Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28


Harold Bell Wright, the preacher ,OhO
uses the nOUeL instead of the pulpit as
his rOstrum to predict day of greater
spirituality.
give rise to unprecedented human happiness
might be resolution for 1881 which would be
more than annual stunt forgotten as
promptly formed. or 7'-
Harold Bell Wright now is approaching the
age when he is qualified to up the spiritual
needs Of a nation. He is nearly 60-58 to be
exact-and for 80 years of that he has ac-
curately gagged the tastes of the multitudes in
things to read And IL we harken to the sages
a man who understands a peoples taste in
literature is most likely to see into their souls.
This tall native of Rome, N. Y, who sue
ceSsively was a sign painter, decorator, land
scape painter and finally a preacher in the
Christian Church, has never departed from his
original purpose of being minister.
He no longer occupies pulpit, he did
for some years. But he has "a broader ministry
which enables him to reach many, many times
more people than he ever could have reached
as conventional parson.
His entry into this broader ministry of writ
ing was quite accidental. He preaching
in a fast-growing town filled with young people,
and ne deplored the towns lack of facilities
for wholesome social intercourse. He preached
week as sort of social center to compete with
the saloons and bawdy houses that were all too
common then.
But the idea was little short of heresy to his
controlling church board and he made no prog
reSs with his plan. So he set about to awaken
his townsmen through the medium Of fiction.
He wrote THAT Printer of Udells' with the
intention of reading it to his congregation,
taking his characters from among his parish
toner's, Scofhng in it at certain hide-bound
traditions that had become useless poking a
little fun and doubtless expecting to shock a
few hearers. 1t was intended primarily for his
parishioners.
He did SO read it, and did so shock few
But some others were impressed with the worth
of the book and prevailed upon him to offer it
for publication 1t was accepted and had rather
a good SALE Returns from it literally startled
him, says Mr. Wright, and by returns he does
not mean just financial income. Because people
began to talk and write and call and generally
show an interest in the things he had said.
THE success of that accidental attempt sug-
gested to Mr.. Wright that he might con-
ceivably, reach much larger audience regu=
larry through the pen. So he deliberately tried
to write second saleable book that embodied
some more Of his ideas of sincere ministry.
The Shepherd Of the Hills" was the OUT
come. and to this day it remains one Of his
best liked books
Thenceforth he devoted his entire energies to
writing. forsaking the speaking pulpit entirely.
He was interrupted at one juncttIre by Ion0
siege of i'll health. But he and Mrs. Wright
moved into cabin in Southern Arizona almost
invisible alongside. the majesty of the blue-hued
Santa Catalina Mountains, where the air was
dry and mild the year round. There he con-
quered the malady which had attacked him,
and while doing so he gave the world another
best seller.
There too, he evolved a permanent love for
the austere hills and the desert, a raw-boned
sort of Nature who reveals her delicacies and
beauties only to those who will stay and see
and expand into the broadness of her. He still
lives there, a few miles from Tucson, in
beautiful home now instead Of cabin, but in
home carefully built to emphasize the full
measure of beauty and inspiration the country
affords.
From there now come the Harold Bell Wright
novels.
First drafts of the Wright novels now come
from what he calls his shop. A visitor to the
Wright home may at first confuse this shop
with true workshop which Mr.. Wright really
does have.
In the latter he is craftsman in wrought
iron, carpentry and wood carving, and there
he does general puttering which ne finds &
most satisfactory hobby.
But I'm his other shop" he Is a craftsman
Continued on Fourteenth Page