A Bite of Torah
  • Home
    • Upcoming and Current Classes
    • Meet Aliza
  • Meet Aliza
    • Video Introduction: Becoming What I Want to Be
    • Aliza Bulow-Jewish Press Article 2016
    • Yated Article: The Adopted Princess- The Story of Aliza Bulow, A Jew by Choice
    • Family First Article: From Puritan to Pure Jew The Journey of Aliza Bulow
    • My Job: Honey Bee Kiruv (Horizon Magazine)
    • Videos >
      • Becoming What I Want to Be
      • Keshet Honoree Video
      • Gitty Bulow's video
      • Shema Video
  • Audio
    • Talks from Travels
    • The Jewish University: History
    • The Jewish University: Foundations
    • Relationships and Growth >
      • A Marriage Made in Heaven
      • Strengthening Relationships
      • Parenting
      • Self Esteem
      • Bridging the [Mussar] Gap
      • Roadmap to the Real You
    • Jewish Philosophy >
      • Derech Hashem Phone Series
      • Tomer Devorah
      • Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith
      • Philosophy Discussion Group
      • Secret Life of Davening
    • Sefer HaChinuch
    • Holidays >
      • Passover/Pesach
      • Shavuot
      • Three Weeks and Tisha B'Av
      • Elul and High Holy Days >
        • Elul and Rosh Hashana
        • Mexico Elul 2011
        • Falling In Love With G-d
        • Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur
        • Tomer Devorah
      • Chanukah
      • Purim
    • Elisheva and Yehoshua Hoffman
    • For Mikarvot >
      • Derech Hashem Phone Series
      • WIK and Campus Conference 2013 >
        • Why Women Can't Be Rabbis
      • WIK Conference 2010 and 2011
      • Bayla's Sheloshim Shiur
      • Shalom Bayit in Hebrew
  • Writings
    • Aliza's Stories >
      • Harry's Magic
      • Am I for Real? A Shema Story
      • Kindness in Kansas
      • Welling Up
      • When Chocolate Isn't Enough
      • Elisheva and Yehoshua Hoffman
      • My First Partner in Torah
      • Yated Article: The Adopted Princess- The Story of Aliza Bulow, A Jew by Choice
      • Honey Bee Kiruv
    • Holidays and Lifecycle >
      • Why Round Challah
      • Connecting Through Fasting
      • Reincarnation in the Book of Ruth
      • Orthodox Jewish Weddings
      • Developmental Stages of the Baal Teshuva >
        • Las fases de la recién Observador
    • Spirituality >
      • Four Spiritual Coping Strategies
      • The DaVinci Mode: Seeking the Sacred Feminine
      • Growing Together: A Book for Parents of the Newly Observant
      • The Mitzvah of Smiling
    • Doni Bulow Memorial Page
  • Public Speaking
    • Speaking Topics
    • Sample Talks
    • Venues at Which I Have Spoken
    • Short bios and pics
    • Contact
  • Resources
    • Hire Aliza
    • Growing Together: A Book for Parents of the Newly Observant
    • Yinglish: A Lexicon of Judeo-English
    • Books I've Mentioned >
      • The Falconi Effect
    • Poems I like >
      • Sails and Souls
      • Which?
      • Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation
    • Links to Other Torah Sites
  • Contact
Picture
This poem gave me a lot of chizuk, strength, while raising young children, some of whom were quite difficult...

Which?

by Mrs. E. L. Beers  
from McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader
(a public school book used in the late 19th and early 20 century America
)


Which shall it be? Which shall it be?
I looked at John--John looked at me;
Dear, patient John, who loves me yet
As well as though my locks were jet.
And when I found that I must speak,
"Tell me again what Robert said?"
And then I, listening, bent my head.
"This is his letter:

"I will give
A house and land while you shall live,
If in return, from out your seven,
One child to me for aye is given."                 (aye=always)
I looked at John's old garments worn,
I thought of all that John had borne,
Of poverty, and work and care,
Which I, though willing, could not share;
I thought of seven mouths to feed,
Of seven little children's need,
And then of this.

"Come John," said I,
"We'll choose among them as they lie
Asleep." So, walking hand in hand,
Dear John and I surveyed our band.
First to the cradle light we stepped,
Where Lilian the baby slept,
A glory 'gainst the pillow white.
Softly the father stooped to lay
His rough hand down in loving way,
When dream or whisper made her stir,
And huskily he said: "Not her!"

We stooped beside the trundle-bed,
And one long ray of lamplight shed,
Athwart the boyish faces there,
In sleep so pitiful and fair;
I saw on Jamie's rough, red cheek,
A tear undried. Ere John could speak,
"He's but a baby, too," said I,
And kissed him as we hurried  by.

Pale, patient Robbie's angel face
Still in his sleep bore suffering's trace:
"No, for a thousand crowns, not him,"
He whispered, while our eyes were dim.

Poor Dick! Bad Dick! Our wayward son,
Turbulent, reckless, idle one---
Could he be spared? "Nay, He who gave,
Bade us befriend him to the grave;
Only a mother's heart can be
Patient enough for such as he;
"And so," said John, "I would not dare
To send him from her bedside prayer."

Then stole we softly up above
And knelt by Mary, child of love.
"Perhaps for her 'twould better be,"
I said to John. Quite silently
He lifted up a curl that lay
Across her cheek in willful way,
And shook his head. "Nay, love, not thee."
All the while my heart beat audibly.

Only one more, our eldest lad,
Trusty and truthful, good and glad--
so like his father. "No, John, no--
I can not, will not let him go."

And so we wrote in courteous way,
We could not drive one child away.
And afterward, toil lighter seemed,
Thinking of that of which we dreamed;
Happy in truth, that not one face
We missed from its accustomed place'
Thankful to work for all the seven,
Trusting the rest to One in heaven!

This site is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Moshe a"h ben Ephraim Adam HaLevi Bulow
Click here to learn more
  • Home
    • Upcoming and Current Classes
    • Meet Aliza
  • Meet Aliza
    • Video Introduction: Becoming What I Want to Be
    • Aliza Bulow-Jewish Press Article 2016
    • Yated Article: The Adopted Princess- The Story of Aliza Bulow, A Jew by Choice
    • Family First Article: From Puritan to Pure Jew The Journey of Aliza Bulow
    • My Job: Honey Bee Kiruv (Horizon Magazine)
    • Videos >
      • Becoming What I Want to Be
      • Keshet Honoree Video
      • Gitty Bulow's video
      • Shema Video
  • Audio
    • Talks from Travels
    • The Jewish University: History
    • The Jewish University: Foundations
    • Relationships and Growth >
      • A Marriage Made in Heaven
      • Strengthening Relationships
      • Parenting
      • Self Esteem
      • Bridging the [Mussar] Gap
      • Roadmap to the Real You
    • Jewish Philosophy >
      • Derech Hashem Phone Series
      • Tomer Devorah
      • Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith
      • Philosophy Discussion Group
      • Secret Life of Davening
    • Sefer HaChinuch
    • Holidays >
      • Passover/Pesach
      • Shavuot
      • Three Weeks and Tisha B'Av
      • Elul and High Holy Days >
        • Elul and Rosh Hashana
        • Mexico Elul 2011
        • Falling In Love With G-d
        • Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur
        • Tomer Devorah
      • Chanukah
      • Purim
    • Elisheva and Yehoshua Hoffman
    • For Mikarvot >
      • Derech Hashem Phone Series
      • WIK and Campus Conference 2013 >
        • Why Women Can't Be Rabbis
      • WIK Conference 2010 and 2011
      • Bayla's Sheloshim Shiur
      • Shalom Bayit in Hebrew
  • Writings
    • Aliza's Stories >
      • Harry's Magic
      • Am I for Real? A Shema Story
      • Kindness in Kansas
      • Welling Up
      • When Chocolate Isn't Enough
      • Elisheva and Yehoshua Hoffman
      • My First Partner in Torah
      • Yated Article: The Adopted Princess- The Story of Aliza Bulow, A Jew by Choice
      • Honey Bee Kiruv
    • Holidays and Lifecycle >
      • Why Round Challah
      • Connecting Through Fasting
      • Reincarnation in the Book of Ruth
      • Orthodox Jewish Weddings
      • Developmental Stages of the Baal Teshuva >
        • Las fases de la recién Observador
    • Spirituality >
      • Four Spiritual Coping Strategies
      • The DaVinci Mode: Seeking the Sacred Feminine
      • Growing Together: A Book for Parents of the Newly Observant
      • The Mitzvah of Smiling
    • Doni Bulow Memorial Page
  • Public Speaking
    • Speaking Topics
    • Sample Talks
    • Venues at Which I Have Spoken
    • Short bios and pics
    • Contact
  • Resources
    • Hire Aliza
    • Growing Together: A Book for Parents of the Newly Observant
    • Yinglish: A Lexicon of Judeo-English
    • Books I've Mentioned >
      • The Falconi Effect
    • Poems I like >
      • Sails and Souls
      • Which?
      • Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation
    • Links to Other Torah Sites
  • Contact