Hosea, just as he had heard them
from the lips of the prophetess. Then, with a sigh of relief, he turned
his face toward the canvas wall of the tent, saying quietly:

"Now I will go to sleep."

But Hosea laid his hand on his shoulder, exclaiming imperiously: "Say it
again."

The youth obeyed, but this time he repeated the words in a low, careless
tone, then saying beseechingly:

"Let me rest now," put his hand under his cheek and closed his eyes.

Hosea let him have his way, carefully applied a fresh bandage to
his burning head, extinguished the light, and flung more fuel on the
smouldering fire outside; but the alert, resolute man performed every
act as if in a dream. At last he sat down, and propping his elbows
on his knees and his head in his hands, stared alternately, now into
vacancy, and anon into the flames.

Who was this God who summoned him through Miriam's lips to be, under His
guidance, the sword and shield of His people?

He was to be known by a new name, and in the minds of the Egyptians
the name was everything "Honor to the name of Pharaoh," not "Honor to
Tharaoh" was spoken and written. And if henceforward he was to be called
Joshua, the behest involved casting aside his former self, and becoming
a new man.

The will of the God of his fathers announced to him by Miriam meant no
less a thing than the command to transform himself from the Egyptian his
life had made him, into the Hebrew he had been when a lad. He must learn
to act and feel like an Israelite! Miriam's summons called him back to
his people. The God of his race, through her, commanded him to fulfil
his father's expectations. Instead of the Egyptian troops whom he must
forsake, he was in future to lead the men of his own blood forth to
battle! This was the meaning of her bidding, and when the noble virgin
and prophetess who addressed him, asserted that God Himself spoke
through her lips, it was no idle boast, she was really obeying the will
of the Most High. And now the image of the woman whom he had ventured
to love, rose in unapproachable majesty before him. Many things which
he had heard in his childhood concerning the God of Abraham, and His
promises returned to his mind, and the scale which hitherto had been the
heavier, rose higher and higher. The resolve just matured, now seemed
uncertain, and he again confronted the terrible conflict he had believed
was overpast.

How loud, how potent was the call he heard! Ringing in his ear