The Chearful Husband: Or, The Despairng Wife. In a Dialogue between a loving Couple, about the Cares and Crosses of these troublesome Times. To the Tune of, The Jealous Lover.
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Woman.
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SWeet kind and loving Husband dear,
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We shall be ruind now, I fear;
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Such Times before, I never knew
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Since I was born, what shall we do?
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Our Charge is great and Profit small;
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And Charity grows cold withal;
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This fills my Heart with grief and care,
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I nothing see but sad despair.
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Man.
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Chear up, my kind and loving Wife,
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The joy and comfort of my Life,
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And do not in the least complain,
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I hope to see good Times again.
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Let us the while with patience wait,
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Submitting to the hand of Fate,
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Which will in time our Joys restore;
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Then what can we desire more?
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Woman.
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Dear Love, I know you hope to see
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Once more the Lands prosperity,
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That Fortune will upon us smile,
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But pray how shall we live the while?
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Our Family is something large,
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Six Children is no little charge,
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For to be fed and cloathd also,
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Whether we have imploy or no.
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Man.
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My Children they are Blessings Love,
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Sent from a gracious God above;
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Then do not murmur in the least,
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Content is a continual Feast.
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Gods Providence does comfort yield,
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He cloaths the Lillies of the Field,
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And feeds the Ravens of the Air,
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Then why shouldst thou and I despair?
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Woman.
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But, Husband, Husband, she replyd,
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When I was made your lawful Bride,
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I brought two hundred Pounds in Gold,
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As good as ever Merchant told:
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Yet, since the Times have been so bad,
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Through many Losses we have had,
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Its wasted, therefore I complain,
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I neer shall see so much again.
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Man.
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Perhaps you maynt, yet neertheless,
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If God does but our Labours bless,
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We may be furnishd with content,
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Then do not in the least lament.
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Love, let not Losses make thee sad;
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When Job was strippd of all he had,
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His Sorrows he with patience bore,
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And grew far richer than before.
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He in his Sorrows thus did say,
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God gives and likewise takes away,
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And blessed be his holy Name,
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From whom his greatest Comforts came.
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Then let us learn of him, my Dear,
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To bear with Faith and Patience here,
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The Sorrows which we undergo,
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For God is merciful I know.
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Then dry thine Eyes and do not weep,
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For, while I live, I hope to keep,
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With Pains and Care, my Family,
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Our eldest Son shall work with me.
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Woman.
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Well, loving Husband, since I find,
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That thou art so exceeding kind,
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Gods Providence Ill not distrust,
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For he is merciful and just.
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Henceforward, with a chearful heart,
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With thee Ill strive to bear a part;
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Thy chearful Words, like Cordials fine,
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Has curd this drooping Soul of mine.
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