Page:Anthology of Magazine Verse (1921).djvu/105
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And she had lived with him and drudged
For over twenty years;
He drove her on, from harrowing
To breaking in the steers.
For over twenty years;
He drove her on, from harrowing
To breaking in the steers.
At first when she was called a fool,
A hurt look dulled her eyes,
And she would slip off by herself
And have her little cries.
A hurt look dulled her eyes,
And she would slip off by herself
And have her little cries.
But once he caught her; after that
She never dared to cry;
The days seemed all alike to her
That wearily went by.
She never dared to cry;
The days seemed all alike to her
That wearily went by.
And often, when he snarled and cursed,
She played a little game;
She tried to make believe that he
Had called her some sweet name.
She played a little game;
She tried to make believe that he
Had called her some sweet name.
Then one day came a tricksy tune
That hummed within her head;
In spite of all that she could do
It held the words he said.
That hummed within her head;
In spite of all that she could do
It held the words he said.
She heard the song and shuddered at
Its "Fool, dolt, fool, dolt, fool!"
The while she gripped her hard, worn hands
And drabber looked and cool.
Its "Fool, dolt, fool, dolt, fool!"
The while she gripped her hard, worn hands
And drabber looked and cool.
And this kept up for weeks; she worked
With hope to still the song
By weariness; it sometimes went away
But would not stay for long.
With hope to still the song
By weariness; it sometimes went away
But would not stay for long.
When evening came, he sat about
The kitchen while she rid
The sink of dishes, nagging her
Through everything she did.
The kitchen while she rid
The sink of dishes, nagging her
Through everything she did.
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