You praise my self-sacrifice,
Spoon River,
In rearing Irene and Mary,
Orphans of my older sister!
And you censure Irene and Mary For their contempt of me!
But praise not my self-sacrifice,
And censure not their contempt;
I reared them,
I cared for them, true enough!— But I poisoned my benefactions With constant reminders of their dependence.
