Letter

1902

A poem written by M. M. Maxim for Susanna A. Winn on her 50th birthday. "Fifty Lines By An Old Bachelor Dedicated to Miss Winn and her fifty old maids Dear Maidens, accepted these few lines from my pen And try to have patience with one of the men. Let us halt in this round of seasons And think of the passing years. Remember the storms and sunshine Remember the smiles and tears. But dwell on the blessings of sunshine And sift out the wheat from the chat and if memory turns you to sighing Just think it is as easy to laugh There are blessings awaiting the single They can roam at the own sweet will If their not content in the valley They can live on the top of the hill The bachelor girl is so skillful Her service is sought in the arts And she labors to make herself useful Instead of the breaking of hearts the bachelor girl is so faithful She is trusted with treasure and gold Tho' she meets with misfortune and trouble Her virtues will never grow old Some people will sneer at her vision And some will their pity bestow But she keeps at her labors with patience Regardless of high or low When others are free with their pity As over the world they roam Just to tell them to save a portion For the ones they have left at home You have little reason to envy The mother whose hands never rest With the cooking, the darning and mending And the "kids" to be washed and dressed Though she dreams in silks and diamonds and rides with a coach and pair She may be a slave to her husband while you only ? your "Shanks mare" She gets her a husband to lean on To make of her home a delight But he often has to lean upon others In order to get home at night You have no husband's relations Or husband to domineer And the chance to do as our pleases Is worth ten thousand a year And now you can be looking backward With never a tear or sigh For perhaps your happiness is due To the men who have passed you by! M.M. Maxim"