The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-09
The GOLD LEAF.
HENDERSON, n. G.
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1891.
A WOMAN'S ANSWER TO A MANS
QUESTION.

The authorship of the following beauti-
full poem has been variously credited. The
first time we ever saw it, some years ago,
it bore the name of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett
Browning as the writer. and in volume
poems, selected from the writings of diff
ferent authors. in our possession, it ap-
pears over her name. 1t has also been at
tributed to Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop, a
writer of charming verse, but we are in
clined to the opinion that Mrs. Browning
wrote it. Full of thought and expressive
OF womanly sentiment it is and we publish
it IL, connection with very clever reply
printed in the Boston Iranscript. EDITOR
GOLD LEAF
Do you know you have asked for the costli-
est thing
Ever made by the Hand above
A woman's heart. and wOman's life,
And woman's wonderful love?
Do you know you have asked for this price,
less thing
AS a child might ask for a toy?
Demanding what others have died to win
with the reckless dash of boy?
You have written my lesson Of duty out,
Manlike you have questioned me;
New stssGGdd st st the bar of my woman's sod
Until l shall question thee
You require your mutton shall always be
Your socks and your shirts shall be
whole;
Irequire your heart shall be true as God $
stars,
And pure as Heaven your soul
Won roo,,i ra n onol, for ,your mutton an1
beef
l require far grander thing;
A seamstress you're wanting for stockings
and shirts
look for man and king
A king for beautiful realm called home
And man that the maker, God,
Shall look upon as lie did the first,
And say, ut is very good"
1 Lam fair and young, but the rose will fade
From my soft young cheek one day;
VIII you love me then, mid the falling
AS you did mid the bloom of May?
Is your heart an ocean so strong and deel
may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds Heaven or hell
On the day she is made bride.
require all things that are grand ant
true,
All things that man should be;
If you give this all l would stake my life
To be all you demand OF me.
II you cannot do this, laundress ant
cook
You can hire with little to pay;
But wOmanS heart and a wonan's life
Are not to be won that way.
REPLY TO THE ABOVE.
You say l have asked for the cOstlest
thing
Ever made by the Hand above
A wOman'S heart and a wOman's life
And woman wonderful love.
That L lave written your duty out.
And man-like have questioned thee;
You demand that l stand at the bar o
your soul
While you in turn question me.
A when ask you to be my wife,
The head of my house and home
Whose path would scatter with sunshine
through life,
Thy shield where sorrow shall come
You reply with disdain and curl of thu
And point to my coats missing button,
And heartily ask If want cook
To serve up my beef and mutton.
IT'S king for you. Well l am not he,
But only a plain earnest man,
Whose feet often shun the hard path the
should tread;
Often shrink from the gulf they shout,
span.
IT'S hard to believe that the rose will fad
From the cheek so full, so fair;
"Twere harder to think that heart prou
and cold
Were ever reflected there
True, the roses will fade, and the leave
will fall,
And the autumn of life will come,
But the heart that gave will be as tru
Us in May,
Should make it thy shelter, thy home
Thou requir'st 'all things that are goo
and true,
All things that a man should be-
All! lady, my truth doubt not, doubt no
For the rest, l leave it to thee.