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 afraidTo 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.