Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-19
For the Nashville Patriot.
Goods Wife,
II L. rIseIxrA rHHSeE
Twas bitter cold

Twas bitter cold;-
Above the ragged clouds went drifting by,
And snow came sitting down; the faful gust
Howied round the corners Of the city's streets
With its forsaken wai,-sIov one by one,
The first few lamps CLINT on the icy air;
And here and there a chance pedestrian,
Who HE'D him homeward, woke dull hollow means
From the deserted pavement.
With light step
lady passed along. Warm, costly furs,
And robes Of siIken sheen enuraPped the form,
Whose grace they could not hide; and reg4lly
Rich jewels giittered ungloved hand
Whose rare white wonder" pressing on her heart,
She seemed to have forgotten Her pure brow
Turned upward Ike lily to the sun,
Caught and then snowflake, which in love
With its sweet resting-place forgot to fall,
And straight became diamond-drop,-ft mate,
And emblem Of the jewel-thoughis within!
Through lashes coming downward like the dark,
Her soft eye sparkled the evening star,
And ever and sunny smile
Broke Ger the curving lips, like yermeh light
That ripples DER rose. How well it told
That she was hasting honae,-hsr heart had gone
Before her there twas it that smiled upon
Her fairy children in their warm retreat,
And sent its light into her lovely face
She heard them shout to greet her, heard them call
.
She strove TO clasp them
Wherefore does she start,
And shudder, snd recoil See what her hand;
That fair white hand has touched mass
OF rags upon the pavement shivering stands,
little beggar child. The bitter winds
Pierce though her small attenuated frame,
Her bare and frozen feet meet icy stones,
Her lips are blue and boobies, and the pinched
And paIld features shrink if to hide
Within her tangled hair. Her hands crossed
Meekly upon her bosom, but her eyes,
Those wild black eyes with all their troubled deeps
OF starless darkness, hold their steady gaze
Fixed the lighted window of a shop,
And shrek their starving cry" Bread, bread!"
The warm blood rushed up to the lady's brow,
Then back upon her heart. Oh! what if e'er
Her children thus should stand! Softly she took
The little lone ones hand, and led her in,
And filed her lap with bread, then led her forth
And farther she bought the warm shawl,
And thick bright dress, and clad the tiny feet,
Then babe the wanderer teArfuly to seek
Her mother and her home. The little one,
Pausing moment, took the ladys hand,
So soft, white gIittering with gems,
And turned it DER upol her purped palms
As wondering at its beauty,-then as though
strange thought struck her heart she glanced from
Up TO the beaming eye, and angel brow,
And while the glad tears gushed into her eyes,
And joyful recognition glowed in every line
OF her face, she whispered breathessly
" Dire yOu Gods lCit5!"
The lambs wife, 80 often call the Church.
The Church perchance may not be ike to him,
Lowry and meek and given much to prayer"
Then, she be His "Bride." The yelled nun
We call the Bride Of Christ " when from the world
She turns away, to waste the energies
And bloom Of life which God himself hath given,
In aimless solitude. We well may doubt
Her claims when He has given the Law,
or A." Labor for the Right" But they who heal
The wounded heart, who comfort those that mourn,
Who cothe the naked, who defend the weak,
Who succor the distressed, who feed the poor,
Who give with willing hands, and fearful eyes,
or what the Lord has given them, may claim
BEST union with the high and Holy Oue,
Who said to His disciples, 'IF YE
Me, FEED NY LAMBS !"
FOREST HOME, 1856.