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AN HONEST VALENTINE
Returned from the Dead‐Letter Office
- THANK you for your kindness,
- Lady fair and wise,
- Though love’s famed for blindness,
- Lovers—hem! for lies.
- Courtship’s mighty pretty,
- Wedlock a sweet sight;—
- Should I (from the city,
- A plain man, Miss—) write,
- Ere we spouse‐and‐wive it,
- Just one honest line,
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- Could you e’er forgive it,
- Pretty Valentine?
- Honey‐moon quite over,
- If I less should scan
- You with eye of lover
- Than of mortal man?
- Seeing my fair charmer
- Curl hair spire on spire,
- All in paper armor,
- By the parlor fire;
- Gown that wants a stitch in
- Hid by apron fine,
- Scolding in her kitchen,—
- O fie, Valentine!
- Should I come home surly
- Vexed with fortune’s frown,
- Find a hurly‐burly,
- House turned upside down,
- Servants all a‐snarl, or
- Cleaning steps or stair:
- Breakfast still in parlor,
- Dinner—anywhere:
- Shall I to cold bacon
- Meekly fall and dine?
- No,—or I’m mistaken
- Much, my Valentine.
- What if we should quarrel?
- —Bless you, all folks do:—
- Will you take the war ill
- Yet half like it too?
- When I storm and jangle,
- Obstinate, absurd,
- Will you sit and wrangle
- Just for the last word,—
- Or, while poor Love, crying,
- Upon tiptoe stands,
- Ready plumed for flying,—
- Will you smile, shake hands,
- And the truth beholding,
- With a kiss divine
- Stop my rough mouth’s scolding?—
- Bless you, Valentine!
- If, should times grow harder,
- We have lack of pelf,
- Little in the larder,
- Less upon the shelf;
- Will you, never tearful,
- Make your old gowns do,
- Mend my stockings, cheerful,
- And pay visits few?
- Crave nor gift nor donor,
- Old days ne’er regret,
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- Seek no friend save Honor,
- Dread no foe but Debt;
- Meet ill‐fortune steady,
- Hand to hand with mine,
- Like a gallant lady,—
- Will you, Valentine?
- Then, whatever weather
- Come, or shine, or shade,
- We’ll set out together,
- Not a whit afraid.
- Age is ne’er alarming,—
- I shall find, I ween,
- You at sixty charming
- As at sweet sixteen:
- Let’s pray, nothing loath, dear,
- That our funeral may
- Make one date serve both, dear,
- As our marriage day.
- Then, come joy or sorrow,
- Thou art mine,—I thine.
- So we’ll wed to‐morrow,
- Dearest Valentine.
