我记得我父亲的妻子，他带她回家的那天。他的孩子们期待着争斗的岁月，而麻烦一定会来——我们粗鲁地接纳了她，把她当作轻蔑和责备的对象;我还看见她——一个年纪不大的姑娘，眼睛那么蓝，那么温柔;她以微笑和泪水迎接我们，她的微笑是多么甜蜜——她弯下腰来吻我愁眉，带着女人的温柔优雅;把她那雪白的小手放在我歪着的脸上——“亨利——这是你的儿子吗?”她说——“亲爱的孩子——他现在是我的了——什么不是一个吻?我摇了摇头，“我不是你的儿子!”——”她叹了口气——玫瑰色从她酒窝般的面颊上褪去;她转过身去，不说话，我的思想与死者有关——从我父亲的眼睛里跳出一道黑色的火焰;我听见她温柔的声音在恳求——“为了她的缘故原谅我吧”——这声音使我的脚步更加迅捷，这是一个可悲而奇怪的错误——一年刚过去，就被那个可恨的新娘; I loved to linger half the day, In very joy and pride; Her voice was music to mine ear, So soft its accent fell; "Dear Mother now" -- and oh, how dear No words of mine can tell -- She was so gentle, fair and kind, So pure in soul and free from art; That woman with her noble mind, Subdued my rebel heart -- I just had learned to know her worth, My Father's second choice to bless; When God removed her from the earth, And plunged us all in deep distress -- Hot fever smote with burning blight Stretchd on a restless bed of pain; I moaning lay from morn till night With aching limbs and throbbing brain -- Four weary weeks beside my bed, She sat within a darkened room; Untiring held my aching head, Nor heeded silence -- cold and gloom -- And when my courage quite gave way, And fainter grew my struggling breath; She taught my stricken soul to pray And calmly meet approaching death -- "Fear not God's angel, sent by Him, The weary spirit to release; Before the mortal eyes grow dim, Floats down the white winged dove of peace" -- There came a change -- but fingers small, No longer smoothed my matted hair; She sprang not to my feeble call, Nor helped to lift me to my chair -- And I arose as from the dead, A life for her dear life was given; The angel who had watched my bed Had vanished into Heaven! --