A Query.
What is the
worth in this age of gold,1
When virtue and honour are bought and sold,2
When wisdom’s folly, and truth a lie,3
And love a trick of a smile or sigh—4
What is the price in the world’s great mart,5
What is the worth of a woman’s heart ?6
What can a heart do ? Answer plain.7
Can a heart be ever athirst for gain ?8
Can a heart be utterly selfish and hard,9
Ever scheming and on its guard10
To miss no chance in the world’s great race,11
And win for its owner a foremost place ?12
Can a heart at all times plot and plan13
For self (if owned by woman or man) ?14
Can it hate or love, or scorn or cringe,15
And bend like a knee with a supple hinge ?16
Can it fawn and flatter and lie with care ?17
Then it has its price in the world’s great fair.18
Alas ! a heart can but trust and love,19
Be faithful and pure as the stars above ;20
A woman’s heart has no thought of gain,21
Only a sense of sweetness and pain,22
Only a feeling that for the sake23
Of its one true love it must live or break.24
Then a heart has no price at all !25
Faith and trust have no “ market call.”26
The world rolls on and life is brief,27
Men have no leisure for love or grief ;28
And hearts that cannot be bought and sold29
Have no market price in this age of gold.30