New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1906-11-28
AMarine Wandering Jew

(Originall
Since steam has largely taken thu
place of sail on the ocean I doubt i
the sailors yarn is what it was fit,
years ago, when the Black Ball line OF
clipper ships sped between the occiden
asd the orient. In my younger days
l was but a lad-I sailed before the
mast in the Dreadnaught. Among on,
crew was Seth Hawkins, an old sail
of forty. We considered him a Methu
selah, tall, thin man with profusion
OF little red curls. He was very reli
gious, observing all the commandments
scrupulously except the ninth, Thou
shalt not bear false Witness" and In
this he sinned only in spinning yarns,
which he always vowed were real hap
penings. One starlight night on the
forecastle while we were lounginy
about the capstan he gave us the fol-
lowing:
you've all heard a lot about Judas
Iscariot, who was cursed with havin'
to live forever and wanderin' all over
the world, at one time bein' seen in
Egypt, another in France, and so on,
always leavin' trail Of misfortune in
his wake. But l. don't believe any Of
you has ever hearn about his sailin' the
seas. There's no sense in this, for how
could he have got to America, where
he's turned up often, unless he crossed
an ocean? Leastaways I've seen him
myself, and on the water too. ...
Il first shipped on the Mark Matthews
on a voyage around the Horn to take in
hides on the west coast Of South Amer
lea. We was layin' in the .doldrums
one evenin' just before four bells. A
thick fog was all about us, and we
couldn't see a cables length. All Of a
student heered bell. It struck four
times. AS soon as. it stopped our bell
struck too. Then the fog thinned a lit
tie, and, just about half the ships
length from US was the oldest lookin'
craft l ever clapped eyes on. She was
awful high in the poop, low in the
waist and had a head on her bow like
that Of sea sarpent She had two
masts like a schooner, and the sails
was hung on 'em like they put 'em on
Chinese junks. OF course they hung
limp like ourn.
"She was head-on, and the fog didn't
let US see abaft the fO'mast. On the
torecastle stood the fgur' of an old man.
1 couldn't tell you how old he looked.
but there was somethin' about him
that reminded me of a people long
passed away. He was a Jew and the
Jewiest lookin' Jew I ever see. He
was wrapped in a cloak that looked
like monks frock. The melancholy
way he stared out O. them blinkers O.
his'n was enough to send eur yelpin'
to his kennel. They was like the eyes
Of sick man as hadn't slept durin' a
thousand year voyage. There wasn't
bit O. color in his cheeks unless you
call the leathery look O. the hides we've |
got below color, and it seemed as If I |
could see right through his CHASTITY lips
to the few teeth that was left in his |
Jaws. He hadn't any hat on, and I
wasn't near enough to see just what
1is hair was like, except that he had
mighty little. But somethin' was
a-movin' on his skull that looked like
worms. Whether it was worms or
lair couldn't see, but 1t must "a been
worms, for there wasn't the ghost Of q
oreeze to move even the finest hairs.
He stood there lookin' at US without
my interest in them melancholy eyes
J his'n, and the only motion he made
vas with his skinny hands, pourin'
some silver coins from one hand to
'other. Every oncet in awhile he'd
make as If to throw the silver away,
'ut he couldn't and every time he tried
Ind failed his face would take on an
expression Of awful remorse.
while was lookin' at him the two
hips was so slowly driftin' apart that
Nobody could see 'em move. The other
raft was gettin' in our stern. The
ew's blinkers was movin' about. never
estin' on anything for moren half a
econd till suddenly they struck our
tern. Then there was the worst fright
ONE into 'em I ever see on any mans
ace, not even a mutineer I once saw
Jung when he caught sight O. the moose
anglin' from the yardarm.
What did he see? Didn't 1 tell you
ur ship was the Mark Matthews? The (
anne, O course, was on the stern.
ONE o the letters was faded. and the
IN Matthews was pretty nigh gone ]
What the Jew saw was the names O.
wo O the apostles, Mark and Mat
lew.
Then for the first time it struck me '
Tho he was. He was the wanderin'
ew. AS soon as he saw the names O.
lem two old friends O. his'n he was I
lrowed on his beam ends. You see,
was one O the twelve in good and II
ocular standin' till he betrayed his
laster for them thirty pieces O silver. {
o be brought face to face with two
the disciples after. a couple O. thou |
md years wanderin' must "a brought S
3cE 00nlao nj