| Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22. | | | | The Mountaineer’s Wife | | By Harriet Monroe |
| | From “Carolina Wood-cuts”
“TWELVE miles?” | |
| “Twelve miles—in the cool o’ th’ mornin’.” | |
| “But look—such a tiny baby!” | |
| “He’s five weeks a’ready”—she snuggled him close in her arms— | |
| “But I couldn’ quite leave him with the othah children.” | 5 |
| “Others?”—she looked so young, | |
| Her milky brow and blue gentian eyes. | |
| “O’ cou’se—six—an’ Co’nelia an’ Jim ah lots o’ help: | |
| Las’ wintah, when they couldn’ go to school—” | |
| “Couldn’t go to school?” | 10 |
| “Coz ’twas too fah an’ they had no shoes— | |
| See, they made these nice little baskets— | |
| Jus’ like my big ones.” | |
| “Oh yes, the baskets—you came all these miles to sell them?” | |
| “We jus’ had to have money t’ rent a plow, | 15 |
| Or else we won’t have no co’n— | |
| It’s plantin’ time.” | |
| |
| “But your husband?”—he sat there lumpish. | |
| Her voice grew soft as the pink-petalled wind | |
| In the apple-blossoms: | 20 |
| “He nevah c’d sell no baskets— | |
| Besides, I couldn’ let him come alone.” | | | | |
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