As the women moved over the hill they were met by one who came to again sound the alarm that the brigands were nearing Bethany, but on learning what had taken place and seeing the feeble condition of Magdalene, he with Martha, made a saddle of their hands and with Magdalene's arms, one around the neck of each, they carried her down the stony path.

Later in the evening Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea and other men and women of the faith came in to try to cheer the anxious and divert their minds from impending gloom. The mother, weary and sad, sank down on a pallet of straw. Mary and Martha interested themselves to make all as comfortable as possible, while Magdalene, true to her unrelenting devotion, sat in the midst telling them stories about her early life with Jesus, and how she loved the family to which he belonged, before he entered his mysterious mission, "For," said she, with a forced smile, "you know there are times when a woman cannot sleep, but never a time when she cannot talk."

"This," said she, "is a sort of watch night, for Jesus, my good friend John, and the lesser lights. I somehow believe if we keep awake and think about them it mitigates their weariness, even though they do not understand the source from which relief comes. Do you believe in such a theory as that, Joseph?"

"Really, Magdalene, I do not know whether I do or not, but one thing I do know, we are all glad to hear you talk and receive your opinions, besides I have had much undisputed evidence that there is some sort of communication between minds, or souls of near affinity, and my experience teaches me that this is sometimes kept up after death. Now please go on and tell us some more things which we have never heard about yourself, when a child."