The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-12-05
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AMarine Wandering Jew
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foriginal.1

| place OF sail on the ocean | doubt II
the sailors yarn Is what II was fifty
years ago, when the Black Ball line OF
clipper ships sped between the occident
and the orient. In my younger days
| | was but lad-I sailed before the
mast In the Dreadnaught. Among our
crew was Seth Hawkins, an old salt
Of forty. We considered him Methu-
selah. a tall thin man with n profusion
Of little red curls. He was very rell-
glous, 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 lounglng
about the capstan he gave us the fol
lowing:
you've all heard n lot about Judas
Iscariot, who was cursed with havin'
to live forever and wanderln' all over
the world, at one time beln' seen In
Egypt another In France, and so on,
always leavin' trail Of misfortune In
his wake. But I don't believe any Of
you has ever hearn about his sailln' the
sens. 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.
~ 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 cables length. All Of
student l heered bell 1t struck four
times. AS soon as 1t stopped our bell
struck too. Then the fog thlnned lit
tie, and Just about half the ships
length from us was the oldest lookln'
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 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 fomast On the
forecastle stood the fgur' of an old man.
| couldn't tell you how old he looked,
but there was somethin' about him
that reminded me Of people long
passed away. He was Jew and the
Jewiest lookln' Jew ! ever see. He
was wrapped In cloak that looked
like monks frock. The melancholy
way he stared out o. them blinkers O.
his'n was enough to send cur yelpln'
to his kennel. They was like the eyes
Of sick man as hadn't slept durin'
thousand year voyage. There wasn't
a bit o. color In his cheeks unless you
call the leathery look O. the hides we've
got below color, and II seemed ms II
could see right through his ghastly lips
to the few teeth that was left In his
Jaws. He hadn't any hat on, and
wasn't near enough to see just what
his hair was like, except that he had
mighty little. But somethln' was
a-movln' ON his skull that looked like
worms Whether II was worms or
hair l couldn't see, hut 1t must "a been
worms, for there wasn't the ghost Of a
breeze to. move even the finest hairs.
He stood there lookin' at us without
ny interest in them melancholy eyes
y hisn, and the only motion he made
vas with his skinny hands. pourin'
ONE silver coins from one hand to
tother Every oncet in awhile he'd
make as II to throw the silver away,
hut he couldn't, and every time he tried
nd failed his face would take on an
'xpression of awful remorse.
"While I was lookin' at him the two
ships was so slowly driftin' apart that
nobody could see 'em move. The other
craft was gettin' I'm our stern. The
| lows blinkers was movin' about, never
restin' on anything for more'n half
second till suddenly they struck our
torn. Then there was the worst fright
| come into 'em ever see on any mans
face. not even mutlneer l once saw
hung when he caught sight O. the moose
| danglln' from the yardarm.
what did he see? Didn't tell you
pur ship was the Mark Matthews? The
"c.ce. o course, was on the stern.
| Some o. the letters was faded, and the
. in Matthews was pretty nigh gone.
What the Jew saw was the names O
two O. the apostles. Mark and Mat
| 'hew.
Then for the first time 1t struck me
! who he was. He was the wanderln'
/ Jew AS soon as he saw the names O.
them two old friends O. his'n he was
throwed on his beam ends. You see,
he was one O. the twelve in good and
regular standln' till he betrayed bis
master for them thirty pieces O silver.
To be brought face to face with two
If the disciples after couple O. thou
sand years wanderin' must "a brought
back unpleasant remembrances.
I