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Coventry Patmore - The Victories Of Love. Book I
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                 My Wife, and, touch`d by the kind cheer
                 Her countenance show`d, or sooth`d perchance
                 By the soft evening`s sad advance,
                 As we were, stroked the flanks and head
                 Of the ass, and, somewhat thick-voiced, said,
                 ‘To `ave to wop the donkeys so
                 ‘`Ardens the `art, but they won`t go
                 ‘Without!’ My Wife, by this impress`d,
                 As men judge poets by their best,
                 When now we reach`d the welcome door,
                 Gave him his hire, and sixpence more.


XIX 
From Jane 

                 Dear Mrs. Graham, the fever`s past,
                 And Fred is well. I, in my last,
                 Forgot to say that, while `twas on,
                 A lady, call`d Honoria Vaughan,
                 One of his Salisbury Cousins, came.
                 Had I, she ask`d me, heard her name?
                 `Twas that Honoria, no doubt,
                 Whom he would sometimes talk about
                 And speak to, when his nights were bad,
                 And so I told her that I had.

                 She look`d so beautiful and kind!
                 And just the sort of wife my mind     
                 Pictured for Fred, with many tears,
                 In those sad early married years.

                 Visiting, yesterday, she said,
                 The Admiral`s Wife, she learn`d that Fred
                 Was very ill; she begg`d to be,
                 If possible, of use to me.
                 What could she do? Last year, his Aunt
                 Died, leaving her, who had no want,
                 Her fortune. Half was his, she thought;
                 But he, she knew, would not be brought
                 To take his rights at second hand.
                 Yet something might, she hoped, be plann`d.
                 What did I think of putting John
                 To school and college? Mr. Vaughan,
                 When John was old enough, could give
                 Preferment to her relative;
                 And she should be so pleased.—I said
                 I felt quite sure that dearest Fred
                 Would be most thankful. Would we come,
                 And make ourselves, she ask`d, at home,
                 Next month, at High-Hurst? Change of air
                 Both he and I should need, and there
                 At leisure we could talk, and then
                 Fix plans, as John was nearly ten.

                 It seemed so rude to think and doubt,
                 So I said, Yes. In going out,
                 She said, ‘How strange of Frederick, Dear,’
                 (I wish he had been there to hear,)
                 ‘To send no cards, or tell me what
                 ‘A nice new Cousin I had got!’
                 Was not that kind?

                 When Fred grew strong,
                 I had, I found, done very wrong.
                 Anger was in his voice and eye.
                 With people born and bred so high
                 As Fred and Mrs. Vaughan and you,     
                 It`s hard to guess what`s right to do;
                 And he won`t teach me!

                 Dear Fred wrote,
                 Directly, such a lovely note,
                 Which, though it undid all I had done,
                 Was, both to me and Mrs. Vaughan,
                 So kind! His words, I can`t say why,
                 Like soldiers` music, made me cry.
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