Oroville daily Butte record. [volume] (Oroville, Butte County, Calif.) 1856-1858, 1857-02-06
The Legend of the wandering
jew.

Jewish nation by the traits of the Wan
dering Jew. 1t represents an old man
with naked feet, uncovered head, and
long white beard, wandering ceaseless.
ly over the earth. His face is pale,
mark OF blood is upon his forehead,
his eyes burn like sapphires beneath
their oblique lids. With an eagle nose
and blood-like lips, squalid and harsh
in features, and clad in IA coarse wool
en- gown, he ever pursues with staff in
hand his intcrmnable journey. Speak
ing all languages and travcrsng all
lands, knowing not the purpose Of God
concerning himself, and ever driven
onward by "a secret impulse, he is trans
ported from place to place with the
speed Of the wind aud rs the long
centuries come successfully to a close,
his old age renews istclf with the yigor
Of youth in order that he may complete
the weary round Of ages. The people
wonder as he hastcns on. Once or
twice only he pausld to tell his story.
He was Of the jewish nation. Auasu-
eras by name. and sbomak r by trade.
Dwelling in Jerusalem he pcrscuted
our Savior, and was Of those WHO cried
"Crucify him - The sentence Of
death having been pronounced, he ran
to his house, before which Jesus was
to pass on the way to Calvary. TAX
ing his child in his arms, he stood al
the door with all his family to behold
the procession. Our Saviour, weighed
down by the heavy burden Of the
Cross, leaned for a moment against the
wall; and the jew, to show his zeal,
struck the innocent one with cruel
blows, and pointing to the place Of ex-
ecution, babe him 90 on. Then Jesus
turning to the unfceling child Of Israel,
said: "Thou refuses; rest for the son
Of God: ! 90, for it must needs be
But for thee there shall be no rest or
reposc until | return. Go forth on
thy long journey; leave thine own;
traverse montain and seas Pauslng
neither in the cities nor tho desert,
Nowhcrc-not even in the tomb. As
an example 20 the universe, and bear
ing everywhere the heavy weight Of
my curse. Much shalt thou long for
death, thy deliyerance ; But shalt not
die until tho day Of Judgment"
He assists at the cruciiiction, and
then goes forth, mysterious stranger,
whose feet shall become familiar with
all lands.
How age after age he longs for the
sweets of death and the repose Of the
tomb! But III spite Of death lac must
live on his dust shall not mngle with
that Of his ancestors lie drags him
self from u gloomy cavern OF Mount
Carmel, shaking the dust from his
beard, grown even 10 his knees Nine
erinning scnlls are before him. lie
scizes and hurls them from the top Of
the mountain, and they go bounding
down from rock to rock. They arc the
souls Of his parents, OF his wife ana
six small children, all OF whom have
been able to die but he cannot. lie
rushes into the flames OF falling Jcrus.
allen, and attempts to burn himself be-
meath the crumbing ruins of Rome !;
but in vain. Flying from cities and
men, the wandercr seeks the solitary
places of the earth. He climbs the
everlasting mountains; passing be-
You'd the regiou of verdure and OF
dashing torrents, his iect tread the
seas Of amethyst and opal Above
him are only peaks shrouded in m'sts
and eternal SHOWS. The daring eagle
scars not so high There are no
sounds save the cracklings Of the 9 Id
ciers. The soul seems almost to touch
the heavens above There surely the
Wandering jew shall rest No. y
pursuing angel unsheatheS a sword OF
flaming fire, and 10 ! the wanderer be-
hold once more in the heavens the dra-
ma of the Crucifxion. The way from
earth to heaven IS studded with myrI-
ids Of celestial beings radiant with
light. Before him are all the martyrs
and saints and sages who have ever
lived aud died. For moment he gaz.
es upon the vision, and turns away