Bitter Thoughts on Receiving a Slice of Cordelia's Wedding-Cake
Why have such scores of lovely, gifted girls
Married impossible men?
Simple self—sacrifice may be ruled out,
And missionary endeavour, nine times out of ten.
Repeat “impossible men”: not merely rustic,
Foul—tempered or depraved
(Dramatic foils chosen to show the world
How well women behave, and always have behaved).
Impossible men: idle, illiterate,
Self—pitying, dirty, sly,
For whose appearance even in City parks
Excuses must be made to casual passers—by.
Has God’s supply of tolerable husbands
Fallen, in fact, so low?
Or do I always over—value woman
At the expense of man?
