The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-12-20
AMariRe Wandering Jew
IoriKinaLl

1 place or sail On The ocean / doubt :
the sailors yarn Is what IT was fifty
years ago, when tie Black Ball line OF
clipper ships sped between the occident
and the orient. In my younger days
was but a lad-I sailed before the
mast in the Dreadnaught. Among our
crew was Seth Hawkins, an old salt
OF forty. We considered him a Methu-
selah, tall. thin man with PROPULSION
Of little red curls. He was very rell-
| 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
penlDgs One starlight night on the
forecastle while we were lounging
about the capstan he gave US the fol-
lowing;
you've all heard 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 don't believe any OF
you has ever hearn about his saiIn 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 voyage around the Horn to take In
hides on the west coast of South Amer
lea. We was layln In the doldrums
one evenln' 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. 1t struck four
times. As soon as It stopped our bell
struck too. Then the fog thlnned a lit
tie. and just about half the ships
length from us was the oldest lookin'
craft ever clapped eyes on. She was
awful high In the poop, low in the
waist and had head on her bow like
that OF a 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
lot us see abaft the fo'mast. On the
forecastle stood the figur' of an old man.
l couldn't tell you how old he looked.
but there was somethln' about him
that reminded me of a people long
passed away. He was Jew and the
Jewiest lOokin' Jew ever see. He
was wrapped In cloak that looked
like q monks frock. The melancholy
way no stared out o. them blinkers o.
hls'n was enough to send a cur yelpln'
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 1t seemed as II l |
could see right through his CHASTITY lips |
70 the few teeth that was left In his |
jaws. He hadn't any hat on. and /
wasn't nesr enough to see just what
his hair was like, except that he had
mighty little. But somethln' was
a-movin' on his skull that looked like
worms. Whether II was worms or
hair l couldn't see, but 1t must "a been
worms, for there wasn't the ghost OF
breeze TO move even the finest hairs.
He stood there lookln' at us without
any interest In them melancholy eyes
o his'n, and the only motion he made
was with his skinny HI bis, pourln'
some silver coins from one hand to
tOther Every oncet in awhile he'd
make as II 10 throw the silver away,
but he couldn't, and every time he tried
and failed his face would take on an
expression OF awful remorse.
while was lookln' at him the two
ships was 80 slowly driftin' apart that
nobody could see 'em move. The other
craft was gettin' In our stern. The
Jews bllnkers was movin' about, never
restin' ON anything for more'n half a
second tin suddenly they struck our
stern. Then there was the worst fright
rome into 'em ever see on any mans
lace, not even a mutlneer l once saw
hung when no caught sight o. the moose
iangiln' from the yariaun.
what did he seel Didn't tell you
'ur ship was the Mark Matthews2 The
lame, o course. was on the stern.
some o the letters was faded. and the
3 In Matthews was pretty nigh gone.
What the Jew saw was the nance o.
wo o the apostles. Mark and Mat
hew.
Then for the first time II struck me
vhO no was He was the wanderin'
ew, As soon rs he saw the names o.
hem two old friends o his'n he was !
hrowad on his beam ends. fOu see.
q was one o the twelve in good and !
ogtIlar standn' an he betrayed his
MASTER for them thirty pieces o silver .
o be brought face to face with two
the disciples after a couple O. thou. :
and years wanderin' must a brought
ack unpleasant rememhrances.