Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-09-27
I Eh 0BrHlN BOY.

/ ufui!y illustrates the fact. that a bow.
though poor and friendless, can always
gain friends by being good, and by per-
forming little acts of kindness
Such Is mans nature, that he will re-
member those who have befriended him.
and 1t Is often the case, that he too, remem-
oers with anger, those who may have in
Jured him. We should remember the lit
tie kindness Of our friends. and as much
as possible, forgive and forget the injuries
OF our enemies But to the story
The hustle of the fight was over. the
! prisoners had been secured. and the decks
washed down, and the schooner. had once
more relapsed into midnight's quiet re.
pose L sought my hammock aud soon
fell asleep. But my slumbers were dis
tnrbed by wild dreams, which. like tue
visions of fever. agitated and unnerved
me. The last strife, the hardships of nv
early life, and a thousand other things.
mingled together as figures in a fantasnla-
goria Suddenly hand was laid on my
shoulder, aad starting up | beheld the sur
geon's mate.
! Little Dick, sir, is DYING said he
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 of gentle nature and
from the first hour [ joined the schooner
my heart yearned towards him. for I. too.
had once been friendless and alone in the
world He had often talked to me in con
hdence OF his mother, whose memory he
regarded with holy reverence, while to the
other boys of the ship he had little to say :;
tor they were rude and coarse-he deli
cate and sensitive. Often when they
jeered him for his melancholy, he would
go apart by himself and weep He never
complained of his lot, though his compau-
ions imposed on him continually. Poor
lad his heart was in the grave with his
parent.
took a strong interest in him. and bad
lightened his task as much as possible =
During the late fight had owed my life
to him, for he rushed in just as saber
stroke was leveled at me, and by inter
posing his feeble cutlass, he avertod
deadly blow. In the hurry and confusion
since, | had quite forgotten to inquire
whether he was hurt, at the time | had
Inwardly resolved to exert all my infu-
ence to procure him a warrant in requit-
tai for his service. Itwas with pang of
reproachful agony, therefore, leaped to
my feet.
!. My God p 1 exclaimed, "you don't
mean it2 He is not dying ?"
| fear, sir" said the surgeon, shaking
his head sadly, that he cannot live till
morning"
And I have been lying idle here 2" |
exclaimed with remorse Lead me to
him"
He is delirious, but at intervals of
lunacy 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 opening hatchway and laid there in
little open space of about four feet square
From the sound of the ripples | Judged
the vessel was in motion, while the clear,
calm blue sky. seen through the opening
overhead and dotted with myriads of
stars, betokeued the fog had broken away
How calm had it smiled down on the wan
face of the dying boy. Occasionally a
light current Of wind-oh how deli
ciously cool in that pent up bole-edded
down the hatchway and lifted the dark
chestnut locks of the sufferer. as with his
head reposing on the lap of an old veter
an, be lay in an unquiet slumber His
shirt collar was unbuttoned and his child
ish bosom, white as that of girl, was
open and exposed. He breathed quick
and heavily The wound of which he
was dying had been intensely painful
but within the last half hour had some
what lulled, though even now his thin
fingers tightly grasped the bed cothers,
as if he suffered the greatest agony.
A battle-stained and gray haired sea-
man stood beside him holding a dull Ian
tern in his hand, and gazing sorrowfuily
down upon the sufferer. The surgeon
knelt with his finger on the boys pulse
As [ approached they all looked up the
veteran who held him shook his bead and
would have spoken. but the tears gathered
too chokiDgy in his eyes.
The surgeon said:
He is going fast, poor little fellow =
Do you see this 27 As he spoke. he lifted
up rich gold locket which laid on the
boys breast {" He has seen better days"
[ could not answer, for my heart was
full here was the being to whom a few
hours before owed my life, poor, slight,
unprotected child, lying before me with
death already written upon his brow
and vet | had never sought him out after
the conflict How bitterly my heart re
preached me at that hour They noticed
my agitation, and the seaman who held his
head said. sadly;
Poor little Diek-you'll never see the
shore Won have wished for so long But
there'll 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.
+" Has be come yet2" he asked in a low
voice Why don't be come p
" am here" said [ taking the little
fellows hand Don't you know me,
Dick 2"
He smiled family in my face He then
said
You have been kind to me, sir,-kind-