10-17 Grand Prize Winner

A Tale of Two Maidens
By Miss Rachel Krause

As the Father looked below He saw upon a glance,
Two houses, two homes, two families, two girls,
This happened not by chance.

One home He saw held a family of eight, six children and two parents,
Five boys all growing kept their sister sewing
For they didn't have two extra cents.

Money was saved, pennies were pinched, mother and daughter were thrifty
But conserving their spending, neither borrowing not lending,
Meant both hands had to be nifty.

When mother fell sick and didn't have strength to work every day with her daughter,
The girl persevered serving her brothers dear
And making glad her father.

Clothes to be mended, floors to be scrubbed, dishes to wash and to dry,
Windows to sparkle and bathrooms to clean,
All done without even a sigh.

At the end of the day, Hannah paused to reflect on the service that she gladly gave,
When two of her brothers came sat down beside her,
And the work that she did, they praised.

But more than the thanks that her brothers returned, the girl internally knew,
That her father was proud, for the Lord had found
A maiden saying, "Your will I will do."

The Lord Jesus smiled, so pleased and so proud, that this girl was serving her family,
But His smile quickly faded as this view was traded
For a picture not so very pretty.

Again, a house was within His view, full of five, no, four, lively people,
For the fifth of this clan always said, "But I can't!"
And appeared to be daily quite feeble.

For whenever the words, "Help," "Will you?" or "Work," were pronounced in Caroline's presence,
The looks on her face made you think she might faint,
"Besides," she said, "work is for peasants."

And although the mean words never slipped her small lips, she thought of them all the day long,
While she struggled and strained, her lounging to maintain,
Immersed in her selfish grey fog.

The delicate fingers, neither calloused not scratched, held books and hankies all day,
While poor mother slaved, house function to maintain,
Caroline on the sofa lay.

"Oh, mother," she complained, "how my head aches," and, "Oh! What is that smell?"
"Dinner must have burned, Mother, when will you learn?"
"And, someone, go answer the doorbell!"

So on went routine, (her laziness, I mean) causing Mother and Father much grief.
"What shall we do?" Father and Mother dismayed,
"She's not even earning her keep."

At the end of the day, Caroline again lay, Lounging and lazing luxuriously,
But something within her, not happy she seemed,
And the tears began falling down furiously.

Happiness and peace, she could never enjoy, for Caroline did not understand,
That the greatest joy ever is laziness NEVER,
But lending a work ready hand.

So to you, fellow maiden, I offer two choices, you must make the right one today,
Serve the Lord Jesus by serving your family,
For service to God is well-paid!