New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
HOW HE WROTE "BEN-HUR.'
GENERAL LEW WALLACE DESCRIBES iHH
MAKING or THE FAMOUS STORY


Az INTENSELY INTERESTING NARRATIVE or no
plFrIcrLTIEs AND LABoRs GIVEN N
LECTURE AT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH
General Lew Wallace closely held the attention
Of a large audience last evening al Ca'dry p"p"'
Church as he told the story OF beh-Hu', NO
ception growth and finish. The speaker OF ,re e.,"
ING u,as introduced by General Esbert /" 'ie.e' VINO
""o,o ~ b,s Measure at the privilege which had
49,, givcn him at the same time considering IL al
nosi unnecessary to introduce to an American a"'',
once an American who was peter KNOW" y" 49,,
hemisphcres than was any other c''he'' nv
sneaker referred TO the Worldwide repu'a'o" ~
..uen.IIur' and 10 memories which were ciosey
connected with its author. AS comrade III 'ne
cr,rd Army of the Republic and or the Loya'
re1ion he welcomed rim TO the metropolis
-, has been said" he added. that the pen Is
,,ichtlcr than the sword. We nave iouh" ma"
wbo ia equally strong with each. VINO Is ea"ai'S
s,ronc IN oratory and In the beauty OF poetry VINO
has brought back to us the mystic scenes OF inc
,h,ugbts and NE of the Son OF Man. The echoes OF
,ho uunt Of olives for 700 years have hled the
souls Of men with pathOs. ana the cohl'tlo'S IA
b Christ lived as man have been depicted by TINS
Gifted writer as by other. we welcome MN a.
= so,llcr an author orator and staiesnan.
=, , few well-choscri words General Nallhce
o.l,royyIodged his Introduction. lie then referred
~ tho subject Of his lecture. expressing his ais
sa,,sfaction n the title which had been given 10
!, saving that it might better have been calIed
."rhc writing " Ben-iiur. with some oil inc
f,oy. Why's. Whers. Where's and Wherefores.
THE QUESTION FREQUENTLY ASKED.
..Thc question % how came 10 "rlle ben
Ifur ne continued. has o"en put 10 me SO many
,Irrcs and rs 80 many people that at last de-
-, ill., ,be answer might be interesting. "
o,on in uublc The beginning Of 'Rcn-liur was
,,h, atout bv a quotation from st. Matthew:
.Nov when Jesus was born In Bethlehem OF Ju'e"
q, the DAYS " ierod the kine behold there came
yylse Men from the East to Jerusalem saving
..,vb,rc * he that g. born King Of the jews io'
10 have sccn his star in the East ana are come
49, u,orship him. This quotation affected me more
,han any other which had ever r.ad. 10"
simple :, seems. and yet anaiyLe IL anu "'S'o'''
tho difficulties which besct you. IL says t"eHe
Wise Men came from the East. ana ye' gives no
,des NJ ,heir number. The star which they roll
lowed could not have been set IN the heavens
for hal IT been II could not haVo leu tne'"
,r,cv could not have walked the entire distance
70, how could they have known when they
reached their destination what was there III
that rude hamlet. what about That pane III swan
ding clothes 10 lead them 10 suppose tnat ,n'y
had found Him for whom they sought y "'''s
In a stable -mangcr!
IAN these IDEAS had surgei through my oraih.
and in 1875 az { was recovering from the siege OF
res,cssners afi~r the years Of service IN war ne
,.rmlneI 10 arte'down these IDEAS. beglnnlhs WIN
~. meeting IN the desert AMI ending with the birth
81 the child IN the cave OF Bethlehem was "o'
/, the l.as, degree Influenced BY religious sent-
ror,s neither believed nor dlsbeievsd. Preachers
had made no effect upon me. and can ruth'u'N
say that my attitude was ore OF iniinerch'e hu'
when my work was really begun began u "''''
rsyerently and with VITA most writer's 'he
characters which they create become IVns Great
urcs TO them |. Was 80 with me The characters
li, u he n ! inrin
the.r features talked to them and they answered
m. some OF them de,ested. and others affected
ana lived with them IN constant 'ompahphs"P'
Tiey knew me equally az well Think OF tne So
c.s,y - which tbs oompAnionshp admitted me
The ride with Bal,hasar in the desert, the com
ptav 30 tnc mysterious Three. the journey 10 jesus
AMI the cave - H-thlohcm hearing ierod IN con-
versatlon Think OF ly.ng with tn shepherds IL
their shecpfo.d that cold. clear staihsH' night
walking with Joacph past the tomb % Rachael ana
more than all. % being In close communion WIZ
tina, lowly maid who af;ei ~ the go" '''
| catholic phrase WAS called the Mother ~ Col
80 THOUGHT or \ FULL-GKOwN BOOK.
Well finished the proposed serial ana put II,
away until should nnd courage To MAKE use OF
IL I'm all thls time the thought had not once oc-
cured 10 me TO make OF my notes ll-Srown book
This may be surprising 10 many people. ana u So
I would ask critical examination OF the beginning
OF Book H. II Will be found TO be the beginning
- novel At ~ even possible Tor me 10 TX 'h'
place and boar Of itr conception. but need only
say that one night IN 1916 had been listening TO Il
| discussion on God and Heaven, Christ and HIS
| divinity. had trudged along IN The dark with no
aid except my thoughts. good OF bad as they
might be. but at that time | became ashamed
| Of my ignorance The modification OF pride
| which endured. II may call II so
decided me TO study If only for the qualification OF
having convictions. But now should conduct this
studye Deve irto theology? shuddcrcd | had
considered the theories Of theology but the husks
| of Improbable research. |; seemed mechanical
| religion. and | determined 10 read the Bible and
| the four Gospels and rely upon myseI When |
| began upon my subject 1t seemed dry to me.
searched for some way to make 1t bright to give
It color of pastime. and yet to keep 1t Interesting.
! My manuscrip. had ended with the birth Of Christ.
and determined 10 GO TO the end. but obstacles
seemed hem IN every side Ii has been