An Old Man's Wife.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1797, 12 January 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

An Old Man's Wife.

-E. L.

I cannot say my love was old, When fust hid hear t £ ..new ; Hig footstep, always firm and bold, Was light and active, too. A little silver in his hair, A shade upon hie fac, Were all the marks that time or care, With gentle hands had planted there, That I, h girl, could tiace. " Crod bless you, dear," he simply said ; "I nevei loved but you." 110 left me there, with bowed down head, To think, " Can this be true ? Can I, indeed, have cast away A lieirb so tom\ and strong, To dream of lovers young and gay, Whose faith is like a summer day, As cloiiule,«3 —and as long ? " 1 knew 1 bied him dearly then, * And woa'd have been his wife ; Yi-L pi Me at first forbado, but when Mya ; rn!ps.3 drifting life Was growing dull, and poor, and slow, And not a joy could find, My cinliite teat,-* began to How, I snid : "I'm but a girl, you know, So— may I change my mind? " He took me to hin heart once more, lie smoothed my milled brow. I knf \v he loved me a^ before, I know ho lovrs mo now. To night but lit' lv chango I see Though iii the eve of life — A hale and happj husband ho, Whose henrt I know is true to me, And I, " An old iL-an'c wife."