Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DOMESTICS, by WALT MASON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DOMESTICS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: We've had about a thousand maids, who
Last Line: For clarence, william, stephen, fred, adolphus, james and harry.
Subject(s): Household Employees; Labor & Laborers; Marriage; Servants; Domestics; Maids; Work; Workers; Weddings; Husbands; Wives


WE'VE had about a thousand maids, who worked for us for wages; they cleaned the

floors and window shades, and cooked, by easy stages. And ever and anon they'd
quit; their time had come to marry; and Grace would wed her smiling Kit, and
Jane would wed her Harry. And I felt sorry for the groom, whene'er there was a
wedding; when matrimony lost its bloom, he'd find some rocky sledding. Of all
the thousand girls we've hired, not one was truly saving; economy would make
them tired, and sometimes set them raving. It was the same with Beryl Maud, with

Susan and with Sally; they'd roll things up into a wad, and throw them in the
alley. They wasted succotash and steak, as good as you have tasted; they wasted

pudding, pie and cake, and all that could be wasted. They wasted soap, they
wasted soup, and did it all with jesting, and didn't seem to care a whoop for
wailing or protesting. So when they go away to wed, I weep for those they marry,

for Clarence, William, Stephen, Fred, Adolphus, James and Harry.





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