Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-06-08

General wallacc's story of the Author
ship of tho Famous Book.


ship of the Famous Book.
General Lew Wallace says that when
the idea of writing about the wise men
and their journey to Bethlehem first
came to him he had no thought of max
ing y novel out of it. 1t had occurred
to him that serial on the subject
would admit of any number Of ilustra-
tons and might be acceptable to one OF
the magazines.
1t is impossible to fix the hour and
place of the first thought of book pre-
cisely enough that it was a night in rs,
writes General Wallace in the Youths
Companion. l had been listening to a
discussion which involved such ele-
mental points as God, life hereafter,
Jesus Christ and his divinity. Trudg-
ing on in the dark, alone except as
ones thoughts may be company, good
or bad, sense of the importance OF the
theme struck me for the first time with
force both singular and persistent,
The manuscript in my desk ended with
the birth OF Christ iyhy not make it
the first book Of the olume, and go on
to his death
The Christian world would not tolerate
a novel with Jesus Christ as its hero,
and l knew it. Nevertheless, writing
of him was imperative, and he must
appear, speak and act. Further, and
worse as a tribuiation, l was required
to keep him before the reader the
object of superior interest throughout.
And there was to be no sermonizing.
How could this be done without giving
mortal offense? How and leave the
book assured of popularity? 1t does not
become me to intimate any measure OF
success in the accomplishment, yet may
be pardoned for an outright confession OF
the rules prescribed for my government
in the dilemma.
First, l determined to withhold the re-
appearance of the Saviour until the very
last hours. Meantime he should be al
ways coming-today l would have him
as it were, just over the hill yonder-to
morrow he will be here, and then-to
morrow. To bring Balthasar NJ
from Egypt and have him preachin,
the spiritual kingdom, protesting tn,
Master alive because his mission, whicl
was founding the kingdom was as ye
J unfulfilled, and looking for him fearful.
and with an infinite yearning, might b.
an effective expedient.
} Next, he should not be present as al
} actor in any scene of my creation. Tn,
klNlnS CUP VI Wdtci W bCn lluI q
the well near Nazareth is the only vic
} lation of this rule.
Finally, when he was come, l woul
be religiously careful that every wor
he uttered should be literal quotation
from one of his sainted biographers.
| OF the more than five years give
the book the least part was occupied i
l actual composition. Research and in
vestigation consumed most of the appro
1 priated time.
8 When he began the book Geners
: Wallace says he was not in the least il
b. huenced by religious sentiment. 81 Ina
: no convictions about God or Christ" b
t says. 81 neither believed nor disbt
1 lieved in them.
y "The preachers had made no impre
sion upon me. My reading covere
nearly every other subject. Indifferent
is the word most perfectly descriptive
my feelings respecting the tomorrow
a death, as French scientist has happi
. termed the succession of life. Yet whe
% the work was fairly begun / found m
+ self writing reverentially, and frequent
!. with awe. Long before l was throue
o with my book became believer in &c
9 and Christ"