The Habitant and Other French-Canadian Poems | Page 7

know Bateese Trudeau was educate wit' you?I'm jus' come off de State to see ma familee encore?I bus' mesef on Central Fall--I don't go dere no more."
"I got no monee--not at all--I'm broke it up for sure--?Dat's locky t'ing, Napoleon, de brakeman Joe Latour?He's cousin of wan frien' of me call Camille Valiquette,?Conductor too's good Canayen--don't ax me no tiquette."
I tak' Bateese wit' me once more "Hotel du Canadaw"?An' he was glad for get de chance drink some good w'isky blanc! Dat's warm heem up, an den he eat mos' ev'ryt'ing he see,?I watch de w'ole beez-nesse mese'f--Monjee! he was hongree!
Madame Charette wat's kip de place get very much excite?For see de many pork an' bean Bateese put out of sight?Du pain dor��--potate pie--an' 'noder t'ing be dere?But w'en Bateese is get heem t'roo--dey go I don't know w'ere.
It don't tak' long for tole de news "Bateese come off de State" An' purty soon we have beeg crowd, lak village she's en f��te Bonhomme Maxime Trudeau hese'f, he's comin' wit' de pries'?An' pass' heem on de "Room for eat" w'ere he is see Bateese.
Den ev'rybody feel it glad, for watch de embrasser?An' bimeby de ole man spik "Bateese you here for stay?"?Bateese he's cry lak beeg beb��, "Ba j'eux rester ici.?An if I never see de State, I'm sure I don't care--me."
"Correc'," Maxime is say right off, "I place you on de farm For help your poor ole fader, won't do you too moche harm?Please come wit' me on Magasin, I feex you up--ba oui?An' den you're ready for go home an' see de familee."
Wall! w'en de ole man an' Bateese come off de Magasin?Bateese is los' hees Yankee clothes--he's dress lak Canayen Wit' bottes sauvages--ceinture fl��ch��--an' coat wit' capuchon An' spik Fran?ais au naturel, de sam' as habitant.

I see Bateese de oder day, he's work hees fader's place?I t'ink mese'f he's satisfy--I see dat on hees face?He say "I got no use for State, mon cher Napoleon?Kebeck she's good enough for me--Hooraw pour Canadaw."
DE NICE LEETLE CANADIENNE.
You can pass on de worl' w'erever you lak,?Tak' de steamboat for go Angleterre,?Tak' car on de State, an' den you come back,?An' go all de place, I don't care--?Ma frien' dat's a fack, I know you will say,?W'en you come on dis contree again,?Dere's no girl can touch, w'at we see ev'ry day,
De nice leetle Canadienne.
Don't matter how poor dat girl she may be,?Her dress is so neat an' so clean,?Mos' ev'rywan t'ink it was mak' on Paree?An' she wear it, wall! jus' lak de Queen.?Den come for fin' out she is mak' it herse'f,?For she ain't got moche monee for spen',?But all de sam' tam, she was never get lef',
Dat nice leetle Canadienne.
W'en "un vrai Canayen" is mak' it mari��e,?You t'ink he go leev on beeg flat?An' bodder hese'f all de tam, night an' day,?Wit' housemaid, an' cook, an' all dat??Not moche, ma dear frien', he tak' de maison,?Cos' only nine dollar or ten,?W'ere he leev lak blood rooster, an' save de l'argent,
Wit' hees nice leetle Canadienne.
I marry ma famme w'en I'm jus' twenty year,?An' now we got fine familee,?Dat skip roun' de place lak leetle small deer,?No smarter crowd you never see--?An' I t'ink as I watch dem all chasin' about,?Four boy an' six girl, she mak' ten,?Dat's help mebbe kip it, de stock from run out,
Of de nice leetle Canadienne.
O she's quick an' she's smart, an' got plaintee heart,?If you know correc' way go about,?An' if you don't know, she soon tole you so?Den tak' de firs' chance an' get out;?But if she love you, I spik it for true,?She will mak' it more beautiful den,?An' sun on de sky can't shine lak de eye
Of dat nice leetle Canadienne.
'POLEON DOR��.
A TALE OF THE SAINT MAURICE.
You have never hear de story of de young Napoleon Dor��??Los' hees life upon de reever w'en de lumber drive go down? W'ere de rapide roar lak tonder, dat's de place he's goin' onder, W'en he's try save Paul Desjardins, 'Poleon hese'f is drown.
All de winter on de Shaintee, tam she's good, and work she's plaintee, But we're not feel very sorry, w'en de sun is warm hees face, W'en de mooshrat an' de beaver, tak' some leetle swim on reever, An' de sout' win' scare de snowbird, so she fly some col'er place.
Den de spring is set in steady, an' we get de log all ready, Workin' hard all day an' night too, on de water mos' de tam, An' de skeeter w'en dey fin' us, come so quickly nearly blin' us, Biz--biz--biz--biz--all aroun' us till we feel lak sacr��dam.
All de sam' we're hooraw feller, from de top of house to cellar, Ev'ry boy he's feel so happy, w'en he's goin' right away, See hees fader an' hees moder, see hees sister an' hees