John has returned home; Jesus is asleep in the home of Simon's mother-in-law; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her children, save Jesus and Ruth, are sleeping under their little open tent shelter on the pebbled beach. Every lodging in Tiberias, Magdala, Bethsaida and Capernaum is occupied by strangers, while more than ten thousand souls overcome by fatigue have tonight lopped down in groups here and there upon the shore of the renowned inland lake, the Sea of Galilee.

The evening star has disappeared beyond the western hills, while spangled Orion and the Pleiades sisters seem lingering as though to look down in silent pity on slumbering old Nazareth, whose religious zealots have thrust out in bitter scorn the man whose lamp of light will shine upon the mysterious way called Death, when other lights have all grown dim.

It is now after midnight. Ruth and Magdalene are in fond embrace, while Aunt Susanna on a reclining divan amid a profusion of pretty rugs and bolstering pillows is plying questions to Ruth concerning her brother, Jesus.

"Ruth, how long has it been since your brother began to talk this way?"

"Really, Aunt, I cannot say. He has practically been the head of our family since before father died. He always seemed to know if a sick person was going to get well, but, of course, as Lena knows, he said and did many things that we did not notice then, which look strange to us now. I remember one time when we were small we all went over to Saffuriyeh to spend the day with mother's folks, and while going over, he said to us that we must all be kind to grandpa for we would never see him again, and he did die in a few days."

"Did he ever call himself the son of God?"

"Oh, no, we never thought of such a thing, but he often spoke of God as my father instead of our father. The first time we noticed anything unusual was when he, with a lot of other men, went to the Jordan, near Jerusalem, to be baptized by a man named John. When they returned home, he was preaching different from what he used to preach. Of course, as mother says, he may have had divine aid all along and not told us, nor even understood it himself."

"Did your mother love him better than she did you younger children?"

"Certainly she did. You do not think she would like gusts of emotion like Lena and me as well as she did a fatherly man like Jesus. Why, Aunt Susanna, everyone loved Jesus until that old bigoted gang of priests got after him."

"I wish I was God," broke in Magdalene, "wouldn't I jerk those priests out of their phylactery garments and put them to grinding in the mill? I should say everyone does love Jesus, he won my heart when I was 6 years old, and I would love him yet if he would shake up old Peter."

"Why, Magdalene."

"Oh, Aunty, you know I do not mean just what I say, but let me go on with my story of love. One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they got up a race between me and Delila, from the spring. You know, Ruth, I was swift,—awful swift."

"And you are fleetly still," chimed in Aunt Susanna.

"Oh, yes, Ruth, she refers to a race about two years ago when someone brought in a Greek courier to run with me and I showed him my heels before a crowd of over two thousand people. Now I will begin back on my love story: One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they got up a race between Delila and me. She was an inch taller and a year older than I. So well do I remember when we were waiting for the signal and I was so confident of winning, but we had not gone far before I discovered I had my match. If we had had twenty steps more to run I would have won, but as it was they all cried Delila—Delila, when Jesus caught me up in his arms and said, 'Now, Mary (you know he always calls me Mary), would you not rather be called the sweetest girl than the faster runner?' Then, after he had wiped the tears and gotten me to laughing, he said, 'I want you to do something for me, will you?' and I said, 'Yes, you know I will, what is it?' 'I want you to go over to Delila and say, "When my legs get as long as yours I will race you again."' 'I will not,' said I. Then he turned and looked the other way, but I shook his hand and said, 'Do you hear me? I say I will not go near the old thing.' Then he turned and spoke as he often spake, 'Why, Mary.' I stood a moment and then dropped my elevated chin, let go of his hand and ran to Delila and told her just what he told me to, and she laughingly said, 'You would have won anyhow if you had not stumbled at the start.' So we began talking and both went back to Jesus, who bought us a piece of melon, and he laughed when we ate it by one taking a bite and then the other, until it was gone."

"Do you know," inquired Ruth, "that Delila has married that rich man who had been a leper and they are living in Bethany, near Jerusalem? Jesus told me only a few days ago about two sisters in Bethany, Mary and Martha, who are relatives of Simon and live near him with their brother Lazarus. Simon has a beautiful home, where our folks, when at Jerusalem, go over and stay nights. Joseph of Aramathaea and Nicodemus are often there, they help Jesus in many ways, always giving him money and a place to stay. Jesus said he is going back to Jerusalem again, but mother and all of us are trying to persuade him not to do so. If he does, and we all go, will you both go with us? Mother wants to know."

"I think we will," replied Aunt Susanna, and so they talked on until the golden dawn awoke the little songsters, who sang the three to sleep on the hillside by the sea.

"Do you know, Lena," said Ruth, as they were walking in the twilight, "that mother thinks I had better not go to Jerusalem. She says only she and James will follow Jesus, for if we all go the rabbis may burn our home."

"I have heard that, Ruth, for some time. Some influence caused me to think that way, but I did not mention it. Say, Ruth, why do people call me a sinner and say I am possessed with devils?"

"Why, Lena, they call Jesus the same. That is an epithet applied to all who do not conform to the orthodox faith. Jesus says everybody is tempted by devils and that God, through Him, casts them out. You know you have never allied yourself to any faith."

"Do you think that is necessary, Ruth?"

"You can see," she replied, hesitatingly, "that Jesus approves of that course. Kneeling and kissing the feet is considered an open confession. Have you ever spoken to Jesus about it?"

"Yes, I have, and he seemed to avoid me by asking if I loved those who did not love me, and you know I can never love Peter." The sad girl looked upon the ground in a brown study, and then continued: "Is that which one cannot control sinful?"

Ruth did not reply and Magdalene bit her lip nervously as she murmured, "Oh, if I could only get rid of this temper of mine. So long have I loved Jesus, and I know he loves poor me and wants to forgive my sins. Am I one of those whom he talked about the other day? Will he be ashamed of me when he comes into his kingdom?" Mary Magdalene turned her gaze. Her soul was wandering far away into the future. She was thinking of the day, not so far distant, when her earthly eyes would be closed to those familiar Galilean hills. The storm was fast gathering, her poor heart was aching, but still she stood aloof, trying to suppress the love she should impart. Ruth took in the situation and placing her arm around the troubled maid turned the conversation and talked softly of what might take place tomorrow.

As the morning sun gleamed from over the Syrian desert, touching the hilltops, the song birds in the olive orchards and oak groves began chiming their sinless melodies, regardless of the throng, now stirring themselves and lighting fires here and there in the great camp around the renowned Sea of Galilee.

Facing the camp stood the quaint old temple of Capernaum, in which Jesus had been teaching for several days. Probably the sun never rose on a more curious throng than those who lodged in open air, under blankets, and in tents along the western shore, while Jesus lingered in and about Capernaum. Healing the sick and casting out devils had been practiced by all nations and tribes since the advent of tradition, but when sojourners from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt returned home to announce that a man in Galilee had for two years been preaching that he as the Savior of the world had come from God to heal the sick, cure the deaf and blind, cast out devils and raise the dead, wise men began to gather in Galilee until now an immense throng were gathered near the childhood home of Jesus.

A group of large, broad, bullet-headed men from Nineveh, who styled themselves the descendants of Jona, had just arrived. Their roomy camel-hair knee breeches and dawn-like smile betokened that their object was information and not criticism.

Pharaoh's land was represented by a small caravan of Egyptians attired in professional habits, who had chosen quarters near a group of Persian cameleers, whose very equipment, both of man and beast, seemed to blend in soft Oriental shades. The peculiarity of these two groups of doctors was that while listening attentively they expressed no opinion.

Groups of scribes, Turks, Persians, Arabs and Indians were closely noting all events connected with Jesus and his followers, but took no part in the discussions of the Jews, who everywhere nervously discussed the effect of his teachings.

The scribes, Pharisees and priests who disdainfully ignored his claim, were worried that so many of their people were following him, especially as the edict had gone forth that any one who professed Jesus to be the Christ should be expelled from the synagogue.