The Girl He Left Behind <br />We used to think her frivolous—you know how <br />parents are, <br />A little quick to see the faults and petty flaws <br />that mar <br />The girl their son is fond of and may choose <br />to make his wife, <br />A little overjealous of the one who'd share his <br />life; <br />But the girl he left behind him when he bravely <br />marched away <br />Has blossomed into beauty that we see and need <br />to-day. <br /> <br />She was with us at the depot, and we turned our <br />backs a-while, <br />And her eyes were sad and misty, though she <br />tried her best to smile. <br />Then she put her arm round mother, and it <br />seemed to me as though <br />They just grew to love each other, for they <br />shared a common woe. <br />Now she often comes to see us, and it seems <br />to me we find <br />A heap of solid comfort in the girl he left behind. <br /> <br />'She's so sensible and gentle,' mother said last <br />night to me, <br />'The kind of girl I've often wished and prayed <br />his wife would be. <br />And I like to have her near us, for she understands <br />my sighs <br />And I see my brave boy smiling when I look into <br />her eyes.' <br />Now the presence of his sweetheart seems to fill <br />our home with joy. <br />She's no longer young and flighty—she's the <br />girl who loves our boy.<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-girl-he-left-behind/
