Mother of God hath He created thee,
The Sovereign Ruler of His Infancy,
Guide of His Adolescence; yea, to be
His only Mistress, 'till such hour as He
Will enter on His Earthly Ministry.
The hour is come. No less He honours thee;
Not less art thou His Help-mate; verily,
Though times and seasons change, and thou wilt be
Hidden awhile in some obscurity,
Since work Divine is His, apart from thee -
Apart in seeming only - it must be
The Woman's lot to labour secretly,
Yet no less helpful through the unity
She brings into the human family;
The Man in public works - in private, she.
Her influence no less is certainly
The spring of hidden strength and grace, which she
Doth chiefly exercise unconsciously.
The more her virtue waxeth secretly
The more she addeth to life's dignity.
This was a grace restored to us when she,
The Mother of her Lord, was given to be
The Model of her sex - was given to be
The Light of Graces Feminine, that we
Our Nature's grand prerogatives might see.
So, in thy secret chamber thou wouldst be
The Patient Woman, teaching us how we
May surely rise in grace and strength, when we
Contented are in our obscurity,
Nor seek to shine outside our destiny.
Thus will the Woman find, inherently,
Her strength to grow in hiding: yet, is she
With Man on equal terms, whose 'rights' will be
Most manifested by simplicity,
And best secured by true humility.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote