The Voyageur and Other Poems | Page 3

frien' at all--?Look at hees face an' it seem to say,?"Important duty I got to-day,?Killin' de pig on de contree side,--?Is n't dat some reason for leetle pride?"
Lissen de small boy how dey shout?W'en Jeremie 's marchin' t'roo?De market place wit' hees cane feex out?Wit' ribbon red, w'ite an' blue--?An' den he jomp on de butcher's block,?An' affer de crowd is stop deir talk,?An' leetle boy holler no more "Hooray,"?Dis is de word Jeremie he say--
"I 'm de only man on de w'ole Ste. Flore?Can kill heem de pig jus' right,?Please t'ink of dat, an' furdermore?Don't matter it 's day or night,?Can do it less tam, five dollar I bet,?Dan any pig-sticker you can get?From de w'ole of de worl', to w'ere I leev'--?Will somebody help to roll up ma sleeve?
"Some feller challenge jus' here an' dere,?An' more on deir own contree,?But me--I challenge dem ev'ryw'ere?All over de worl'--sapree!?To geev' dem a chance, for dere might be some?Beeg feller, for all I know,?But if dey 're ready, wall! let dem come,?An' me--I 'm geevin' dem plaintee show."
Challenge lak dat twenty year or more?He 's makin' it ev'ry fall,?But never a pig-sticker come Ste. Flore?'Cos Jeremie scare dem all--?No wonder it 's makin' heem feel so proud,?Even Emperor Germanie?Can't put on de style or talk more loud?Dan Jeremie Bonami.
But Jeremie's day can't las' alway,?An' so he commence to go?W'en he jomp on de block again an' say?To de crowd stan'nin' dere below,?"Lissen, ma frien', to de word I spik,?For I 'm tire of de challenge until I 'm sick,?Can't say, but mebbe I 'll talk no more?For glory an' honor of ole Ste. Flore.
"I got some trouble aroun' ma place?Wit' ma nice leetle girl Rosine,?An' I see w'en I 'm lookin' on all de face,?You 're knowin' jus' w'at I mean--?Very easy to talk, but w'en dey come?For seein' her twenty young man ba Gum!?I tole you ma frien', it was purty tough,?'Sides wan chance in twenty is not enough--
"Now lissen to me, all you young man?Is wantin' ma girl Rosine--?I offer a chance an' you 'll understan'?It 's bes' you was never seen--?Tree minute start I 'll geev'--no more--?An' if any young feller upon Ste. Flore?Can beat me stickin' de pig nex' fall,?Let heem marry ma girl Rosine--dat 's all."
All right--an' very nex' week he start,?De smartes' boy of de lot--?An' he 's lovin' Rosine wit' all hees heart,?De young Adelard Marcotte--?Don't say very moche about w'ere he go,?But I t'ink mese'f it was Buffalo--?An' plaintee more place on de State dat's beeg?W'ere he don't do not'ing but stick de pig.
So of course he 's pickin' de fancy trick?An' ev'ryt'ing else dey got--?Work over tam--but he got homesick?De young Adelard Marcotte?Jus' about tam w'en de fall come along---?So den he wissle hees leetle song?An' buy tiquette for de ole Ste. Flore,?An' back on de village he come some more.
Ho! Ho! ma Jeremie Bonami,?Get ready you'se'f to-day,?For you got beeg job you was never see?Will tak' all your breat' away--?"Come on! come on!" dey be shoutin' loud,?De Bishop hese'f could n't draw de crowd?Of folk on de parish for mile aroun',?Till dey could n't fin' place upon de groun'.
Hi! Hi! Jeremie, you may sweat an' swear,?Your tam is arrive at las'--?Dere 's no use pullin' out all your hair?Or drinkin' de w'isky glass--?Spit on your han' or hitch de pants--?You 'll never have anyt'ing lak a chance,?Hooraw! Hooraw! let her go wance more,?An' Adelard 's champion of all Ste. Flore!
"Away on de pump!" de crowd is yell,?"No use for heem goin' die."?Dey nearly drown Jeremie on de well?But he 's comin' roun' bimeby?Rosine dat 's laughin' away all day?Is startin' to cry, an' den she say--?"O fader dear, won't you geev' me kiss?For I never s'pose it would come to dis?
"Don't blame de boy over dere, 't was me?Dat sen' away Adelard--?He 's sorry for beat you, I 'm sure, ba oui,?An' dat 's w'at I 'm cryin' for--?'Cos it 's all ma fault you was lick to-day,?Don't care w'at anywan else can say--?But remember too, an' you 'll not forget?De championship 's still on de familee yet."
An' de ole man smile.
[1] Old proverb of Ste. Flore.
[Illustration: Border]
Dieudonné
(GOD-GIVEN)
If I sole ma ole blind trotter for fifty dollar cash?Or win de beeges' prize on lotterie,?If some good frien' die an' lef' me fines' house on St. Eustache, You t'ink I feel more happy dan I be?
No, sir! An' I can tole you, if you never know before,?W'y de kettle on de stove mak' such a fuss,?Wy de robin stop hees singin' an' come peekin' t'roo de door For learn about de nice t'ing 's come to us--
An' w'en he see de baby lyin' dere upon de bed?Lak leetle Son of Mary on de ole tam long ago--?Wit' de sunshine an' de shadder