The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-08-13


all that happens in the intervening
years hOyers the gentle spirit thrilling
as the episodes are in themselves.
strongly as the characters are pOr-
trayed. they are but a preparation for
what * to follow, a mere worldly set
ting for him who was too great for all
save a few TO understand nj that time.
Some twenty-one years after the
scenes at the manger. a young jew.
Ben-Hur, prince OF Jerusalem. rich.
happy. ambitious. was standing by
parapet of his palace. watching the
progress of ya,erius 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; 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 I'M
happy jew was sent as rover TO the
galleys. where the limit Of life was at
most but "a year His mother and sis
ter were immured in 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 face he never forgot-the
| face Of "a boy about his own age.
shaded ~ locks Of yellowish bright
chestnut hair; face lighted by dark
blue eva. at the time so soft, so APP
| pealing 40 full of love and holy pur-
pose, tina. they had all the power Of
command and will" That was In
Nazareth.
How Ben-Hur in time became a
rover on the flagship of Airrus. dunn
vir and admiral, how the flagship was
destroyed in a 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
n Roman officer in the train of con-
sui setting forth on 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
saa was entered for the highest stake
in the great sporting event of the
orient how Ben-Hur won the affection
of Iderlm, the Arab shek, who had
entered his steeds of the desert for
the great event--all this leads up to
t the dramatic encounter of the famous
chariot race. The author drew his
, description of the race from one writ
ten over twenty-three hundred years
: ago by the tragic poet Sophocles. 1t
is one of the curiosities of literature
: that the great scene, through the pages
' of Lew Wallace's novel, has become
4 as famous on our stage as 1t was SO
h long ago on that of Greece.
By his victory in the arena Ben
I Hur cxacted ancient Jewish justice
on his hated adversary. who was
!; crushed in body and impoverished In
Z fortune, he had wagered on his sue
S cess all the wealth he had stolen from
0 his former friend. The victor almost
e fell prey, however, to the vampire
;, daughter Of Egypt who was rival for
/ his love with the gentle Jewish Esther.
o but henceforth his thoughts were con-
y centrated on him who was attracting
e all eyes. Was he Messiah or king?
o Ben-Hur, in his hatred Of Rome, in his
: pride of race. dreamed only of a king
n Of this world, who should right an
r cient wrongs and exalt his chosen peo-
II pie. And so he threw himself with
p oil his force, with all his wealth, with
D all the knowledge gained at Rome,
|; into making secure and strong the way
u OF the king whom he would follow.
g But it was for one supreme In things
+ spiritual rather than material that
IN the way was being made ready. And
lg Ben-Hur's mother, rescued with her
IF daughter from her long Imprisonment
he by chance change Of jailers, but
IS hopeless lepers both. saw the truth
" sooner than her son.
~ "'Oh Master Masterv she cried as
, he passed upon the road. Thou seest
: our need; thou canst make US clean
- Have mercy upon us--mercy!
'Believest thou I am able to dc
this?' he asked.
!, ""ThOu art he Of whom the prophets
~ spake-thou art the Messiahv she re-
~ piled. His eyes grew radiant his man
, ner confident.
=. "Woman,' he said. great is thy
~ faith; be 1t unto thee even as thor
:" wilt"
And so, in the end, Ben-Hur recog
-. nized what Balthazar had known from
:, the beginning. "Oh wise Egyptian
-, hearken! Thou alone were right-th'
Nazarene is indeed the son Of God "
| 1910 ~, <So r,os< r,,by;shivu m