The Habitant and Other French-Canadian Poems | Page 2

sans verser dans le grotesque.
Qu'il mette en sc��ne le gros fermier fier de son bien ou de ses filles �� marier, le vieux m��decin de campagne ne comptant plus ses ��tats de service, le jeune amoureux qui r��ve au clair de la lune, le vieillard qui repasse en sa m��moire la longue suite des jours r��volus, le conteur de l��gendes, l'aventurier des "pays d'en haut," et m��me le Canadien exil��--le Canadien errant, comme dit la chanson populaire--qui croit toujours entendre r��sonner �� son oreille le vague tintement des cloches de son village; que le r��cit soit plaisant ou path��tique, jamais la note ne sonne faux, jamais la bizarrerie ne d��g��n��re en pu��rilit�� burlesque.
C'est l�� un tour de force comme il ne s'en fait pas souvent, et c'est avec enthousiasme que je tends la main �� M. Drummond pour le f��liciter de l'avoir accompli.
Il a v��ritablement fait l�� oeuvre de po��te et d'artiste.
J'ajouterai qu'il a fait aussi oeuvre de bon citoyen. Car le jour sous lequel il pr��sente mes compatriotes illettr��s ne peut manquer de valoir �� ceux-ci--et partant �� tout le reste de la nationalit��--un accroissement d��sirable dans l'estime de nos compatriotes de langue anglaise, qui n'ont pas ��t�� �� m��me de les ��tudier d'aussi pr��s que M. Drummond.
La peinture qu'en fait le po��te est on ne peut plus sympathique et juste; et de semblables proc��d��s ne peuvent que cimenter l'union de coeur et d'esprit qui doit exister entre toutes les fractions qui composent la grande famille canadienne appel��e �� vivre et �� prosp��rer sous la m��me loi et le m��me drapeau.
En lisant les vers de M. Drummond, le Canadien-fran?ais sent que c'est l�� l'expression d'une ame amie; et, �� ce compte, je dois �� l'auteur plus que mes bravos, je lui dois en m��me temps un chaleureux merci.
LOUIS FR��CHETTE.
MONTR��AL, 13 octobre 1897.
PREFACE
In presenting to the public "The Habitant and other French-Canadian Poems," I feel that my friends who are already, more or less, familiar with the work, understand that I have not written the verses as examples of a dialect, or with any thought of ridicule.
Having lived, practically, all my life, side by side with the French-Canadian people, I have grown to admire and love them, and I have felt that while many of the English-speaking public know perhaps as well as myself the French-Canadian of the cities, yet they have had little opportunity of becoming acquainted with the habitant, therefore I have endeavored to paint a few types, and in doing this, it has seemed to me that I could best attain the object in view by having my friends tell their own tales in their own way, as they would relate them to English-speaking auditors not?conversant with the French tongue.
My good friend, Dr. Louis Frechette, Poet Laureate, has as a French-Canadian, kindly written an "Introductory" in his own graceful language, and I have to thank him above all for his recognition of the spirit which has actuated me in writing?"dialect" verse.
To Mr. F. S. Coburn, the artist, also, I am deeply indebted for the faithful manner in which he has interpreted the different characters and scenes contained in this volume. All the pictures have been sketched from nature or life, and the keenest critic will agree with me, that Mr. Coburn's illustrations are most typical, both of the people and the soil.
WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND.
CONTENTS.
DE HABITANT?THE WRECK OF THE "JULIE PLANTE"?LE VIEUX TEMPS?DE PAPINEAU GUN?HOW BATEESE CAME HOME?DE NICE LEETLE CANADIENNE?'POLEON DOR��?DE NOTAIRE PUBLIQUE?MAXIME LABELLE?MEMORIES?PHIL-O-RUM JUNEAU?DE BELL OF ST. MICHEL?PELANG?MON CHOUAL "CASTOR"?OLE TAM ON BORD-A PLOUFFE?THE GRAND SEIGNEUR?M'SIEU SMIT'?WHEN ALBANI SANG?DE CAMP ON DE "CHEVAL GRIS"?DE STOVE PIPE HOLE?DE SNOWBIRD?THE HABITANT'S JUBILEE ODE?OLE DOCTEUR FISET
DE HABITANT.
De place I get born, me, is up on de reever?Near foot of de rapide dat's call Cheval Blanc?Beeg mountain behin' it, so high you can't climb it?An' whole place she's mebbe two honder arpent.
De fader of me, he was habitant farmer,?Ma gran' fader too, an' hees fader also,?Dey don't mak' no monee, but dat isn't fonny?For it's not easy get ev'ryt'ing, you mus' know--
All de sam' dere is somet'ing dey got ev'ryboddy,?Dat's plaintee good healt', wat de monee can't geev,?So I'm workin' away dere, an' happy for stay dere?On farm by de reever, so long I was leev.
O! dat was de place w'en de spring tam she's comin',?W'en snow go away, an' de sky is all blue--?W'en ice lef' de water, an' sun is get hotter?An' back on de medder is sing de gou-glou--
W'en small sheep is firs' comin' out on de pasture,?Deir nice leetle tail stickin' up on deir back,?Dey ronne wit' deir moder, an' play wit' each oder?An' jomp all de tam jus' de sam' dey was crack--
An' ole cow also, she's glad winter is over,?So she kick herse'f up, an' start off on de race?Wit' de two-year-ole heifer, dat's