| |
| YOUR wedding-ring wears thin, dear wife; ah, summers not a few, | |
| Since I put it on your finger first, have passed o’er me and you; | |
| And, love, what changes we have seen,—what cares and pleasures, too,— | |
| Since you became my own dear wife, when this old ring was new! | |
| |
| O, blessings on that happy day, the happiest of my life, | 5 |
| When, thanks to God, your low, sweet “Yes” made you my loving wife! | |
| Your heart will say the same, I know; that day ’s as dear to you,— | |
| That day that made me yours, dear wife, when this old ring was new. | |
| |
| How well do I remember now your young sweet face that day! | |
| How fair you were, how dear you were, my tongue could hardly say; | 10 |
| Nor how I doated on you; O, how proud I was of you! | |
| But did I love you more than now, when this old ring was new? | |
| |
| No—no! no fairer were you then than at this hour to me; | |
| And, dear as life to me this day, how could you dearer be? | |
| As sweet your face might be that day as now it is, ’t is true; | 15 |
| But did I know your heart as well when this old ring was new? | |
| |
| O partner of my gladness, wife, what care, what grief is there | |
| For me you would not bravely face, with me you would not share? | |
| O, what a weary want had every day, if wanting you, | |
| Wanting the love that God made mine when this old ring was new! | 20 |
| |
| Years bring fresh links to bind us, wife,—young voices that are here; | |
| Young faces round our fire that make their mother’s yet more dear; | |
| Young loving hearts your care each day makes yet more like to you, | |
| More like the loving heart made mine when this old ring was new. | |
| |
| And blessed be God! all he has given are with us yet; around | 25 |
| Our table every precious life lent to us still is found. | |
| Though cares we ’ve known, with hopeful hearts the worst we ’ve struggled through; | |
| Blessed be his name for all his love since this old ring was new! | |
| |
| The past is dear, its sweetness still our memories treasure yet; | |
| The griefs we ’ve borne, together borne, we would not now forget. | 30 |
| Whatever, wife, the future brings, heart unto heart still true, | |
| We ’ll share as we have shared all else since this old ring was new. | |
| |
| And if God spare us ’mongst our sons and daughters to grow old, | |
| We know his goodness will not let your heart or mine grow cold. | |
| Your aged eyes will see in mine all they ’ve still shown to you, | 35 |
| And mine and yours all they have seen since this old ring was new! | |
| |
| And O, when death shall come at last to bid me to my rest, | |
| May I die looking in those eyes, and resting on that breast; | |
| O, may my parting gaze be blessed with the dear sight of you, | |
| Of those fond eyes,—fond as they were when this old ring was new! | 40 |
| |
