Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects (Harper, 1857)/Report

by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

REPORT.

I heard, my young friend
 You were seeking a wife,
A woman to make
 Your companion for life.

Now, if you are seeking
 A wife for your youth,
Let this be your aim, then—
 Seek a woman of truth.

She may not have talents,
 With greatness combined,
Her gifts may be humble,
 Of person and mind:

But if she be constant,
 And gentle, and true,
Believe me my friend,
 She 's the woman for you!

Oh! wed not for beauty,
 Though fair is the prize;
It may pall when you grasp it,
 And fade in your eyes.

Let gold not allure you,
 Let wealth not attract;
With a house full of treasure,
 A woman may lack.

Let her habits be frugal,
 Her hands not afraid
To work in her household
 Or follow her trade.

Let her language be modest,
 Her actions discreet;
Her manners refined,
 And free from deceit.

Now if such you should find,
 In your journey through life,
Just open your mind,
 And make her your wife.