lieve; as if the Christ
Himself were having it read just for him alone to hear; as if those
huddled curious women and the tearful doctor, and the calm-faced girl
were not there at all, only Christ and the little dead child waiting to
walk into another, realer life, and Courtland, there on the threshold of
another world to learn a great truth.

"But some will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do
they come?"

Courtland looked up, startled. The very thought that was dawning in his
mind! The child, presently to lie under the ground and return to dust!
How could there be a resurrection of that little body after years,
perhaps? How could there be hope for that wide-eyed sister with the
sorrowful soul?

"Thou fool, that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall
be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain."

He listened through the wonderful nature-picture, dimly understanding
the reasoning; on to the words:

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it
is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in
glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

He looked at the child lying there among the lilies, those spirituelle
blossoms so ethereal and perfect that they almost seem to have a soul.
Was that the thought, then? The little child laid under the earth like
the bulb of the lily, to see corruption and decay, would come forth,
even as the spirit of the lilies came up out of the darkness and mold
and decay of their tomb under-ground, and burst into the glory of their
beautiful blossoms, the perfection of what the ugly brown bulb was meant
to be. All the possibilities come to perfection! no accident or stain of
sin to mar the glorified character! a perfect soul in a perfect,
glorified body!

The wonder of the thought swelled within him, and sent a thrill through
him with the minister's voice as he read:

"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

If Courtland had been asked before he came there whether he believed in
a resurrection he might have given a doubtful answer. Du