Democratic banner., 1847-08-23
DEMOCRATIC BANNER.
PUBLISHED
Regularly on erery MJndqY MOrning
AT LOUISIANA, PIKE COUNTY, Mo.
s. F. MURRAY, Editor and Proprietor,
From the National MteMigencer.
THE ORPHAN BOY.

washed down; the. watch piped, and the
schooner had cnce more relapsed into mid.
night quiet and repose. 1 sought my ham,
mock and soon fell asleep. But my Stun.
bsrs were disturbed by wild dreams, which.
like the visions of a fever, agitated and un
nerved me; the late strife, the hardships Of
my early life, and a thousand other things
mingled together as fguresin a phantasna-
CORA. Suddenly a hand was laid on nv
shoulder, and starting up, l beheld the sur
geon's mate.
Little Dick, sir, is DYING he said.'
At once | sprang from my hammock
Little Dick was a sort of protege of mine.
He was a pale, delicate child, said to. be an
orphan, and used to gentle nature; and from
the first hour | joined the schooner, my
heart yearned towards him, for too once
had 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 to the other
boys Of the ship he had little to say; for
they were rude and coarse; he delicate and
sensitive. Often when they jeered him
for his melancholy, he would 90 apart by
himself and weep. He never complained
of his lot, though his companions imposed
on him continually. Poor lad! his heart
was in the grave with his lost parents. . q
took a strange interest in him, and had
lishtened his task as much as possible
During the late fight had owed my life to-
him, for he rushed in just as a sabre stroke
was leveled at me, and by ~interposng his
feeble cutlass had averted the deadly blow.
In the hurry and confusion since, had quite
forgotten to inquire if he was hurt, though,
at the time, inwardly resolved to exert all
my little influence to procure him a mid
siiPman's warrant in requital for his service.
1t was with a pang of reproaclful agony,
therefore, that | leaped to my feet.
MY Cod I exclaimed, tyou don't mcanI
it! He is not dying!1'
q fear sir, said the messenger, shaking
his head sadly, shat he cannot live till
morning.
Sand have been lying idle here! I ex-
claimed with remorsc. Lead me to him!
'He is delirious, but in the short inter
walls of lunacy he asked for you, SIR and
as the man spoke we stood by the bedside
of the dying boy.
The sufferer did not lie in his usual ham
mock, for it was hung in the midst of the
crew, and the close air around it was too
but he had been carried under the
open hatchway, and laid there in a little
space of about 4 feet square. From the
sound of the ripples, I judged the schooner
was in motion, while the clear, calm blue
seen through the opening overhead, f.;
and dotted with myriads of stars, betoken-
ed that the fog had broken away. How
calm it smiled down on the warm face off,
the dying boy. Occasionally light current q
Of wind-oh! how deliciously cool in that :
pent up h~old-eddied down the hatchway, >
and lifted the dark chestnut LOCKS of the .
sufferer, as with his head reposing in the /
zap Of an old veteran, he lay in an u~nquiet d
His shirt collar was unbuttoned, y
his childish bosom, as white as that of q
a girl, was open and exposed. He breath b
ed quick and heavily. The wound of whichIh
he was dying had been intensely painful, but q
within the last half hour had somewhat lull- =
ed, tho even now his thin fingers tightly f.
the bed clothes, as if he suffered 7
the greatest agony.
A battle stained and CORY haired seaman
stood beside him holding adult lantern in n
hand, and gazing sorrowfully down up !
the sufferer. The surgeon knelt with "a
finger on the boys pulse. a
As approached they all looked up "
The veteran who held him shook his head, m
and would have spoken, but the tears gath
cred too chokingly in his eyes.
The surgeon said l.
He is going %fast-poor little fellow-do Il
see this?' as he spoke he lifted up all,