Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-12-03
Extract from g Benz Hur So Tale
OF the Christ =
b. GENERAL {, Lew {. ~ WALLACE j; {,

lS-sE SA
/ BY GENERAL LEW WALLACE.
DEscRIPTIoN or THE MOTHER OF
CHRIST. ''She was not more than IF
teen Her form, Voice and manner
belonged to the period Of transition
from girlhood. Her face was perfectly
oval, her complexion more pale than
fair. The nose was fault less; the lips,
slightly parted, were full and ripe, Civ
ing to the lines of the mouth warmth,
tenderness and trust; the eyes were
blue and large. and shaded by droop-
ing lids and long lashes; and, in har-
mony with all, a flood of golden hair,
in the style permitted to Jewish brides,
fell unconfined down her back to the
pillion on which she sat. The throat
and neck had the downy softress
sometimes seen which leaves the artist
in doubt whether it is an effect of con-
tour or color. To these charms of
feature and person were added others
more indefnable--an air of purity
which only the soul can impart, and
of abstraction natural to such as
think much of things impalpable.
Often, with trembling lips,
she raised her. eyes to heaven, it.
self not more deeply blue; often she
crossed her hands upon her breast, as
in alteration and prayer; often she
raised her head like one listening Gag
erly for a calling voice. Now and then,
midst his slow utterances, Joseph
turned to look at her, and, catching
the expression kindling her face as
with light, forgot his theme, and with
bowed head, wondering, plodded on.
The stranger glanced at Mary and
kept silence. She was looking up at
the bald top OF Geuor. The sun touch
! ed her upturned face, and filled the
violet depths OF her eyes; and upon
her parted lips trembled an aspiration
! which could not have been to a NOR
tai. For the moment all the humani.
| ty OF her beauty seemed refined away;
she was as we fancy they are who sit
close by the gate in the trahasfgurine
light of heaven. The Beth-Dagonite
saw the original of what, centuries
| after, came as g. vision of genius to
| Sanzio the divine, and LETT him I'M
| mortal"
DESCRIPTION OF THE PERSON OFCHRIsT.
TAT the Same instant, under the
same impulse, Balthasar and Ben Hur
fixed their gaze upon the man pointed
out, and both took the same impress
sion, only in different degree. He was
moving slowly towards them in clear
space little to their front, O. form
| slightly above the average in stature,
and slender, even delicate. His action
was calm and deliberate, like that
habitual to men much gwen to serious
thought upon grave Subjects; and it
| we'll became his costume, which was
An under-garment, full-sleeved and
reaching to the ankles, and an outer
robe called the talith; on his left arm
he carried the usual handkerchief for
the head, the red fl!et swinging loose
down his side. Except the fillet and q
narrow border of blue at the lower edge
OF the talith. his attire was OF linen
ye'lowed with dust and road stains.
Possibly the exception should be- ex-
tended to the tassels, which were blue
and white, as prescribed by law for
rabbis. His sandals were Of the sim
plest kind. He was without scrip or
girdle or staff
'These points Of appearance, how
ever, the three beholders observed
briefly, and rather as accessories to
the head and face OF the man, which,
especially the latter--were the real
sources Of the spell they caught in
common with all who stood looking
at him.
"I'he head was open to the cloud
less light, except as it was draped
with hair, long and slightly waved ,and
parted in the middle, and auburn in
tint, with a tendency to reddish gold
EN- where most strongly touched by the
sun. Under broad, low forehead, un-
der black, wellarched brows, beamed
eyes dark blue and large, and soften
ed to exceeding tenderness by lashes
OF the great length sometimes seen ON
children, but seldom, if ever on men,
AS to the other features, it would
have been difficult to decide whether
they were Greek or Jewish. The delica-
cy of thenostrilsa and mouth WAS unusu-
al to the latter type; and when it was
taken into account with the gentleness
OF his eyes, the pallor of the complex
ion, the fine texture OF the hair, and the
softness of the" beard, which fell in
waves over his throat to his breast,
never asoldier but would have laughed
at him in encounter, never woman
who would not have confided in him
at sight, never q child that would not,
with quick instinct, have given him its
hand and whole artless trust; nor
might any one have seen he WAS not
beautiful.
'The features, it should be further
said, were ruled by a certain express
sion which, as the viewer chose, might
with equal correctness have been
called the effect of intelligence, love,
pity or sorrow; though, in better
speech; it was blending of them all
a look easy to fancy as the mark of q
sinless soul doomed to the sight and
understanding of the utter sinfulness
Of those among whom it was passing;
yet withal no one could have observed
the face with a thought ofweakness In
the man; SO at least, would not they
who know that the qualities men
tioned-love, sorrow, pity-are the IT.
suits OF q consciousness of strength
to do; such has been tho might OF
martyrs and devotees and the myriads
written down in sanity calendars.
And such, indeed, was the air of this
one"
The Instinct of Love.
Fortnightly Review.
In minor matters it is, OF course,
universally admitted that short men
as a. rule. prefer, tail women. while