duly heard voices saying:
''He is dead"
Martha came up and tried, with unusual
gentleness, to remove Mary's hand. But
the fingers OF the corpse had grown rigid
about it. 1t was necessary for the physi-
clan to separate the clasp of the living and
the dead.
Now, the most distressing feature of this
dreary and mysterious death was one which
the sisters OF Lazarus strove, as long as they
could, TO conceal from public knowledge,
and, when they could keep it to themselves
no longer, mourned over it the more bitterly
for that By that lass interview Mary had
been put in position more difficult and
more cruel than her strong self-possessIon
gave hin: of TO the consciousness of the dy-
ing man.
1t was true that the family of Lazsrus
had made every effort which influence, opu-
lence. energy and love could command to
communicate with the Great Healer, whose
skill they full believed could have averted
their terrible bereavement. 1t was also
true that their messengers had reached him.
The piteous fact was that Jesus of Naza-
reth had refused to come to Bethany.