When back on the west side of the Jordan, Jesus with the women from Galilee and the twelve disciples turned south for the night, into the well known palm grove, while the crowd hastened to Jericho for bread. After supper he with his mother and Magdalene strolled south to the shore of the Dead Sea, where he, while reclining his head on his mother's knee and Magdalene smoothing his hair, fell asleep.

John, who was following, now stole in with pillows and blankets, and soon Jesus and the two women were lost in dreams in the very plain where the children of Israel had slept the first night after crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Since Jesus had left Capernaum he had avoided the curious, for well he knew he was misunderstood by all save mother, John and Magdalene, to whom he often confided, maintaining that if his death was required to awaken the world he would drink the bitter cup and leave the coming generation to judge of his works, whether they were of man or God.

Accordingly, to avoid the throng, the four recrossed the Jordan at dawn and sought a sequestered spot, where trees sheltered them from the sun, when Jesus ordered that all attention be directed to Magdalene, who had eaten scarcely any food since she left home.

During the day they continued to bring cool water from the spring, which allayed her fever so that she felt herself again, and said in her old-time laughing way, "Better then worse, better then worse, really if we do not return to Galilee soon I think it will be nip and tuck as to who will get into the Kingdom of Heaven first," at which Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, Magdalene."

"Jesus, can one enter the Kingdom of Heaven before they die?"

"One that liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

"Jesus," she inquired earnestly, "what is death?"

"Did you not hear my parable of the rich man and Lazarus?"

"When is the resurrection?"

"I am the resurrection."

"Will my body ever be resurrected?"

"Have I not told you that flesh profiteth nothing?"

Mother and John listened motionlessly, while Magdalene bit her lip nervously, trying to form an inquiry which would open the sealed door of the tomb.

"Can the dead communicate with the living?"

"No, Mary."

"From whence came Moses and Elias?"

"From the abode of the living."

Mary Magdalene's voice changed to milder tones as she sympathetically continued: "Oh, can you not ease my aching heart? This burden is greater than I can bear. I do not understand you. I volunteered when in Galilee to follow you, but as we near Jerusalem my heart fails me. Is this the expression of God's love to me? You say you go but do not die. How, then, will I know that you remember me when you are gone?"

"I will come back again."