Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-08-12

once, and then for q moment, but owe
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 preparation fOl
what Is to follow, a mere worldly set
ting for him who was too great for al
save few to understand at that time
Some twenty-one years after the
scenes at the manger, young Jew
Ben-Hur, prince Of Jerusalem, rich
happy, ambitious. was standing by q
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, al
bitter fate wOGld have 1t, fell full upon
the governor. The accident was not
fatal; but 1t 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 Benz ur
though the latter had been. The I'M
happy Jew was sent as a rover to the
galleys, where the limit Of life was al
most but year. His mother and sis
ter were immured In a 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. 1.-THE hand
laid kindly upon his shoulder awoke
the unfortunate man, and looking up,
he saw a face he never forgot-the
face of a boy about his own age,
shaded by locks Of yellowish bright
chestnut hair; a 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 a
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 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 conf1scation the vast intangible
wealth of the Hurs and had multiplied
it 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 |
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
as famous on our stage as it was so
long ago on that of Greece.
By his victory in the arena Ben
Hur exacted ancient Jewish justice
On his hated adversary, who was
crushed In body and impoverished in
fortune, he had wagered on his sue
cess all the wealth he had stolen from
MS former friend. The victor almost
Tell prey, however, to the vampire
laughter Of Egypt who was rival for
his love with the gentle Jewish Esther.
But henceforth his thoughts were con-
,entrated on him who was attracting
Ill eyes. Was he Messiah or king7
3en-Hur, in his hatred Of Rome, in his
Iride Of race, dreamed only Of king
# this world, who should right an
lent wrongs and exalt his chosen peo-
Die. And so he threw himself with
Ill his force, with all his wealth, with
Ill the knowledge gained at Rome,
nto making secure and strong the way
4 the king whom he would follow.
But 1t was for one supreme in things
spiritual rather than material that
he way was being made ready. And
Sen-Hur's mother, rescued with her
laughter from her long Imprisonment
" chance change Of jailers, but
lopeless lepers both, saw the truth
ooner than her son.
"'Oh Master, Masterv she cried as
e passed upon the road, Thou seest
ur need; thou canst make US clean.
lave mercy upon us-mercyP
"'Believest thou / am able to do
hisy he asked.
"'Thou art he Of whom the prophets
pake-thou art the Messiahp she re-
lied. His eyes grew radiant, his man
err confident.
"iWoman. he said. great is thy
aith; be it unto thee even as thou
,ilt.'"
And so, in the end, Ben-Hur PecOg-
lied what Balthazar had known from
he beginning. ooh wise Egyptian,
ThOu alone were right-the