Constance Hately

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.