The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-08
The Divine Tragedy OH Calvary.

tion, eXcept some scrubby hyssop.
The boundary of the space was ilV,
ing wall of men, with men behind
struggling, some to look over, others
to look through it. An inner wall OF
Roman soldiery held the dense outer
wall rigidly to its place. A centurion
kept eye upon the soldiers. Up 10 the
very line so vigilantly guarded Ben
Hur had been led; at the line be
stood, his face to the northwest. The
knoll was the old Aramaic GOlgotha-
in Latin, Calvaria; anglicized, Calva-
ry; translated, the skull.
And this was the ensemble
of three millions of people; under it
three millions of hearts throbbing with
passionate interest in what was taking
place upon the knoll Indifferent as to
the thieves, caring only for the Naza-
rene, and for him only as he was an
object of hate or fear or curioslty-he
who loved them all, and was about to
die for them.
Up to the knoll, quite to the round
summit, so as to be seen far and near,
was the Nazarene, stopped and suffer-
ing, but silent. The wit among the
guard had complemented the crown
upon his head by putting a reed in his
hand for a sceptre. Clamors blew
upon him like observation-disclosures
crations-sometimes both together in
distinguishably. A man-ony q man,
o reader, would have charged the
blasts with the remainder of his love
for the race, and let it go forever.
All the eyes then looking were fix
ed upon the Nazarene. 1t may have
been pity with which he was moved (;
whatever the cause, Ben-Hur was con-
scious of change in his feelings. A
conception of something better than
the best of this life something so
much better that it could serve weak
man with strength to endure agonies
of spirit as we'll as of body; some
thing to make death welcome-per-
haps the spirit-life which Balthasar
held to so fast, began to dawn upon
his mind clearer and clearer, bringing
to him a certain sense that, after all,
the mission of the NaZarene was that
of guide across the boundary for such
as loved him across the boundary. to
where his kingdom was set up and
waiting for him. Then, as something
borne through the air out of the
almost forgotten. he heard again, or
seemed to hear, the saying of the Ma
zarene,
II AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE
LIFE"
And the words repeated themselves
over and over, and took form, and the
dawn touched them with its light, and
filled them with . new meaning.
And as men repeat question to grasp
and fix the meaning, he asked, gazing
at the figure on the hill fainSing under
its crown, Who the Resurrection ?
aud who the Life?
~ AM"
the figure seemed to say-and say it
of a peace such as he had never
known-the peace which is the end
of doubt and mystery, and the begin
ming of faith and love and clear un-
derstanding.
From this dreamy state Ben-Hur
was aroused by the sound of hammer
ing. On the summit of the knoll he
observed then what had escaped him
before-some soldiers and workmen
preparing the crosses. The holes for
planting the trees were ready, and
now the transverse beams were being
fitted to their places.
IBID the men make haste" saith
the high-priest to the centurion.
"These"-and he pointed to the Ma
zarene-'must be dead by the going
down of the sun, and buried that the
land may not be defiled. Such is the
Law"
With better mind, soldier went
to the NaZarene and offered him
something to drink, but he refused the
cup. Then another went to him and
took from his neck the board with the
inscription upon it, which he nailed t.
the tree of the crOss-and the prepa
ration was complete.
1.-The crosses are ready" saith the
centurion to the pontitf, who received
the report with wave Of the hanC
ami the reply,
"Let the blasphemer go first. The
Son of God should be. able to saw.
himself. We will see."
The people to whom the preparation
in it's several stages was visable, anC
who to this time had assailed the hill
with incessant cries of impatience
permitted lull which directly became
a universal hush. The part OF the in
Fiction most shocking, at least to the
thought, was reached-the men were
to be nailed to the crosses. When fol
that purpose the soldiers laid theil
hands upon the Nazarene first, shud
der passed through the great con
course; the most brutalized shranB
with dread. Afterwards there were
those who said the air suddenly chill
ed and made them shiver.
. The work went on. The
guard took the Nazarene's clothes
from him; so that he stood before the
millions naked. The stripes of the
scourging he had received in the early
morning were still bloody upon his
back; vet he was laid pitilessly down
and stretched upon the cross-tirst, the
arms upon the transverse beam the
spikes were sharp-a few blows, and
they were driven through the tender
palms; next they drew his knees up
until the soles of the feet rested upon
the tree; then they placed one foot
upon the other, and one spike fixed
both of them fast. The dulled sound
of the hammering was heard outside
the guarded space and such as could
not hear, yet saw the hammer as il
fell. shivered with fear. And Witha]
not groan, or cry, or word of remon.
strance from the sufferer: nothing al