Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-02-05
podrn.
THE WIFE.
pYJ c. WHITTIER.

BY J. c. WHITTIER.
From school, and ball, and rout she came
The city fair, pale daughter.
To drink the vine of mountain fair
Beside the Bearcamp Water.
"A Her step grew frmer on the hills
That watch our homesteads over;
On cheek and lip, from summer fields,
She caught the bloom Of clover.
For health comes sparkling in the streams
From cool Chocoua stealing,
There iron in our Northern winds,
4 Our pines are trees Of healing.
She sat beneath the broad-armed elms
1 That skirt the moving meadow,
And watched the gentle west wind weave
The grass with shine and shadow
Beside her form the summer heat,
To share her grateful screening,
/ With forehead bared, The farmer stood,
Upon ais pitehfork leaning.
Framed in its damp, dark locks, his face
Had nothing mean or common
Strong, manly, true, the tenderness
And pride beloved Of woman
She looked M, glowing with the health
The country AIR had brought her,
And, laughing said ''You lack wife,
Your mother lacks daughter.
''Io mend your frocks and bake your bread,
You do not need lady;
BE sure among these brown old homes,
Is some one waiting ready
''Some fair, sweet girl with skillful hand
And cheerful heart for treasure,
Who never plays with ivory keys
Or danced the polka measure.
lie bent his black brows to a frovu
ae set his white teeth lightly,
'Tis well, !" be said, for one ike you
To choose for me SO lightly;
' You think because my life is rude,
/ take no note Of sweetness;
1 tell you love has naught to do
With mee;ness or uumeetness.
Itself its best excuse it asks
No leave of pride or fashion
When silkeu zone or homespun froek
1t stirs with throbs of passion.
"Iou think me deaf and blind; you bring
Iour winning grsces hither
As free as if from cradle time
We two had played together
"Iou tempt me with your laughing eyes,
Your cheek Of sundowuI bushes;
A motion as Of waving grain,
music as of thrushes.
The plaything of your summer sport,
The spells you weave around me
You cannot Of your viii undo,
Nor leave me as You found me-
you go as lightly as you came,
Your life is well without me;
What care you that these hills will close
Like prison walls about me?
No mood is mine to seek wife,
Or daughter for my mother;
Who loves you loses in that love
All power to love another
Il dare your pity or your scorn
With pride your own exceeding;
1 fling my heart into your lap
Without a word of pleading
She looked up from the waving grass
So archIy, yet so tender,
''And If I give you nine she said,
"WiIi you forgive the tender|
Nor froek nor tan can hide the man;
And see you not, my farmer,
How weak and fond a woman wars
Behind the silkeu armor?
II love you; on that love alone,
And not my worth presuming,
VIII you not trust for summer fruit
The tree in Nay day blooming?"
Alone the hangbird overhead,
His hair-strung cradle strainiug,
Looked down to see loves miracle
That giving that is gaining.
And so the farmer found wife,
His mother found daughter;
There looks no happier home than hers
On pleasant Bearcamp Water.
Flowers spring to blossoms where she walks
The careful ways of duiy;
Our hard-stiff lines OF life with her
Are flowing curves of beauty.
Oar homes are oheerier for her sake,
Our door-yards brighter blooming,
And all about the social air
Is swaetpr for her coui7g