WHY MAIDS WILL WED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XII, Issue VI, 10 February 1894, Page 142

WHY MAIDS WILL WED.

A good wife rose from her bed one morn, And thought with nervous dread Of the piles on piles of clothes to be washed And the dozens of mouths to be fed. ‘ There’s the meals to get for the men in the field, And the children to fix away to school, And all the milk to be skimmed and churned And all to be done this day.’ It had rained in the night, and all the wood Was wet as it could be, There were puddings and pies to bake And a loaf of cake for tea ; And the day was hot, and her aching head Throbbed wearily as she said, ‘ If maidens but knew what good wives know They’d not be in haste to wed.’ • Annie, what do you think I told Ned Brown ? Called the farmer from the well— And a flush crept up to his bronzed brow And bis eyes half blushingly fell. * It was this,’ and coming near he smiled, ‘lt was this: That you are the best And the dearest wife in town.’ The farmer went back to the field, And the wife, in a smiling, absent way, Sang snatches of tender little songs She had not sung for many a day. And the pain in her head was gone, and her clothes Were as white as the foam of the sea, And her butter as sweet and golden as it could be. The night came down— The good wife smiled to herself as she said : ‘ ’Tis so sweet to labour for those we love It is not strange that maidens will wed.’