| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
| |
| 1351. The Spring Beauties |
| | | By Helen Gray Cone |
| |
| |
| THE PURITAN Spring Beauties stood freshly clad for church; | |
| A Thrush, white-breasted, o’er them sat singing on his perch. | |
| “Happy be! for fair are ye!” the gentle singer told them, | |
| But presently a buff-coat Bee came booming up to scold them. | |
| “Vanity, oh, vanity! | 5 |
| Young maids, beware of vanity!” | |
| Grumbled out the buff-coat Bee, | |
| Half parson-like, half soldierly. | |
| |
| The sweet-faced maidens trembled, with pretty, pinky blushes, | |
| Convinced that it was wicked to listen to the Thrushes; | 10 |
| And when, that shady afternoon, I chanced that way to pass, | |
| They hung their little bonnets down and looked into the grass. | |
| All because the buff-coat Bee | |
| Lectured them so solemnly:— | |
| “Vanity, oh, vanity! | 15 |
| Young maids, beware of vanity!” | |
| |
|
|
|
