Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

1896.] How I CAm: TO \VHITE BF.N-Ih;R. 109
wafl that He should not actually ,figure in any scflne, and my
cmly violation of thifl wa11 when the cup of water was given to
Ben Bur at ~azareth. A thir·d purpn!'e was to have every
word which he suppOlwtlly utter·ed, the exact words of sainted
hiogt·apher·s. The least amount of time nut of my tive year·s'
wor·k was given to actual composition. It was largely in
re!!e:ud1. I afterwarcls tliscover·ed that I had made. but one
err·or, aJHl that was in my de~w•·iption of the Bay of Xaples,
when I r·efen·etl to the snwking mountain. I was four· years
too previous. \VIwn written to of my mistake I lookecl the
matter up, and fonml that at the time r·efened · to, Vesuvius
was supposed to be an extinet voleano, anti not until fom· years
l:Lter did the mountain hegin to smoke.
Do not imagine that I wr·ote every day. Although it was
my clesir·e to tln' so, I WH.!I a hreacl-winnet·, a111l hacl dutie11 to
attend to. Tlu~re wet·e clays when Ben H ur would call to me,
ancl with persil'ltence: on othet· clays l'lome other character·
wonlcl •lo the same, and at such times I was powerless to tlo
aught but ohey, anti was fot·eetl to fly fr·orn emu·t anti client.
~Iauy of thP. Keenes of the book wer·e blocked out in my jour··
ney11 to ancl from my offiee. During a trip from Indianapolis
to my home, when l was clelayed upon the road, l wr·nte the
little snug of Tit·z:\h's, which ha.s several time!! been published.
But the greater part of my worl( was .lone at home, my favor·ite
\VI'iting-plaee being in the g:u·den, ht>neath an olcl Leech tree.
I havt> a pet~llliat· affection for· that tree. How often when it:,~
thick brauehes have protected me with their