The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-19
THE AUTHOR OF "BEN-HUR."
How Gen. Lew Wallace Wrote His
Famous Book
From the Nev York World

In April 1878, the writer was in the
golden age when the years are all sum-
mers." Her happy lot it was to visit Mrs.
Lew Wallace in Charlottesville, Ind, the
home whose the imaginary child Ben-Har
was growing up. The famous chariot race
was onn at that very time, and one might
fancy 1t would have destroyed the family
peace as thoroughly as the car of jug err
naut crashing through the house; but not
so, for Gen. Wallace adds to his greatness
the supreme grace of being amiable at
home.
1t is pleasure to remember that during
the week spent so near Ben-Hur and the
"wife OF his youth" the sky was not dark
ened by one impatient word. The crack of
that chariot whip is heard around the world
in seven different languages, but it never
fell upon those of his own household Tie
book was dedicated to his lady, royal Of
fering, worn with every womanly grace be-
fitting it,
Gen. Wallace's manner was SO courtly
that the first half day the visitor trembled
and wished him away, that she might en-
joy the charming wife unoppressed by his
imperial presence. But the gulf was
bridged by his own music. The next morn
ing the house fairly quaked as he pdc d his
study, to the tune of Good old Ortonville,n
or some other bulwark of the Methodist
hymu-book, roared so Justify that it might
have walked a mummy AT e breakfast
table he said. with awful stateliness, ibid
you hear sounds of melody from my room
this mornngf
YES" sad the bashful maiden (who still
had the earache), "but | should call that
bellowdy."
The singer stared an instant, not being
nsed to such very plain English, then burst
into laugh as merry as the Cheeryble
Brothers. The ice was broken, and behold,
the waters eleath were warm-the veriest
fountain-of-life and good cheer.
The Ben-Hur study had but few require
ments for this easily satisfied man, so he
had chosen a little nook as far from the
household sounds as possib e, and as barren
of modern nveniences" as a monks cell
The children of his fancy needed no seats
they peopled the air--and he occupied the
only chair in the room. All the rest of the
furniture stood OIL the four legs of a table
pens and paper heaped confusedlv on a
big blotter, the New Testament. Geikie's
Life of Christ, "Ivanhoe" and few ref
ference books. The door was always shut for
work. but opened readily for play, and the
visitor usually knocked as she pa ,sed, and
always heard the cordial "Come in" respon-
sive to her inter uptions Then he would
tilt back in his chair and pocket his hands,
like all other men, and laugh and talk Ike
read aloud what he had just written, and
ask if it would do in way that would have
have hattered the very elect, and which
gave rise to the visitors doubtful boast that
She had helped write "Ben-H ,r''-that is,
she hindered. but it was all the same, so the
author hal made her think
This was courtesy, pure and simple, and
an example to less busy men. He wrote
first on a slate TO rub out easily, then Oh soft
PAPER with pencil. His patience in GO
ing over and over the same ground till he
had brought il up 10 his standard would
have commanded the respect of an an.
The final copy of the book was on lar o,
unruled paper in violet ink so exquistely
done that the profession reader of the
Franklin Square house pronounced it the
finest Inanusc fpt ever offered him.
remember little dispute Letween Ben
Hur and his wife over a word. He sa that
when he began the book he was two days
Sc rching for an adjective with just the
right color in it to de ribs a certain thing,
and at last be found it in opaescent Mrs.
Wallace declared for opalne rs being sim.
pler: but Wife-like, he yielded to the
stronger authority, and, no doubt, hourished
opaline in her next publication
We find this jewel OF a word in the
march Of the wise mem "By and by the
moon came up. and as the three tall white
figures sped - It'll souidess tread through
tn opale cent hight they app sred Ike
spe tres flying from hatelui shadows"
Gen Wa iaces abseut-mind .dn.Ss is a
proverb in his family, which brinls down
many a gibe on his be d, aid be ore the
laughter at his putting sugar his sOf,-
boiled egg (rwl heapiDg 81 Oonful) d ID died
down he might be seen just az deliberately
sailing his coffee. This quality might be
one Of heretbty, If certain wild legends
pointing toward his maternal 3 andfather
are t ne.
He is peculiarly man OF res rived force.
He lives in the background Of himself. and