Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-06-15
The Orphan Boy.
.'He faded. yet so calm and meek.
SO gently wan, so swee;ly weak

nv sumbers were disturbed by wild dreams,
which, like the visions of a fever. agitated and
unnerved me; the late strife, the hardshps of my
! early life and thousand other things mingling
together figures in phantasmagora. Sud-
denly hand was i'd my shoulder, and start
ing up behcld the surgeons mate
"Lttle Dick, sir, is dying" he said.
! At l sprang from my hammock Little
Dick was sort OF protegee OF mine. He was
pale, delicate child. said to be orphan, and
used to gentle nurture; and from the first hour
Joined the schooner, my heart yearned towards
him, for | too had once been frien-iess and alone
in the world. He had often talked TO me in
fidence of his mother, whose memory he regard
ei with holy reverence, while 10 the other
boys Of the ship he had little to say for they were
/ rude and coarse, no delicate and sensitive. Of
tie when they eerred him for his melancholy.
he would go apart by himself and weep. He new
complained of his lot, though his companions
imposed on him continually. Poor lad. his heart
in the grave of his lost parents.
/ took a strange interest in him, and had light
oned his task much possible. During the
late fight had owed my life to him, for he rush
ed in just ) u sabre stroke was levelled at me:
aud by nterposing 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
midshipman's warrant in requital for his ice.
1, with pang of reproachful agony, there
fore that eaped TO my feet
"My God.' | exclaimed, ''you don't mean it,
He is not DYING"
81 fear, sir" said the messenger shaking his
head adj AZ ha live
"And have been lying idle here" l excai,n-
ed with remorse. LEAD me to him.
Gle Is derious. but in the intervals Of lunacy
he asks for you SIR and the man spoke
stood beside the bedside of the diving boy
The sufferer did not lay in his usual hammock,
for it was hung in the very midst Of the crew,
ami the close air around it too stiffiing but
he had been carried under the open hatchway.
and laid there in little open space of about four
feet square. From the ripples, l judged the
schooner was in motion, while the clear, calm
blue sky through the opening overhead,
and dotted with rnyriads of stars, betokencd that
the fog had broken away. How calm it smiled
down on the wan face of the dying boy. Occa-
sonally light current of wind--oh. how deli
ciously cool in that pent up hold-eddied down
the hatchway and lifted the dark chestnut locks
of the sufferer with his ead reposing in the
lap of an old veteran, he lay in an unquet sum-
Der. His shirt collar unbuttoned and his
childish bosom, as white as that of girl,
open and exposed. He breathed quick and heav-
lily. The wound of which he was dying had
been intensely painful but within the last half
hour had somewhat lulled, though even now his
thin fingers tightly grasped the bed clothes, as if
he suffered the greatest agony.
A battle stained and grey haired seaman stood
beside him, holding dull lantern in his hand,
and gazing sorrowfully down upon the sufferer.
The surgeon knelt with his finger the boys
pulse. As approached they all looked up. The
veteran who held him shook his head, and would
have spoken, but the tears gathered too choking
ly in his eyes.
The surgeon said
ale is going fast-poor lttie feliow--do you
see this2" as he spoke he lifted up rich gold
locket, which had lain upon the boys breast
Gle has better days.
could not answer for my heart was full -
here was the being of whom, but a few hours be-
fore, had owed my lfe-a poor, slight, unpro-
tected child-lyng before me, with death already
written on his brow--and yet had never known
his danger, and never sought him out after the
in that hour.-They noticed my agitation and
his old frend--the seaman that held his head
said sadly,
"Poor little Dick-you'll never see the shore
you have wished for SO long But therell be
more than one-when your logs OUT" he spoke
with emotion-"to mourn over you
Suddenly the little fellow opened his eyes, and
looked vacantly around.
elias he come yet2' he asked, in a low voice.
"Why won't he come"
81 am here said I, taking the little fellows
hand. 'don't you know me, Dick"
He smiled family in my face. He then said |
"You have been kind to me, sir,--kinder thar !
most people are to poor orphan boy l have
no way to show my gra,itude--unless you will |
take the Bible you will find in my trunk. It's
a small offering, know, but it's all l have
l burst into tears: he resumed
doctor, am dying, amt IT, said the little
fellow, "for my sight grows dim. God bless you,
Mr.. Danfor,h."
"Can I do nothing for you, Dick" said I;"you /
saved my life. would coin my own blood to
buy yours
81 have nothing TO ask--I don't want to live
only, if it is possible. lie. me be buried by my
mother-you will & nd the me Of the place, and
all about il in my trunk"
Amy thing, my poor lad" an
swered chokingiy.