moustache on de mout',?Dat's de reason w'y I say to mese'f mos' ev'ry day,?"Purty hard dere 's not'ing else dan talk about
'De ole man 's gettin' on.'"
W'at 's mak' me feelin' mad is becos dey don't spik out,?Non! dey 'll sneak aroun' for watch me as I go,?An' if I mebbe spill leetle water on de hill,?W'en I 'm comin' from de well down dere below,?No use for tellin' me--I know too moche mese'f,?Dat 's de tam I 'm very sure dey alway say,?"See heem now, how slow he go--don't I offen tole you so? We 're sorry, but Maxime is have hees day,
De ole man's gettin' on."
It's foolish t'ing to do, for dere 's alway hang aroun'?Some crazy feller almos' ev'ry day--?So I might a' stay at home 'stead o' tryin' feex de boom, Dough I 'm sure de win' is blow de oder way;?For I never hear dem shout w'en dey let de water out,?An' de log dey come a-bangin' down de chute,?But leetle Joe Leblanc ketch me on de pant, hooraw!?Den spile de job by w'isperin', "I 'm afraid I spik de trut',
De ole man 's gettin' on."
Only yesterday de pig get loose an' run away,?An' de nex' t'ing he was goin' on de corn--?So I run an' fetch de stick, an' after heem so quick?Jus' to mak' heem feelin' sorry he was born;?An' dat pig he laugh at me, an' he fill hees belly full?'Fore he 's makin' up his min' for come along--?I 'm sure I see heem wink--should n't wonder if he t'ink, "Very easy see dere 's somet'ing goin' wrong--
De ole man 's gettin on."
If only I can get some doctor feex me up,?Mak' me feel a leetle looser on de knee--?On de shoulder, ev'ryw'ere--ba tonder! I don't care,?I 'le spen' a couple o' dollar, mebbe t'ree--?Jus' to larn dem feller dere how to skip an' how to jomp, On de way I beat deir fader long ago--?Yass siree! an' purty soon dey 'll sing anoder tune,?An' wonder w'at de devil 's dere to show
De ole man's gettin' on.
Oh! dat maudit rheumateez! now she's ketchin' me again?On de back becos I 'm leetle bit excite,?An' put ma finger down, widout stoopin' on de groun'--?But I 'll do dat trick to-morrow, not to-night--?All de sam' I often t'ink ev'ry dog is got hees day,?Dat 's de lesson I was learnin' on de school;?So I can't help feelin' blue w'en I wonder if it 's true?W'at dey 're sayin'--dough o' course dey 're only fool--
De ole man 's gettin' on.
[Illustration: Thistle]
[Illustration: Border]
Pioneers
If dey 're walkin' on de roadside, an' dey 're bote in love togeder, An' de star of spring is shinin' wit' de young moon in between, It was purty easy guessin' dey 're not talkin' of de wedder, W'en de boy is comin' twenty, an' de girl is jus' eighteen.
It 's a sign de winter 's over, an' it 's pleasan' hear de talkin' Of de bull-frog on de swamp dere wit' all hees familee-- But it 's lonesome doin' not'ing, an' dere 's not moche fun in walkin', So we fin' some fence dat 's handy for mese'f an' Rosalie.
[Illustration: "So we fin' some fence dat 's handy
for mese'f an' Rosalie."]
An' I dunno how it happen, w'en her head come on ma shoulder, An' her black eye on de moonlight, lak de star shine--dat 's de way. (Mebbe it 's becos de springtam) so I ketch her han' an' tole her Of how moche I 'd lak to tak' her on some contree far away.
Den she say, I 'll mak' an offer, if you 're sure you want to tak' me On de place I dunno w'ere--me--you mus' pay beeg price, Jo-seph. You can carry me off to-morrow, so I 'm never comin' back--me-- But you 'll lose upon de bargain, for de price I want's you'se'f."
I was purty good for tradin', mebbe tak' it from ma fader, For de ole man 's alway tryin' show me somet'ing dat was new-- But de trade I mak' dat evenin' wit' poor Rosalie, I rader Not say not'ing moche about it, dough it 's bes' I never do.
So we settle on de reever wit' de bush for miles behin' us-- Here we buil' de firse log shaintee, only me an' Rosalie-- Dat 's de woman help her husban'! an' w'en winter come an' fin' us We was ready waitin' for heem jus' as happy as could be.
Bar'l o' pork an' good potato, wan or two oder t'ing too?Leetle w'isky, plaintee flour, an' wood-pile stannin' near-- Don't min' de hardes' winter, an' fat enough in spring too-- De folk dat 's comin' handy w'en you want de contree clear!
Rosalie, you see her outside on de porch dere wit' her knittin'-- Yass, of course I know
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