The San Francisco call., 1908-07-26

little alley, that sailormen of all
hues and tongues and garbs and char
acters take as a short cut to and from
the docks All day and much Of the
nfcbt they pass in two thin lines, a
straight lire downward and zigzag
toward their ships. A good many look
IN to see Mr.. Levy on their first joy
Gus tourney ashore, for he comes before
the public house or the opium den. A
few look in to see him on their final
iournev aboard, for when he buys
from them he tries TO persuade them
10 take their payment then. He is
partial 10 the sailormen and they are
partial TO him. I think he went TO sea
in his young days, for he is tattooed
on the arms.
It is not the best Of places for selling
his wares AIr Levy owns, but it's
rare good place for buying them
There's nobody picks up things like
a sailor" he has often told me-
They've knocked about all over the
world and know what's out Of the
common. and when they see thing
they fancy they generally manage TO
get it. But they won't carry it past
the first shop where they're treated
fair; and as for collectors, they'll como
anywhere after you once they find
you've good stuff and tell the truth
about IT,"
have dealt with Mr.. Levy fer sew
eral years, and am bound 10 say that
I consider him a truthful man, in spite
OF the following story. It came out
when / was selling him the last boxtul
OF things that my brother sent home
from Burmah, and this was the way
oft:
Forty pounds for the lot" he pro-
nounced, land you can keep the Joss"
It was a queer little idol with two gilt
heads.
I'D reckoned on hfty," I said He
smiled. well. nearly. Make it forty
guineas and take the joss. as you
cali it."
He tapped his teeth with his pencil.
"TII make it forty guineas." he
agreed, but won't have the joss.
never deal IN them: and IL were you
I'd advise your brother TO leave them
alone, the next time you write. Most
OF them aren't pukka 5osses, only
shams: but you may happen to get
landed with a real one"
Come, come, Mr.. Levyl" I protested.
You don't mean to tell me that you
believe in them7"
~
1t up to me. I saw that the little
finger was missing.
IT'S the little finger OF a Joss now
he stated grimly; "a god they call
him."
Well" I said. TIL take 40 guineas-
ana the story"
He considered thoughtfuIly.
I don't suppose It matters now" he
decided. 1T was a good many years
ago; but, If you tell any one, keep
names out Of IT."
And this is the story that Mr.. Levy
as have called him-told me IN the
dark little parlor behind his shop:
An American sailor brought it here
IN a cab. It was life size and so exact
to life that, upon my word. I almost
thought he was pulling a body out Of
the sack at first; and then 1 stood and
stared at it and didn't say word.
It was a man-leastways god
carved out of a feshy brown wood that
passed for the natural color Of the face
and hands without touching up. The
hair was real hair, black and long and
harsh with age. The teeth were real
teeth, too. 1 judged, though how they
were put in the mouth, which was only
slightly open. could never make out.
The head seemed to be cut out of a
solid block, and I couldn't see any
joints or feel them under the hair. The
eyes were some kind of glass, and I
couldn't see how they were put In,
either; and another curious thing was
that the clothing was made of a differ
ent kind Of wood, and where it opened
you could see the flush brown body, but
you couldn't find how it was got over
the body or the body underneath it.
with fowers-weIl not exactly flowers,
but figures shaped something like flow
ers, as you see in some wall papers.
The hem Of It was ornamented with
metal beaten in to form a smaller how-
cry pattern. The sailor called 1t gold,
but IL wasn't. It was q composition Of
brass, but I've never seen the exact
kind before or since. There were
buckles of it on the sandals. The san
dals were just an ordinary shape cut
out OF yellowish wood, but the legs
were covered with stockings, which is
Misunderstanding carved out of
ebony, and yet as thin as silk and
looking like open lace, showing the
brown legs through. The figure was
squatting cross legged and IT had a
dagger in its right hand. The dagger
was steel, very real steel. and as sharp
as a razor and engraved with deep cut
lines. All the engravings represented
portions OF the human body; hands and
feet and ears and noses and fingers and