Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-05-08
DuhkY lOvELLS
Or, The Listlo Oruaner Doy.
BY :. s. WELD.

Billy level felt that be WAS IN orphan
now, and indeed alone in the world. There
in humble room, lay his dead mother
and soon the people would come, and the
village hearse would bear away that mother
to the silent City Of the Dead.
Billy was . good little boy, and net only
loved his mother tenderly, but was very kind
70 her, and WAS dearly loved in return. His
father vas An honest laborer, gained . com.
Portable living for his wife and child, and
surrounded his home with unalloyed happi-
ness. But . dark cloud appeared in the
southern sky, and ere long the roar Of dis
tant cannon rolled over the hilltops and
along the valleys Of our beloved country.
Thousands Of loyal men saw and heard with
intense alarm those omnious signs Of war.
In their breasts beat hearts warm and true
for Freedoms cause. A host of men rss>
olved, With vows Registered in Heaven, to
defend the Old "Stars and Stripes" even
with their blood, If need be.
Billy's father was enc of the bravs and
patriotic number Who thus felt and acted.
In view Of the separation, his mother wept
- if her heart would break and Billy grisve-
ed, both from sympathy with his mother and
because hs must give up his father to the
stern destinies Of the battle 6eld,-foe Billy
was old enough, and had read enough to
know something Of the business of The sol>
der and the dangers to which he is exposed.
Bot, though bis father vas borne down With
agouixing sorrow, he felt that duty bads him
70 so he struggled for a moment prayed
God 70 bless his wife and boy. and joined
The recruited ranks that were marching BY.
Days, months, and even years came and
went with their heavy history Of those dark
and gloomy times. Billy's motAer grew
psle aud wan - battle after hattie furnished
their long lists Of akilled and wounded" GIL.
ing the land with groasing sorrov. Still
Oh, how precious, II came through without
. Scratch Billy WAS now eleven years
old, and cared for his feeble mother with al
the solicituds Of ripsr years. He laboeed
for Der, he provided for her, aud uas indeed
her support during these long months Of
pain and sadness. A little boy 20 noble aud
90 manly one seldom meets. A glorious
habi,aaion in . land Of psrpetsal hlsa viii
certainly b prepared for one % kind and
sltecticnats.
By and b. came thess dask days Of June
and July, 1868, which told Of an infaristed
rebel host on . march Of invasioa into Pen
nsylvania and The Nesth, and tho heavv,
bloody work st vicksburg. Billy's father
was one Of those Who, il This latter place,
toiled, suffered and died. On the 5th Of Ju.
" universal shout went up from . million
Of hearts because this stronghold Of rebell-
ion was surrendered to General Grant. Bot
from that lonely home Of Billy, there wen.
up = vail Of deepest anguish, and the wife
mother would not be comforted. Her feeble
and failing constitutions could not stand the
shock. and shs yielded up her darling boy to
the charity OF strangers, and her spirit to
God Who gave il. Herr ~ found Billy, at
the commencement Of our story, 90 sad and
lonsly-hardly twelve years Of ase-with no
brother or sister, no uncle o. amt, no one
70 cars for him in Tie ride world. How his
little heart sched, and how 'devoesdly he
wished 10 lay down in the colin beside hi,
mother and die.
That night vas such . aas - Billy bod
never experienced bsfoss. ~Whst should
be dsf' "where should he eo" were
thoughts that filed his miad q b lay down
upon his little eos and vsinly tried 70 slsep.
In the midst Of his Distress 10 remembered
the instructions of his sainsed mother and
knslt in fervent PRAYER. He prayed that
whom morning came be might b directed
what to do. That Was not pssitioa ming
led with the incense Of riches, or eloquently
rounded with the rhetoric Of learned di.
vine. Il Vas the petition ofa little orphan
boy in the midst Of his poverty and utter
lonelinesa. Il The ear Of yehovah deaf to
the cry Of snch IN humble one! Does Ne
give no answer backf
Billy PRAYED and slspk and the morning
broke upon him full Of gloriona sunlight and
psrfumsd breesea. He rose from his couch
and sspied from bis window group Of men
and boys, crowded about new.made cabin
surmosnsed With tho American dag. and
plaesried With large hsnd-bills hsaded
"volunteeYs Waatedr He nut on his