The Step Mother
The Step Mother
Original Text
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library MS. 3080, holograph collection of poems, "Written for Agnes Dunbar FitzGibbon, with the love and blessing of her old Mother Susanna Moodie -- March -- 6th -- 1866."
1Well I recall my Father's wife,
2 The day he brought her home.
3His children looked for years of strife,
4 And troubles sure to come --
5Ungraciously we welcomed her,
6 A thing to scorn and blame;
7And swore we never would confer
8 On her, a Mother's name
9I see her yet -- a girl in years,
10 With eyes so blue and mild;
11She greeted us with smiles and tears,
12 How sweetly too she smiled --
13She bent to kiss my sullen brow,
14 With woman's gentle grace;
15And laid her tiny hand of snow
16 On my averted face --
17"Henry -- is this your son? She said --
18 "Dear boy -- he now is mine --
19What not one kiss? --" I shook my head,
20 "I am no son of thine! --"
21She sighed -- and from her dimpled cheek
22 The rosy colour fled;
23She turned away and did not speak,
24 My thoughts were with the dead --
25There leaped from out my Father's eyes
26 A jet of swarthy fire;
27That flashed on me in fierce surprise --
28 I fled before his ire
29I heard her gentle voice entreat --
30 "Forgiveness for her sake" --
31Which added swiftness to my feet,
32 A sad and strange mistake --
33A year had scarcely rolled away
34 When by that hated bride;
35I loved to linger half the day,
36 In very joy and pride;
37Her voice was music to mine ear,
38 So soft its accent fell;
39"Dear Mother now" -- and oh, how dear
40 No words of mine can tell --
41She was so gentle, fair and kind,
42 So pure in soul and free from art;
43That woman with her noble mind,
44 Subdued my rebel heart --
45I just had learned to know her worth,
46 My Father's second choice to bless;
47When God removed her from the earth,
48 And plunged us all in deep distress --
49Hot fever smote with burning blight
50 Stretchd on a restless bed of pain;
51I moaning lay from morn till night
52 With aching limbs and throbbing brain --
53Four weary weeks beside my bed,
54 She sat within a darkened room;
55Untiring held my aching head,
56 Nor heeded silence -- cold and gloom --
57And when my courage quite gave way,
58 And fainter grew my struggling breath;
59She taught my stricken soul to pray
60 And calmly meet approaching death --
61"Fear not God's angel, sent by Him,
62 The weary spirit to release;
63Before the mortal eyes grow dim,
64 Floats down the white winged dove of peace" --
65There came a change -- but fingers small,
66 No longer smoothed my matted hair;
67She sprang not to my feeble call,
68 Nor helped to lift me to my chair --
69And I arose as from the dead,
70 A life for her dear life was given;
71The angel who had watched my bed
72 Had vanished into Heaven! --
Publication Start Year
1999
Publication Notes
RPO
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
RPO 1999.
Rhyme