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| TWO little feet, so small that both may nestle | |
| In one caressing hand,— | |
| Two tender feet upon the untried border | |
| Of life’s mysterious land. | |
| |
| Dimpled, and soft, and pink as peach-tree blossoms, | 5 |
| In April’s fragrant days, | |
| How can they walk among the briery tangles, | |
| Edging the world’s rough ways? | |
| |
| These rose-white feet, along the doubtful future, | |
| Must bear a mother’s load; | 10 |
| Alas! since Woman has the heaviest burden, | |
| And walks the harder road. | |
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| Love, for a while, will make the path before them | |
| All dainty, smooth, and fair,— | |
| Will cull away the brambles, letting only | 15 |
| The roses blossom there. | |
| |
| But when the mother’s watchful eyes are shrouded | |
| Away from sight of men, | |
| And these dear feet are left without her guiding, | |
| Who shall direct them then? | 20 |
| |
| How will they be allured, betrayed, deluded, | |
| Poor little untaught feet! | |
| Into what dreary mazes will they wander, | |
| What dangers will they meet? | |
| |
| Will they go stumbling blindly in the darkness | 25 |
| Of Sorrow’s tearful shades? | |
| Or find the upland slopes of Peace and Beauty, | |
| Whose sunlight never fades? | |
| |
| Will they go toiling up Ambition’s summit, | |
| The common world above? | 30 |
| Or in some nameless vale, securely sheltered, | |
| Walk side by side with Love? | |
| |
| Some feet there be which walk Life’s track unwounded, | |
| Which find but pleasant ways: | |
| Some hearts there be to which this life is only | 35 |
| A round of happy days. | |
| |
| But these are few. Far more there are who wander | |
| Without a hope or friend,— | |
| Who find their journey full of pains and losses, | |
| And long to reach the end. | 40 |
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| How shall it be with her, the tender stranger, | |
| Fair-faced and gentle-eyed, | |
| Before whose unstained feet the world’s rude highway | |
| Stretches so fair and wide? | |
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| Ah! who may read the future? For our darling | 45 |
| We crave all blessings sweet, | |
| And pray that He who feeds the crying ravens | |
| Will guide the baby’s feet. | |
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