Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MY LITTLE WIFE, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MY LITTLE WIFE, by                    
First Line: My little wife's a world too sweet
Last Line: For such a man as I am!
Subject(s): Courage;marriage;trojan War;women; Valor;bravery;weddings;husbands;wives


MY little wife's a world too sweet
For such a man as I am:
But she's a Trojan — hard to beat
As Hector, son of Priam!

A winsome, wilful morsel she:
Brought up to grace a palace,
She ran away to marry me, —
Half love, half girlish malice.

She never has repented, though:
We built a cot in Jersey:
She wore delaine and calico,
And I wore tweed and kersey.

So great our love it bridged across
Whatever might divide us.
However went the gain or loss
We felt as rich as Midas.

I helped her with the brush and broom,
Her morning labors aiding:
She followed to the counting-room, —
Made out my bills of lading.

And once, when sick of chills I lay,
She balanced up the pages;
Did all my work from day to day,
And brought home all my wages.

Then I was but a shipping clerk, —
Of firm of Graves & Gartner:
Till, after long and weary work,
They took me in as partner.

So year on year went gayly round
While we grew rich and richer,
Until, in every spring we found,
We dipped a golden pitcher.

When Gartner left, grown old and lame,
I bought him out completely;
Made wife a partner; changed the name
To Wheatly, Graves & Wheatly.

A silent partner? Not at all!
With genius more than Sapphic,
She improvised — that lady small —
The poetry of traffic.

And, flitting through our offices,
With work and smile admonished:
"We'll work no metamorphoses
To make a lie look honest."

Meantime the business grew and grew
With not a cloud to daunten:
Till wife, who wanted tea like dew,
Sent me adrift for Canton.

No sooner was I well at sea,
Than with a whirl insanic,
Down came that flood of seventy-three,
And shook the world with panic.

Then many a house as strong as life
Was caught and torn asunder:
Till Graves came trembling to my wife
And said: "We're going under!"

Wife saw the gulf but kept her poise;
Disposed of plate and raiment,
Sold all her jewels (but the boy's!),
And met the heaviest payment.

So Graves and she, with work and wit,
With care and self-denial,
Upheld the firm, — established it
The surer for the trial.

Through all the strife they paid the hands
Full price, — none saw them falter,
And now the house, rock-founded, stands
As steady as Gibraltar.

But wife keeps with us, guards us through
Like Miriam watching Moses;
She drinks her tea as pure as dew
And sells it — fresh as roses!

Yes, she's a Trojan! Hard to beat
As all the sons of Priam:
But bless you! she's a world too sweet
For such a man as I am!





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