The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-29

TO I'M UNIVERSITY STUDENT.

sWo - Faint O.s Fss1sse.
WIN 4 Humphrey delivered befogU he
students % the Univsfsify of Washington
On Friday evening . lecture which dealt
with an interesting literary theme. and
was itself marked BY . high degree of
literary excellence. His subject. Wallace's
Ben Hur," IL one 70 which Mr.. Humphrey
has evidently devoted profound and sympa-
thettc study. sufficient evidence OF which
u found In the original sonnet with which
his lecture closed.
NO American book has been 20 wen r.
estved at homo and none 10 well abroad ~
Ben Hur.' % Md Mr.. Humphrey In his
lecture. That mastsrpiece Of Harriet
Beecher Stowe. Uncle Toms Cabin has
been a. ceservedly popular. and It ever
will be read with deepest interest. a. long
a. sorrow. suffering and inhumanity shall
touch the heart. The clanking chain 10
heard no moro. the savage bloodhound no
longer pursues the fleeing slave, the auction
block and slave pen have vanished. and
the simple touching story Of Uncle Tom.
fortunately. Is q picture OF an awful MEN,
DRY. Ben Hur' Is a tale for all times. The
story OF Uncle Tom appeals to the emotions
rather than to the intellect. You laugh and
weep. But Ben Hur is unbroken by q sin
gle fash OF wit, and the subject - even
too monotonous TO permit of humor While
you are led through the depths Of the deep
est sorrow that the human heart can know
and are made to share In the sublimest Joy
that this world can give. yet you never
smile and are never tolchsd to tears. To
express the sorrow and the Joy depicted in
this wonderful book by such outward
show would be mockery."
Speaking Of Wallaee's delineation Of
character the lecturer said:
ssTn the cha ra rsara NJ mon Wallace Hkn
Shakespeare. Is too true TO nature to paint
one perfect. He has given us a Messiah
and a Ben Hur. In Messiah. we have all
the haughtiness. the cynicism. the disdain
and cruelty OF the sneering young Roman
patr.cian OF the period. AS such a charac-
ter he is worthy OF careful study, and as
We follow him in his carousals and d,ssipa-
tons and go with him through the walks
of his daily life, we are convinced of the
authors intimate knowledge Of Roman his
tory.
Ben Hur was q Jew. He had all the
characteristics OF that remarkable race,
traits that with all the mixing with other
peoples of the world after a lapse Of more
than eighteen centuries are still as clearly
distinct as the day on which the shepherds
left their fiocks feeding on the hills by
Bethlehem, and went to worship the new
born King. His is a history Of the strug.
giles. the trials, the disappointments, the
forgivins. 80 fun Of the milk Of human
Kindness or so God-like a. the great
creation Of Victor Hugo. Jean Vatican, nor
Is he 30 far above the ordinary men IN his
traits and IDEAS as many imaginary heroes
He Is human in all his characteristics. and
for that reason We get nearer to him: he
catches our sympathy and we love him
more. He is man, but he Is great. Great
In his misfortune and surprisingly great In
his triumphs- Only too true II the saying,
that most men can stand adversely. but
few can stand prosperity Shakespeare
put In the mouth of Brutns words true for
all ages when he says:
" But It's q common prook
That lowliness Is young ambtuon'G LAD
whereto the climber-upwaro turns hss
But when he once attains the upmost
He then unto the ladder turns his back.
Looks In tho clouds. scorning the base
degrees
| By which he aid ascend
80. while we follow Ben Hur through
all hts terrible trials end misfortunes with
our sympathy and admiration. II Is when
he triumphs over his enemies. when peace
and happiness come to him at last; when
he Is surrounded by the comforts and lux
uries of life. rich and powerful. and his
life arched by clouuless sky. that he be-
comes surprisingly grand-the great hero
| OF the greatest of all modern novels. The
character OF Ben Hur Is immortal. II
shall live as long as a story OF loyalty ana
love. ambition and hate. triumph and de-
feat. shall touch the hearts OF men,
As 10 the sources of the novels popular
| ity. Mr.. Humphrey said:
The story covers what Is and always
| must be the most Interesting period in the
| history OF the race. The time when Rome
was mistress of the world and ruled IT
| with rod OF iron. and her victorious le-
| gions had born her conquering eagles
| over all the known lands. The period from
which all time IS computed, and around
which all the past and all the future must
| revolve forever: the time when the Son Of
| God walked the earth and dwelt with the
| children OF men.
In this book are sung the sweetest
songs OF love. In 1t are told the stories Of
| daring deeds. In II are m,rrored the
| yearnings of the heart. the aspirations of
| the soul. In IL arc the struggles OF man.
| kind pictured. from the wretched galley
| slave TO the emperor OF Rome. In IL are
| taught lessons OF faith. and hope, and
love- and immortality. In 1t are drawn
| with matchless hand. the impulses. the
| passions, the aspirations. the hopes. the
| ambitions. the yearnings and despair tho
| defeats and triumphs. that sway the soul
| and touch the heart, and in 1t all the author
| ever faithfully holds the mirror I'D to ma
| ture'
Tho primal element OF tho book. the
| golden thread interviewer with the fabric
| OF Il all in the cunning loom of the authors
| genius. the warp and wool of the great
! story. Is the life and teachings of the meek
| and lowly Nazarene. He who is walking
| down the ages soothing the sorrows and
bearing the burdens Of men. The same
| star that led wise men through the path
less desert that the shepherds saw by
| night and worshspped; that stood ahove
tho maRser at The crowded wayside inn
| where lay the newborn King the Star q,
! the Babe OF Bethlehem. was The guiding
| star OF the genius Of the author OF Ben
| Hnr. a Tale OF the Christ
| "Mightiest story OF those mighty v..-,.
| Immortal pages on which ehh ard noy
| The deeps % aunaa hope. Here gloon,
| or glow
The ilgh,s Of love or aarkenins mists o.
Here Path. mos, holy. high her tempt.
Here mad ambitions. malice. hatred.
! grow.
| Aal asi rasions hish-the 10Y an, VIC.
| mat max the round OF lie. Yet here
Mnsled With ALL the teaching. ana IN.
! lie e
or i.m whose words are insp.ra,iOn.,
The Pr.nce @, Peace. the conquerer Of
Whose suHersags ana torture On n.
mount
Those @onaroas wOras from lips of
Father, forE.ve; they know nc. what
LONDON SOCIETY.