Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-16
THE WIFE.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

From school, and ball, and rout she came,
The e.ty's fair, pale daughter,
To drink the wine of mountain fair,
Beside the Bearcamp Water.
Her steps grew firmer on the hills
That watch our homesteads over
On cheek and lip, from summer fields.
She caught tue bloom of clover.
For health comes sparkling in the streamsl
From cool Chocorua stealing.
There's iron in our Northern winds
Our pines are trees of healing.
She sat beneath the broad-arnsed elms
That 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 pitchfork leaning
Framed in its damp, dark locks, his face
Had nothing mean or common,
Strong, manly, true, the tenderness
And pride beloved of women.
She looked up. glowing with the health
The country air had brought her,
And, laughing, said 1" You lack wife,
Your mother lacks daughter.
"To mend your frock 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 played with ivory keys.
Or danced the polkas measure
He bent his black brows to frown,
He set his white teeth tightly;
lis vel, be said, for one like you
To choose for me so lightly;
You think, because my life is rude,
take no note of sweetness;
tell ysu love has naught to do
With meetness or unmeetness.
Itself its best excuse, ii asks
No leave Of pride or fashion
When silken zone or homespun frock
II 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,
Yonr cheek Of sundown's bushes;
motion as of waving grain,
music as Of thrushes.
The playing 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
AL power to love another,
al dare your pity or your scorn
With pride your own exceeding;
fling my heart into your lag
Without word of pleading"
She looked upon the W. s-sss
So archly, yet so tend
" And viii give you MINE. she said,
You viii forgive the hinder?
"Nor frock nor tan can hide the man;
And see you not, my f.rmer,
How weak and fond woman waits
Behind the silken armor?
81 love you : on that love alone
And not my worth, pres Stunning,
VIII you not trust for summer fruit
The tree in May-dsy biooming?"
Alone the hangbird overhead,
His hsir-swuDg cradle straining,
Looked down to see loves miracle
The giving that is gaining.
And so the farmer found a wife,
His mother found a daughter;
There looks no happier home than hers
On pleasant Bearcamp Water.
Flowers spring TO blossom where she walk
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,
Our doc yards brighter blooming,
And all about the social air
Is sweeter for her coming.