| Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet. 1867. | | | | To a Young Mother | | By Mrs. Anna Maria Wells |
| | | BELINDA! the young blossom that doth lie | |
| So lightly on thy bosom,—clasp it there; | |
| For on her brow an empress doth not wear, | |
| Nor in her jewelled zone, a gem more fair, | |
| Or that doth deck her more becomingly. | 5 |
| Forget not, then, that deep within thy flower | |
| The germs lie hid of lovelier, holier things:— | |
| Filial affection, that spontaneous springs; | |
| High truth and maiden purity; the power | |
| That comes of gentleness; ay, and more,— | 10 |
| Piety, nourished in the bosom’s core. | |
| These, if so cherished, shall thy blossom bear, | |
| And, with the dews of heavenly love impearled, | |
| It shall adorn thee in another world. | | | | |
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