[End Page 111]A little wife once boarded
With her in-laws as a guest
All day long, piously,
She tended to her nest.All day long in that little house,
(Just between me and you)—
She read a book in secret,
Read it each day anew.Between her fine dresses,
Made for her wedding day,
She kept a secular book
In secret stashed away… [End Page 110]
It sat next to her heart, in the
Breast pocket on her right
She kept that book concealed
A small book in black and white.And at the Shabes-table
Her in-laws sit and wait
While she's lost in her book,
Not noticing it's late.Hidden in her little house
Ignoring in-laws and groom
Absorbed in that book
She paces round the room.Father-in-law calls out,
"Daughter, come on out of there."
"I'm just finishing," she winks,
"The Shmoneh esre prayer." [End Page 112]