The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-22
THE VALLEY YIRGINIAN,
sTAUNT TON, VA.
From the Portland Transcript. ]
MADGE MILLER.

haoss Wlller, on summer day,
Walked, as usual, her pleasaAt way
Her dress was tidy, her apron white;
| Her face was sweet as the morning light,
She was country village maid,
| Learning country nilliner's trade.
Her hands were SOFT her dress was clean,
And little she knew what care might mean.
She said ''Pll work at my pretty trade, I'll
And live happy and free old maid
"LeYers may come and lovers may 60,
III have none Of them, no, no, no I"
But suffer came with tall silk hat: m fl
He told her a story worth two Of that tsya 4
The same old story by lovers told, teH
Since first the earth out of chaos rolled M
(Let us kindly hope who are old and wise,
He did not know he was telling lies.)
sMarry me, darling, and you shall DO
The happiest woman on land or sea! t&
''No longer then will you have to 60
To your daily labor through heat or snow.
sit shall be my pleasure, my law, my life,
omake you blest and happy wife. M
''Marly me, and you never shall know
sorrow or hardship, care or woe!''
She heard the story of promised bliss
She waited wavered, and answered, eyes," I"
Bright and big was the honey moon,
And clouded by worldly care too soon. M
For Homework led her its weary round,
Her feet were tethered, her hands were bound
And children came with their small demands,
lettering closer her burdened handa.
In her husbands house she came to be
A servant in all but salary
All her days whether foul or fair,
We're endless circles of work and care:
And half her nights-as up and down
Sac walked the floor in her dressing gown,
flushing an ailng infants screams,
Lest il ahould break its fathers dreams;
And wash the dishes and rub the knives
The lofty mission Of duteous wives
Or coaxed and doctered sobbing child
By the papgs of ear-ache driven wild
II ere seasons Of waksfal nervous dread 81,
So if at last DER her aching head
The angel of slumber Glanced to stoop,
He brought her visions of mumps and Groups
And che rose and rested, and went once more
Tarough the dull routine Of the day before
week oy week ulu SIG uTuuge, anu IOli. t4UAE
And stew and pickle, and roast and boil.
And scrub, and iron, and sweep and cook,
Her only reading receipt book
And battle the children and brush their locks.
Button their aprons and pin their frocks,
And patch old garments and darn and mend
O weary worry that has no end!
She lost her airy and sportive ways
The petty charm of her girlish days
For how can q playful fancy rove
When once tied up to cooking stove?
Sometimes would her well Kept husband lock
Up from the page of his paper or book,
And note how the bloom had left her face, .fe
And paid thinness won its place
How gray had mixed with her locks Of brown
And her forehead gained growing frown,
And say, 'she is ugly declare
wonder I ever thought her fair"
Season by season, year by year,
Did she follow the round of 'woman's sphere
Not vexing her husbands days or nights II ,is
By any mention of woman's rights, M .@@
Till she died at last--too severely tried
Her life's one selfish deed-she died,
Proud and happy and quite content
With the sls.sh way her days were spent!
Feeling, of course, that her life was lest
koby in saving servants cost
ALI Of all the sad thoughts of women or mon
The saddest is this. 'sIt needn't have been! p