Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-07-15
From the National Intelligencer.
The Orphan Boy.
SO faded, yet so calm and meek,
So gently wan, so sweetly weak"


The buslle of the fight was over; and prison.
ers had been secured, the deck washed down,
the watch piped. and the schooner had once
more relapsed into midnight quie, and repose.
| sought my hammock and soon fell asleep. Blu,
my sumbers We're disturbed by wild dreams,
which, like the visions of fever agilated and
unnerved me; the late strife, the hardships Of
my early life, and thousand other things min.
gled together in phan,asmagoria. Suddenly
a hand was laid upon my shoulder, and starting
up, beheld the surgeons mate.
"Lillle Dick is DYING" said he
A. once sprang from my hammock. Lit
tie Dick was sor, Of pro,ege of mine. He
was pale, delicate child, said 10 be an orphan,
and used TO gentle nature, and from the first
hour joined the schooner my hear, yearned
toward him, for |, too, had once been friendless
and alone in the world. He had often talked
TO me, in confidence, of his mother. whose
memory he regarded with holy reverence.
while 10 the other boys Of The ship he had lit
lie 10 say, for they were rude and coarse, he
delicate and sensitive. Often when they jeered
him for his melancholy he would 60 apart by
himself and weep He never complained of
his lcl, though his companions imposed upon
him continually Poor lad! his heart was in
the grave with his lost parents.
took a strange interest in him. and had
ligh,ened his task as much as possible. Dur
ing The late fight, had owed my life TO him,
for he rushed in just as sabre stroke was lev
eIled a, me; and by interposing his feeble cut
lass had averted the deadly blow. In the hur-
ry and confusion since, had quite forgotten to
inquire if he was hurt, though at the time, in
wardly resolved TO procure him midshipman's
warrant in requi,al of his service. Itwas with
leaped TO my feet
"My God !" l exclaimed, 'you don't mean
it! He is no. dying"
81 fear, SIR" said the Messenger, shaking his
head sadly, "lhat he cannot live till morning"
"And have been lying idle here" | ex-
claimed, with remorse. Lead me to him.
"He is delirious, but in The intervals of luna.
cy. he asks for you, sir" and as the man spoke
we stood beside the bedside of the dying boy
The sufferer did not lie in his usual ham,
mock, for it was hung in the very midst of the
crew, ard the close air around it was TOO stl-
! fling bu, he had been carried under the open
ha,chway, and laid there in little open space,
of abou, four feet square. From the sound oil
the ripples, judged the schooner was in mo-
tion, while The clear, calm blue sky, seen 'hro
the opening overhead, and dotted with myriads
of stars, betokened that the fog had broken
away. How calm it smiled down upon the
wan face of the dying boy. Occasionally, q
light curren. of wind-oh! how deliciously COO
in that pent up hold--eddied down the hatch
way and lifted the dark chesnut locks of the
sufferer, as with his head reposng in the lar
of an old veteran he lay in an unqulet slumber
His shirt collar was unbuioned, and his child
ish bosom, as white as that of girl, was oper
and exposed. He breathed quick and heavily
The wound of which he was dying, was unu
sualy painful, but within the last half hour hat
some wha, lulled, though even now his fingers
tightly grasped the bed clothes, as if he suf
fered The greatest agony.
A batile-slained and gray haired seaman stooc
beside him, holding dull lantern in his hand
and gazing sorrowfully down upon the poor sul
ferer The surgeon knelt with his finger OIL
the boys pulse. As | approached, they al
, looked up The veteran who held him, shool
his head, and would have spoken, bu, tear
gathered too choakingty in his eyes.
The surgeon said
; "He's going fast-poor little fellow. do yo
see this 1! as he spoke, he lifted up rich gcl
locket, which had lain on the boys breast
"He has seen better days"
could not answer for my heart was full,-
here was the being 10 whom, bat few hour
before, had owed my life---a poor, slight. un
protected child--Iying before me, with deaf
already written on his brow----and ye, ha
never known his danger, and never sought hir
out after the conflict. How bitterly my hear
reproached me in rha, hour. They noticed m
agitation, and his old friend---lhe seaman tha
held his head.--said sadly
"Poor lille Dick--you will never see tn
q shore you have wished for SO long. Blu, there
i be more than one.-.when your logs ou," b
spake with emotion---"fo mourn over you"
Suddenly the lnle fellow opened his eyes
and stared vacantly around.
"f4as he come yet!" he asked in low voic
-"Why don' he come!"
81 am here" said /, taking the little fellow
a had. "doR't you know me, Dckl"
I, He smiled family in my face He then sait
4 You have been kind to me, SIR --knde
h than most people are to poor orphan boy.
have no way TO show my gratitude. unless yo