The Habitant and Other French-Canadian Poems | Page 9

poor Paul Desjardins.
DE NOTAIRE PUBLIQUE.
M'sieu Paul Joulin, de Notaire Publique?Is come I s'pose seexty year hees life?An' de mos' riche man on Sainte Angelique?W'en he feel very sorry he got no wife--?So he's paint heem hees buggy, lak new, by Gor!?Put flower on hees coat, mak' hese'f more gay?Arrange on hees head fine chapeau castor?An' drive on de house of de Boulanger.
For de Boulanger's got heem une jolie fille?Mos' bes' lookin' girl on paroisse dey say?An' all de young feller is lak Julie?An' plaintee is ax her for mak' mari��e,?But Julie she's love only jus' wan man,?Hees nam' it is J��r��mie Dandurand?An' he's work for her sak' all de hard he can?'Way off on de wood, up de Mattawa.
M'Sieu Paul he spik him "Bonjour Mamzelle,?You lak promenade on de church wit' me??Jus' wan leetle word an' we go ma belle?An' see heem de Cur�� toute suite, ch��rie;?I dress you de very bes' style �� la mode,?If you promise for be Madame Paul Joulin,?For I got me fine house on Bord �� Plouffe road?Wit' mor'gage also on de Grande Moulin."
But Julie she say "Non, non, M'Sieu Paul,?Dat's not correc' t'ing for poor J��r��mie?For I love dat young feller lak not'ing at all,?An' I'm very surprise you was not know me.?J��r��mie w'en he's geev me dat nice gol' ring,?Las' tam he's gone off on de Mattawa?Say he's got 'noder wan w'en he's come nex' spring?Was mak' me for sure Madame Dandurand.
"I t'ank you de sam' M'Sieu Paul Joulin?I s'pose I mus' be de wife wan poor man?Wit' no chance at all for de Grande Moulin,?But leev all de tam on some small cabane."?De Notaire Publique den is tak' hees hat,?For he t'ink sure enough dat hees dog she's dead;?Dere's no use mak' love on de girl lak dat,?Wit' not'ing but young feller on de head.
Julie she's feel lonesome mos' all dat week,?Don't know w'at may happen she wait till spring?Den t'ink de fine house of Notaire Publique?An' plaintee more too--but love's funny t'ing!?So nex' tam she see de Notaire again,?She laugh on her eye an' say "M'Sieu Paul?Please pass on de house, or you ketch de rain,?Dat's very long tam you don't come at all."
She's geev him so soon he's come on de door?Du vin de pays, an' some nice galettes,?She's mak' dem herse'f only day before?An' he say "Bigosh! dat is fine girl yet."?So he's try hees chances some more--hooraw!?Julie is not mak' so moche troub' dis tam;?She's forget de poor J��r��mie Dandurand?An' tole de Notaire she will be hees famme.
W'en J��r��mie come off de wood nex' spring,?An' fin' dat hees girl she was get mari��e?Everybody's expec' he will do somet'ing,?But he don't do not'ing at all, dey say;?For he's got 'noder girl on Sainte Doroth��e,?Dat he's love long tam, an' she don't say "No,"?So he's forget too all about Julie?An' mak' de mari��e wit' hese'f also.
A CANADIAN VOYAGEUR'S ACCOUNT OF THE NILE EXPEDITION.
"MAXIME LABELLE."
Victoriaw: she have beeg war, E-gyp's de nam' de place--?An' neeger peep dat's leev 'im dere, got very black de face, An' so she's write Joseph Mercier, he's stop on Trois Rivieres-- "Please come right off, an' bring wit' you t'ree honder voyageurs.
"I got de plaintee sojer, me, beeg feller six foot tall--?Dat's Englishman, an' Scotch also, don't wear no pant at all; Of course, de Irishman's de bes', raise all de row he can,?But noboddy can pull batteau lak good Canadian man.
"I geev you steady job for sure, an' w'en you get 'im t'roo I bring you back on Canadaw, don't cos' de man un sou,?Dat's firs'-class steamboat all de way Kebeck an' Leeverpool, An' if you don't be satisfy, you mus' be beeg, beeg fool."
We meet upon Hotel Dufresne, an' talk heem till daylight,?An' Joe he's treat so many tam, we very near get tight,?Den affer w'ile, we mak' our min' dat's not bad chance, an' so Joseph Mercier he's telegraph, "Correc', Madame, we go."
So Joe arrange de whole beez-nesse wit' Queen Victoriaw;?Two dollar day--work all de tam--dat's purty good l'argent! An' w'en we start on Trois Rivieres, for pass on boar' de ship, Our frien' dey all say, "Bon voyage," an' den Hooraw! E-gyp'!
Dat beeg steamboat was plonge so moche, I'm 'fraid she never stop-- De Capitaine's no use at all, can't kip her on de top--?An' so we all come very sick, jus' lak one leetle pup,?An' ev'ry tam de ship's go down, de inside she's go up.
I'm sorry spoke lak dis, ma frien', if you don't t'ink it's so, Please ax Joseph Mercier hese'f, or Aleck De Courteau,?Dat stay on bed mos' all de tam, so sick dey nearly die,?But lak' some great, beeg Yankee man, was never tole de lie.
De gang she's travel, travel, t'roo many strange contree,?An' ev'ry place is got new nam', I don't remember, me,?We see some fonny