Ben-Hur; a tale of the Christ

en able to make way through the great press of excited people, he never knew; no more did he know the road by which they came or the time it took them to come. He had walked

me he was about to witness. The intentions of God are always strange to us; but not mor

a curtain rises before an audience, the spell holding him i

ind struggling, some to look over, others to look through it. An inner wall of Roman soldiery held the dense outer wall rigidly to its place. A centurion kept eye upon the soldiers. Up to the very lin

off a little way in the perspective only ruddy faces without eyes; off a little farther only a broad, broad circle, which the nearer view instructed him was also of faces. And this was the ensemble of three millions of people; under it three millions of hear

hile looking over a stretch of sea in agitation, and never had this one been exceeded; yet Ben-Hur gave it but

higher, up quite to the round summit, so as to be seen far and near, was the Nazarene, stooped and suffering, but silent. The wit among the guard had complemented the crown upon his head by putting a reed in his hand for a scept

ith strength to endure agonies of spirit as well as of body; something to make death welcome--perhaps another life purer than this one--perhaps the spirit-life which Balthasar held to so fast, began to dawn upon his mind clearer and clearer, bringing to him a certain sense that, after all, t

SURRECTION A

t, and filled them with a new meaning. And as men repeat a question to grasp and fix the meaning, he as

A

e of a peace such as he had never known--the peace which is the end of dou

observed then what had escaped him before--some soldiers and workmen preparing the crosses. The hole

e"--and he pointed to the Nazarene--"must be dead by the going-down of

he refused the cup. Then another went to him and took from his neck the board with the insc

ion to the pontiff, who received the rep

The Son of God should be able

niversal hush. The part of the infliction most shocking, at least to the thought, was reached--the men were to be nailed to their crosses. When for that purpose the soldiers laid their hands

ther said, as she put her

lf had suffered, he drew her face do

t but all who stand and see it--the innocent as w

sank upon

ment--"son of Hur, if Jehovah stretch not forth his

y all this should be, and why it should go on. It is the will of the Nazarene--i

ain, the words were wafted to h

SURRECTION A

ently as to a

oss--first, the arms upon the transverse beam; the spikes were sharp--a few blows, and they were driven through the tender palms; next, they drew his knees up until the soles of the feet rested flat upon the tree; then they placed one foot upon the other, and one spike fixed both of them fast

have him faced?" aske

ied. "In dying I would have him see th

word, they dropped the tree into the hole; and the body of the Nazarene also dropped heavily, and hung

hem, for they know

see and read the writing upon the board over the Nazarene's head made haste to decipher it. Soon as read, the legend was adopted by them and

ews! Hail, Kin

, but in vain; so the titled King, looking from the knoll with dying eyes, must have ha

they were giving the many who from time to time turned to look at them. Suddenly a dimness began to fill the sky and cover the earth--at first no more than a scarce perceptible fading of the day; a twilight out of time; an evening gliding in upon the splendors of noon. But it deepened, and directly drew attention; whereat the noise of the shouting and

monides said soothingly to Esther, who w

did not

prophets and saints--are at work in mercy to themselves and nature. I say to

h from him, he went where Balthasar was kneeling nea

ou alone wert right--the Naza

he was first laid; it is not strange that I knew him sooner than thou; but oh that I should

Ben-Hur. "Doubtless

ised on their crosses, and the crosses planted. The guard was then withdrawn, and the people set free closed in upon the height, and surged up it, like a converging wave. A ma

g of the Jews, save thy

e will come down to us now

"He would destroy the Temple, and rebuild

mself the Son of God; let u

far the greater part of them had never seen him except in this his hour of calamity; yet--sin

e heavens, affected Esther as it began to af

ying, "It is the frown of God, father. What other dr

dvanced to take position nearer the crosses. Ben-Hur gave his arm to Balthasar; yet the Egyptian made the ascent with difficulty. From their new stand, the Nazarene was imperfectly visible, appearing to them not more than a d

rs of insult, provocation, and slow dying. He spoke but once in the time. Some women came and

ice, "behold thy son!" And to th

is head in a paroxysm of pain, they were instantly on the alert. Most marvellous of all, however, was the altered behavior of the high-priest and his following, the wise men who had assisted him in the trial in the night, and, in the victim's face, kept place by him with zealous approval. When the darkness began to fall, they began to lose their confidence. There were among them many learned in astronomy, and familiar with the apparitions so terrible in those days to the masses; much of the knowledge was descended to them from their fathers far back; some of it had been brought away at the end of the Captivity; and the necessities of the Temple service kept it all bright. These closed together when the sun commenced to fade b

f Simonides' mind--that he was hesitating on the verge of belief. He could see the massive face weighed down by solemn reflection. He noticed him casting inquiring glance

u mayst live twice the span of my life, and see nothing of human interest

the rudest class--wretches from the tombs about the

w King of the Jews,

laughter, "Hail, all

reply, they

ews, or Son of God, come

ng, and called to the Nazarene, "Yes, i

the other felon was heard to say to the first one, "Dost thou not fear God? W

t of the hush which ensued, the second felo

ember me when thou co

thy kingdom!" It was the very point of doubt in his m

be of this world. Yon witness saith the King is but going to

n ever before in speech to Ben-Hur. "Hush, I

ne did answer, in a clear

e, To-day shalt thou b

and said, "No more, no more, Lord! The darkness is gone; I see wit

rings, or recall of the years embittered by them; but suddenly a new life was shown him, with assurance that it was for him--a new life lying just be

h the land that he was the Messiah, they had brought the Nazarene to the cross; and, lo! on the cross, more confidently than ever, he had not only reasserted himself, but promised enjoyment of his Paradise to a malefactor.

, his sighs became great gasps. Only thre

stifling vapor loaded the air; heat was superadded to darkness; nor might any one unknowing the fact have thought that off the hill

eads of such as were on the hill within hearing o

d! why hast th

who heard it. One it

o the liquor, and put on the end of a stick, they could moisten the tongue of a sufferer at their pleasure. Ben-Hur thought of the draught h

le in the way shouted,

ran on, and put the spong

te, to

vertheless with a sudden glow; the eyes opened wide, and fixed upon some one visible to them alone

shed! It is

g a great deed, celebrates h

thought the struggle over; but the fainting soul recollected itself, so that he and those aro

hy hands I comm

ish, and the mission and the earthly life were over at once. The hear

friends, saying, simply,

ed to extend itself upwards, and lift its burden, and swing it to and fro higher and higher in the blue of the sky. And every man among them who had jeered at the Nazarene; every one who had struck him; every one who had voted to crucify him; every one who had marched in the procession from the city; every one who had in his heart wished him dead, and they were as ten to one, felt that he was in some way individually singled out from the many, and that if he would live he must get away quickly as possible from that menace in the sky. They started to run; they ran with all their might; on horseback, and camels, and in chariots they ran, as well as on foot; but then as if it were mad at them for what they had done, and had taken up the cause of the unoffending and friendless dead, the earthqu

f Galilee, the centurion and his soldiers, and Ben-Hur and his party, were all who remained upon the hill. These

at her father's feet. "Now cover thine eyes and look not up; but p

rently, "let us henceforth

o," said

en Ben-Hur remembered to have heard a cry in answer, as it were, to the scream of the Nazarene in his last moment; but he had not looked to see from whom it had proceeded; and ever after he believed the spirit of the Egyptian accompanied that of his Master over the boundary into the kingdom of Paradise. The idea rested

ster; but when all was over, the two Galileans

alace of the Hurs about the set of sun that memorable day. About t

the love of every living thing with which he had in anywise to do; but when they beheld his face, and the smile upo

would now be alone in the world; it was a time to forgive and pity her. He remembered he had not asked why she was not of the party in the morning, or where she

ded hastily to the roof in search of her; nor was she there. He questioned the servants; none of them had seen her during the day. After a long quest everywhere through the house, Ben-Hur returned to the guest-chamber, and took the place by the dead which sh

ng fulfilled, Ben-Hur brought his mother and Tirzah home; and from that day, in that house

HER AND CHR

--

ing summer for the roses and vines outside. Everything in the apartment was Roman, except that Esther wore the garments of a Jewish matron. Tirzah and two child

ever beautiful, and in becoming mistress of the v

e-like scene, a servant appeared

trium to speak wi

. I will rece

and was about to speak; then she hesitated, changed color, and f

the daughter

ise, and bade the servant

coldly. "I will

The tall figure remained with some of its grace; but an evil life had tainted the whole person. The face was coarse; the large eyes were red and pursed beneath the lower lids; there was no color in her cheeks

re thy c

ed at them,

you not spe

g her shrink, said, "Be not afraid. Give thy husband a message for me. Tell h

ene

at for the harm I sought to do him I have

er's eyes, and she

ears. Tell him, finally, I have found that

go. Esther

t you. He sought for you everywhere. He will be you

her wa

m of choice. It wi

"have we nothing you woul

omething like a smile played about her lips

something,

and with quick perceptio

lowly, she looked at them; then passed to the door and out of it without a part

rted her father for Messala. Nevertheless, he set out immediately and hunted for her vainly; they never saw her more, or heard of

n, he gave up the business so long centred in the warehouse at Antioch

st of the ships swung at mooring in the current of the river; all the rest had been sold. In the long interval between this and the day of the crucifixion b

of Christians begun by Nero in Rome, and the party on the terrace were talking of the news

" the latter aske

Ar

re i

t immed

id Ben-Hur t

n the follo

e Generous, and sheik of the tribe

you. Read what is herewith sent, and you will know.

him I have retaken--this writing, with other things, and vengeance, an

to you and

of the desert

rim,

low as a withered mulberry leaf. It required

s, sheik of the tribe of Ilder

t property by Antioch known as the Orchard of Palms; and it shall be to the

father. ILDERIM TH

" asked Ben-Hu

rself. Simonides remained silent. His eyes were upo

years. You have much to be thankful for. Is it not time to decide finally th

er; not a part, Simonides, but all of it. The question with me has been, H

des an

y almost with this gift of the generous sheik's, comes the news of the persecution of the br

w I can kee

shes of the dead and all places of burial. If you cannot build temples for the worship of the Lord above ground, then

arose ex

e forbids waiting. The ship that brought the news of the sufferi

ed to M

Malluch, and be tho

ll," said

, what sayest tho

e, and put her hand on

ist. O my husband, let me not hi

, which is more ancient than that of San Sebastiano, he will see what became of the fortune of