Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-04-03
THE WIFE.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

From school, and ball, and route she came,
The city's fair, pale daughter,
To drink the wine of mountain fair,
Beside the Bearcamp Water,
Her step grew firmer 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 Chacorna stealing,
Fhere's iron in our Northern winds
Our pines are trees of healing.
She sat beneath the broad-armed elms
Tha. skirt the moving meadow,
And watched the gentle west wind weave
The grass with shine and shadow
Beside her, from the summer heat,
To share her grateful screening,
With forehead barred, the farmer stood,
Upon his pitctferk leaning.
Framed in its damp, dark locks, his face
Had nothing mean or common,
Strong, manly, trTie, the tenderness
And pride beloved of women.
She looked up, glowing with the health
The country air had brought her,
Aud, laughing, said: "'You lack a wife,
Your mother lacks daughter.
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 played with ivory keys,
Or danced the polka's measure.
He bent has black brows to a frown,
He set his white teeth tightly;
IT'S well, !" he said, for one like you
To choose for me so lightly;
You think, because my life is rude,
take note of sweetness;
tell you love has naught to do
With meetness or unmeetness.
"a Itself it's best excuse, it asks
No leave OF pride or fashion,
When silken zone or homespun frock
l. stirs with throbs of passion.
you think me deaf and blind you bring
Your winning graces hither
As free as if from cradle time
We two had played together.
You tempt me with your laughing eyes,
Your cheek of sundown's bushes
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 will undo,
Nor leave me you found me.
q You go as lightly IS 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!
3" dare your pity or your scorn
With pride your own exceeding;
fling my heart into your lap
Without word of pleading"
She looked uron the waving grass
SO archly, yet SO tender,
" And give you mine" she said,
VIII you forgive the lender 70"
Nor frock nor tan can hide the man;
And see you not, my farmer,
How weak and fond a woman waits
Behind this silken armor?"
" love you; on that love Alone
And not my worth, presuming,
Will you not rust for summer fruit
The tree 10 May-day blooming?"
Alone the ha- lgbird overhead,
His hair-sI ung cradle straining,
Looked dow to see loves miracle
The givinf. 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 blossom where she walks
The careful ways of duty;
Our hard, stiff lines of life, with her,
Are flowing curves of beauty.
Our homes are cheerier for her sake
Orr door-yards brighter blooming,
And I'll about the social air
sweeter for her coming