Page 31 - Poetry-Family

The Housekeeper’s Soliloquy

There’s a big washing to be done—
One pair of hands to do it
Sheets, shirts and stockings, coats and pants,
How will I e’er get through it?

Dinner to get for six or more.
No loaf left o’er from Sunday;
And baby cross as he can live—
He’s always so on Monday.

‘Tis time the meat was in the pot,
The bread was worked for baking,
The clothes were taken from the boil—
Oh dear! the baby’s waking!

Hush, baby dear! there, hush-sh-sh!
I wish he’d sleep a little.
Till I could run and get some wood
To hurry up the kettle.

Oh dear! oh dear! if P— comes home.
And finds things in this pother,
He’ll just begin and tell me all
About his tidy mother!

How nice her kitchen used to be,
Her dinner always ready
Exactly when the noon-bell rang—
Hush, hush, dear little Freddy!

And then will come some hasty words,
Right out before I’m thinking—
They say that hasty words from wives
Set sober men to drinking.

Now is not that a great idea,
That men should take to sinning,
Because a weary, half-sick wife
Can’t always smile so winning?

~ 29 ~