The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-12-03
fas LfosND OF fiin wANrrniNo ,k,y

"'""" heeSt "h''i pcfsOhineu The JCWtsl,
''al'on by thu traits uf the Wandering dew.
II represents IN old man, with naked feet,
uncovered hcn'l. aud long, white beard,
wandering ccasclcssly over tho earth. Ills
face is pale, mark Of blood is upon his
forehead, his eyes burn like sarplircs be-
meath their ohli1uc lids. With an nnre,
like nose, and blood like lips, squnlid and
harsh in features, aud clad in n coarse
w"oIc" gown, lie ever pursucs with staff ~
hand, his in,c'mnaJic journey. Speaking
NIL languages aud t'arcr>ing all lands know
ing not the purpose of God CONCERNING
himself, and ever driven onward l,v q secret
impulse, he is transported from place to
place with the speed Of the wind; and as
the centuries come succcssivcly to Il close.
his old nge rcncwa itself with the viyor of
youth, in order that he may complete the
weary round ol ages. The people wonder
rs lie hastens past. Once or twice only
has heipaused to tell his story. lie WAS of
tie Jewish naton-Ahasucre by name,
and n shoemaker 10y tcadc. Dwelling in
Jerusalem, he prosecuted our Savior, and
was one Of these who cried" Cruelty Him p
The sentence OF death having been pronoun-
ccd, ho ran to his house before which Jesus
was to pass on the way to Calvary. Ia.
king his child in his arms, he stood at the
door with his family TO behold the process
sion. Our Savior, 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 10 the place Q;
execution, bade him 90 now. Then Jesus,
turning to C untecIing child Of Israel,
said:
Thou ref,,sctll rest to the Son of God :
90, for it must needs be;
But for Thee there shall be no rest.
Br rcposc until return.
Go forth on thy long journey;
Leave thine own; traverse mountains and
seas,
Pausing neither in the cities nor the tlcs-
erts,
Nuwhcrc-not even the tomb.
AS example to the Universe, and bear.
ing
Everywhere the heavy weight Of my
curse,
Much shalt thou long for death, thy de-
liverancc,
But shalt not die until the day of judg-
mcnt."
He assists ut the crucifixion, aid then
goes fourth mysterious stranger, whose
feet shall Lccumc familiar with all lands.
How. age after age, he longs for the
sweets Of death and rcposc of the tomb.
Bu' in spite Of death lie must live on; hi,
dust shall not mingle with that of his an
cesters. lie 'lrags himself from gloomy
cavern Of Mount Carmel, shakin. The dust
from his beard, grown even to his knccs-
Nine grinning skulls are before linn. liz
seizcs and hurls them from the top&of the
mountain, and they go bounding down
from rock to rock. They arc the skulls Of
his parents, Of his wife and six small chill
drcn, al OF whom have been able to die;
but l'e cannot. IL rusE,cs into the flames
OF falling Jerusalem, and attempts to bury
himself beneath the crumblinn ruins of
Rome; but in vain. Flying from cities
and men, the wa'l'|crcr seeks the solitary
places Of the earth. lie climbs the noun
tains; passing beyond the region Of ver-
durc, and dashiny torrents his feet tread
The seas ofamctl,yst ana opal. Above him
are only peaks, S rouded in mists and etcr-
nal. The daring eagle scars not so high.
There are no sounds save the cracking Of
tho glaziers. The soul seems almost TO
touch the heavens above. There surely
the Wandering Jew shall rest! No. A
pursuing angel unslica,lls a sword of flaming
fire, aud 10! the wandercr behoIds ut once
IN the heavens the drama of the crucilixon.
The way from earth to heaven is stored
with myrads Of celestial beings, radiant
with light. Before him are all the martyrs
and saints and sayts who have ever lived
and died. For moment he gazes upon
the vision, and turns away chased bv the
sword of flame and demons Of friyh,rul
: form. Then he again ,waulcrs over the
earth, even with five pieces Of copper in his
pocket, ever with the mark of blood upon
his forehead. M."hlcncd with the agony
OF life, he throws himself in the crater Of
-E'n', but the boiling liquid and sulphur
Gus flames burn him not. The foods Of
lava vonit him forth, for his hour has not
yet come. Enbarking upon the sea, the
wind rises its surface into mountain waves
tile vessel divides, and all perish, save
the wandering Jew. Too light to sink in
tile ocean, its waves cast him upon the
L.1tnd cl,ora III ..l.,....As L 1