The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-02

strongly us the Characters are p0r-
trayed, they are but a preparation for
what is to follow. mere worldly set
ting for him who was too great for all
save a few to understand at that time.
Some twenty-0ne years after the
scenes at the manger, young Jew,
Ben-Hur, prince of Jerusalem, rich,
happy, ambitious, was standing by a
parapet of his palace, watching the
progress of Valerius Gratus, imperial
governor of Judea. AS the Roman
passed beneath the wall amid the jeers
and insults of the Jews the young
prince leaned far out to see the new
governor; a tile was displaced and, as
bitter fate would have it, fell full upon
the governor. The accident was not
fatal; but it was an opportunity for
exemplary justice; especially as the es-
tates Of the Jew were very desirable
to the governor and his friend Messiah,
hitherto almost brother to Ben-Hur
though the latter had been. The un-
happy Jew was sent as rover to the
galleys, where the limit of life was at
most but year. His mother and sis
ter were immured in q secret cell in
the Tower Of Antonio, where they
were doomed to the fate of the lep-
ers. The only act Of kindness Ben
Hur could remember during the years
that followed was on the day he was
dragged to the galleys. "The hand
laid kindly upon his shoulder awoke
the unfortunate man, and looking up,
he saw a face he never forgot-the
face of boy about his own age,
shaded by locks of yellowish bright
chestnut hair; face lighted by dark
blue eyes, at the time so soft, so ap-
pealing, so full Of love and holy pur-
pose, that they had all the power of
command and will" That was in
Nazareth.
How Ben-Hur in time became
rover on the flagship Of Airrus, dunn
vir and admiral, how the flagship was
destroyed in great sea fight, how
Ben-Hur rescued the admiral, became
his adopted son and heir, learned at
Rome the manner of Roman war and
Roman sports, returned to the East
a Roman officer in the train of a con-
sui setting forth on a great campaign
against the Parthians; how he dis
covered that his fathers old steward
Simonides had succeeded in saving
from cOnfiscation the vast intangible
wealth Of the Hurs and had multiplied
1t many times, till the young Roman
Jew was the richest private citizen
in the world; the discovery that Mes
sala was entered for the highest stake
in the great sporting event of the
orient; how Ben-Hur won the affection |
Of Ilderim, the Arab sheik, who had |
entered his steeds Of the desert for
the great event-all this leads up to
the dramatic encounter Of the famous
chariot race. The author drew his
description of the race from one writ
len over twenty-three hundred years
ago by the tragic poet Sophocles. 1t
IS one of the curiOsities of literature
hat the great scene, through the pages
If Lew Wallace's novel. has become
IS famous on our stage as 1t was SO
ong ago on that of Greece.
BY his victory in the arena Ben
dur exacted ancient Jewish justice
IN his hated adversary, who was
rushed in body and impoverished in
ortune, he had wagered on his sue
'ess all the wealth he had stolen from
lis former friend. The victor almost
ell prey, however, to the vampire
laughter of Egypt who was rival for
lis love with the gentle Jewish Esther.
But henceforth his thoughts were con-
entrated on him who was attracting
II eyes. Was he Messiah or king?
'en-Hur. in his hatred of Rome, In his
ride of race, dreamed only of king
f this world, who should right an
lent wrongs and e1alt his chosen peo-
lie. And so he threw himself with
II his force, with all his wealth, with
II the knowledge gained at Rome,
ito making secure and strong the way |
f the king whom he would follow. |
tut 1t was for one supreme In things {
piritual rather than material that {
re way was being made ready. And {
en-Hur's mother, rescued with her I
aughter from her long Imprisonment !
Y a chance change of jailers, but r
opeless lepers both, saw the truth r
,oner than her son. r
"'Oh Master, Master! she cried as a
3 passed upon the road, Thou seest
If need; thou canst make us clean. c
ave mercy upon us-mercy! 4
'Believest thou I am able to do j
lis? ne asked q
Thou art he of whom the prophets
,ake-,thOu art the Messiahv she re-
led. His eyes grew radiant, his man
,r confident o
Woman he said. great is thy ;,
18th; be it unto thee even as thou !,
it," .
And so, in the end, Ben-Hur recog- !,
zed what Balthazar had known from :,
e beginning. "Oh wise Egyptian, :,
arken! Thou alone were right-the q
azarene is indeed the son of God" u
pyright, 1919. by tho Post Publishing Co. q
The Boston POST. Published by permits .,