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Show BEN HUR'S DISCOVERY. Today, as we write, a line of person of both sexes, anxious to secure seats for the performance of "Ben Hur," reaches from the box office almost to the next street corner. There is something admirable ad-mirable in the novel creating "Ben Hur." What there isto the drama beyond the spectacular, we have little knowledge. That little is drawn from the bills announcing the performance. The illuminated illumi-nated posters contain a picture of the chariot race. Probably this is. the feature which excites the throng patiently awaiting their turn at the box office. If there be sermons in stones, surely we may find in the drama much to move emotion. Xo matter mat-ter how artfully the dramatist brings out Ben Hur, the central figure of Lew Wallace's great book, he cannot reveal its chief importance in the scene where the chariots are racing. To the religious reli-gious mind, the scenes necessarily omitted because be-cause they would embrace the soul part of the written story, lie in those leaves of the novel where Ben Hur first meets the boy Christ, and again discovers him on his way to Calvary. This is a part no dramatist. could make clear. Stage language lan-guage is inadequate for the purpose; so is the scenery. In the early chapters of "Bon Hur," this Jewish Jew-ish hero's enemy is a Iioman youth of patrician blood. Ona can' comprehend the persecutions of the Jews under the Caesars in the light of the persecutions of the present by the Gentiles, or Christians. It so happened that, through the malicious ma-licious vengeance of the Iioman youth, Ben Hur was seized, bound and carried over the desert, destined des-tined to slavery. On the road his captors halted near a well, around which were earned a little Jewish caravan. Finns? unmi tbr o-rmmrl tii.1tt dead from exhaustion, Ben Hur closed his eyes in anguish. Opening them, he saw bending over him a youth, whose countenance expressed sublime pity. The youth held a cup of water to the lips of Ben Hur. The act, the heavenly face, burned itself into the soul of the unhappy Jew." As it usually turns out in novels, there appears a time when Ben Hur overcomes the obstacles which his enemies set for his destruction, and he witnesses their discomfiture. This so happened in the chariot race, where he defeated the Bonian youth who caused him so much misery. As we said before, this, to the religious mind, is not the important part of the novel. It comes in response to Ben Hur's desire for a Messiah, whom, he imagines, im-agines, could be no other "than a person able to destroy the power of the Romans and rebuild Ju-dea. Ju-dea. He hears about this Jesus of Nazareth, the miracles he performs and the multitudes who listen to his teachings. Such a man, to Ben Hur'a mind, is the only one to crash liomc and uplift the people.. Such a man i3 the promised Messiah. The same thought guides human desire and am- I bition at this day, and will forever. The Messiah must be a man of wrath, a man of inexorable justice. jus-tice. And where did Ben Hur at last find this powerful power-ful Messiah, after vainly seeking him in the temple tem-ple and all about Jerusalem? On the road to Calvary, Cal-vary, somebody told him, to be crucified there. Away started Ben Hur to overtake the mob. He is sure he could persuade this Messiah to listen to the plans he had laid and the men at his command com-mand for insurrection. One word from the Naza-rene Naza-rene and the spears .would drop from the Roman soldiery. One word, and rebellion would be lighted upon all the hills of Judea. He overtakes .the mob and breathlessly makes way to the central cen-tral figure. lie is' beside him now, and his hand upon his arm. One look of agony from the sacred eyes, and then Ben Hur perceives in that countenance the youth who succored him while he lay prostrate in the desert. This was the Messiah, Mes-siah, but the Messiah of love and forgiveness, even to ignominious death. Ben Hur turned away. A mighty truth was revealed to him through that gaze of the Savior. Ben Hur was a disciple of Christ, tho meek and lowly Christ, from, that hour. Those who perceive God in everything which carries his name to our hearts, will sometimes find in a novel more to excite devotion than even in books of devotion. Lew Wallace probably clid not write "Ben-Hur" with this end in view. Nevertheless Never-theless he has unconsciously aided a devotion to which Catholics are warmly attached the devotion devo-tion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. |