The Voyageur and Other Poems | Page 5

's good for night dat 's cole an' raw,"?But devil never stir,
Until he smell de smell dat come?W'en Louis mak' it hot?Wit' sugar, spice, an' ev'ryt'ing.?Enough to mak' a man's head sing--?For winter, summer, fall an' spring--?It 's very bes' t'ing we got.
An' so de devil can't refuse?To try de w'isky blanc,?An' say, "I 'm tryin' many drink,?An' dis is de fines' I don't t'ink,?De firse, ba tonder! mak' me wink--?Hooraw, pour Canadaw!"
"Merci--non, non--I tak' no more,"?De devil say at las',?"For tam is up wit' you, Louis,?So come along, ma frien', wit' me,?So many star I 'm sure I see,?De storm she mus' be pas'."
"No hurry--wait a minute, please,"?Say Louis Desjardins,?"We 'll have a smoke before we 're t'roo,?'T will never hurt mese'f or you?To try a pipe, or mebbe two,?Of tabac Canayen." [1]
"Wan pipe is all I want for me--?We 'll finish our smoke downstair,"?De devil say, an' it was enough,?For w'en he tak' de very firse puff?He holler out, "Maudit! w'at stuff!?Fresh air! fresh air!! fresh air!!!"
An' oh! he was never sick before?Till he smoke tabac Bruneau--?Can't walk or fly, but he want fresh air,?So Louis put heem on rockin' chair?An' t'row heem off on de road out dere--?An' tole heem go below.
An' he shut de door an' fill de place?Wit' tabac Canayen,?An' never come out, an' dat 's a fac'--?But smoke away till hees face is black--?So dat 's w'y de devil don't come back?For Louis Desjardins.
An' dere he 's yet, an' dere he 'll stay--?So weech of de two 'll win?Can't say for dat--it 's kin' of a doubt,?For Louis, de pipe never leave hees mout',?An' night or day can't ketch heem out,?An' devil 's too scare go in.
[1] Canadian tobacco.
[Illustration: Border]
The Family Laramie
Hssh! look at ba-bee on de leetle blue chair,?W'at you t'ink he 's tryin' to do??Wit' pole on de han' lak de lumberman,?A-shovin' along canoe.?Dere 's purty strong current behin' de stove,?W'ere it 's passin' de chimley-stone,?But he 'll come roun' yet, if he don't upset,?So long he was lef' alone.
Dat 's way ev'ry boy on de house begin?No sooner he 's twelve mont' ole;?He 'll play canoe up an' down de Soo?An' paddle an' push de pole,?Den haul de log all about de place,?Till dey 're fillin' up mos' de room,?An' say it 's all right, for de storm las' night?Was carry away de boom.
Mebbe you see heem, de young loon bird,?Wit' half of de shell hangin' on,?Tak' hees firse slide to de water side,?An' off on de lake he 's gone.?Out of de cradle dey 're goin' sam' way?On reever an' lake an' sea;?For born to de trade, dat 's how dey 're made,?De familee Laramie.
An' de reever she 's lyin' so handy dere?On foot of de hill below,?Dancin' along an' singin' de song?As away to de sea she go,?No wonder I never can lak dat song,?For soon it is comin', w'en?Dey 'll lissen de call, leetle Pierre an' Paul,?An' w'ere will de moder be den?
She 'll sit by de shore w'en de evenin's come,?An' spik to de reever too:?"O reever, you know how dey love you so,?Since ever dey 're seein' you,?For sake of dat love bring de leetle boy home?Once more to de moder's knee."?An' mebbe de prayer I be makin' dere?Will help bring dem back to me.
[Illustration: Border]
Yankee Families
You s'pose God love de Yankee?An' de Yankee woman too,?Lak he love de folk at home on Canadaw??I dunno--'cos if he do,?W'at 's de reason he don't geev' dem familee?Is dere anybody hangin' roun' can answer me?Wile I wait an' smoke dis pipe of good tabac?
An' now I 'll tole you somet'ing?Mebbe help you bimeby,?An' dere 's no mistak' it 's w'at dey call sure sign--?W'en you miss de baby's cry?As you 're goin' mak' some visit on de State?Dat 's enough--you need n't ax if de train 's on tam or late, You can bet you 're on de Yankee side de line.
Unless dere 's oder folk dere,?Mebbe wan or two or t'ree,?Canayen is comin' workin' on de State--?Den you see petite Marie?Leetle Joe an' Angelique, Hormisdas an' Dieudonné,?But you can't tole half de nam'--it don't matter any way-- 'Sides de fader he don't t'ink it's not'ing great.
De moder, you can see her?An' she got de basket dere?Wit' de fine t'ing for de chil'ren nice an' slick--?For dey can't get fat on air--?Cucumber, milk, an' onion, some leetle cake also?De ole gran'moder 's makin' on de farm few days ago--?W'at 's use buy dollar dinner mak' dem sick?
But look de Yankee woman?Wit' de book upon her han',?Readin', readin', an' her husban', he can't get?Any chance at all, poor man,?For sit down, de way de seat's all pile up wit' magazine-- De t'ing lak dat on Canadaw is never, never seen.?Would n't she be better wit' some chil'ren? Wall! you