Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-09-02
The Orphan Boy.
Gle faded, yet so calmly meek,
So gently wan co swnatlv ra,l, !;

The hustle of the fight was over; the
prisoners had been secured, and the decks
washed down, the watch piped, and the
schooner had once more relapsed into mid
night quiet and repose. l sought my ham,
mock and soon fell asleep. But my slum-
bers were disturbed by wild dreams which
like the visions Of a fever, agitated and un-
nerved me; the last strife, the hardships of
my early life and a thousand other things
mingled together as figures in a phantasa-
magoria. Suddenly hand was laid on my
shoulder, and starting up beheld the sur
geon's mate
"Litle Dick, sir, is dying" he said
At once | sprung from my hammock.
Little Dick was sort of protege Of mine.
He was pale, delicate child, said to be an
orphan, and used to gentle nurture; and
from the frs: hour joined the schooner, my
heart yearned towards 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 reference, while to the other boys of
the ship he had little to say; for they were
rude and course, he delicate and sensitive.
Often when they jeered him for his melan-
cboly, he would 60 apart by himself and
weep. He never complained OF his Io',
though his compa Mons imposed upon him
continually. Poor lad his heart was in
the grave with his lost parents.
| took a strange interest in him, and had
|lightened his task as much as possible -
! During the late fight | had owed my life
10 bo lol bra
stroke was levelled at me; and by interpos-
ing his feeble cutlass bad averted the deadly
blow. In the hurry and confusion since,
| had quite forgotten to enquire whether he
was hurt, though, at the time, | had in
wardly resolved to exert all my little inhu-
ence to procure him a midshipman's war
rant in requtal for his service. 1t was
with pang of reproachful agony, there
fore, that leaped to my feet. .....
"Great God!" exclaimed: "You don't
mean it? He is not dying?"
81 fear, sir, said the messenger, shaking
his head sadly, "that he cannot live till
morning." -: ....... .-......
@And I have been lying idle here!" I ex-
claimed with remorse. "Lead ME to him !"
"He is delirous, but at the intervals Of
lunacy he asks.for you ,sir,' and as the man
spoke, we stood beside the bed of the boy.
The sufferer did not lie in his hammock,
as it was hung IN the very midst of the
crew, and the close air around it was so
sitting, that he had been carried under the
open hatchway, and laid there in a little
open space of about four feet square. From
the sound of the ripples, judged the ves-
sci was in motion, while the clear, calm
blue sky, seen through the opening over
head, and dotted with myriads of stars, be-
tokened that the fog had broken away.
How calm it smiled down on the wan face
of the dying boy. Occasionally light
current Of wind-oh! how deliciously cool
in that pent up hold eddled down the
hatchway, and lifted the dark chesnut locks
of the sufferer, as with his head reposlng
on the lap of an old veteran, he lay in an
uuoniet slumber. His shirt collar was un-
buttoned, and his childish bosom, as white
as that of girl, was open and exposed
} He breatbed quick and heavily. The wound
) of which he was dying, had been intensely
+ painful, but within the last half-hour had
5 somewhat lulled, though even now his thlr
: fingers tightly grasped the bed clothes, as
if be suffered the greatest agony.
} A battle stained and gray haired seaman
stood beside him. holding dull lantern IL
t his hand and gazing sorrowfully down up:
on the sufferer. The surgeon knelt witt
his finger on the boys pulse. As ap
a proached, they oil looked up. The vete
ran who held him shook his head, and woule
: have spoken, but the tears gathered to'
chokingly in his eyes. III ,s...
"He is going fast-poor little fellow
e do YOU see this?" as ne spoke, he lifted up
: rich gold locket which had lain upon tn
e bows breast. t'He has seen better days.
n 1 could not answer, for my heart wa
,e (ull-here was the being to whom lev
= hours before, had owed my life-a pool
slight, unprotected child--lying before m'