The Voyageur and Other Poems Part 2

Louis try hard to tak' hees tam But w'en he see de fall Comin' along in a week or so, All aroun' heem de rain an' snow An' pork on de bar'l runnin' low, He don't feel good at all.

An' w'en he t'ink of de swampy farm An' gettin' up winter night, Watchin' de stove if de win' get higher For fear de chimley go on fire, It's makin' poor Louis feel so tire He tell de devil, "All right."

"Correct," dat feller say right away, "I 'll only say, Au revoir,"

An' out of de winder he 's goin' pouf!

Beeg nose, long hair, short tail, an' hoof, Off on de road to Bord a Plouffe Crossin' de reever dere.

W'en Louis get up nex' day, ma frien', Dere 's lot of devil sign-- Bar'l o' pork an' keg o' rye, Bag o' potato ten foot high, Pile o' wood nearly touch de sky, Was some o' de t'ing he fin'.

Suit o' clothes would have cos' a lot An' ev'ryt'ing I dunno, Trotter horse w'en he want to ride Eatin' away on de barn outside, Stan' all day if he 's never tied, An' watch an' chain also.

An' swamp dat's bodder heem many tam, W'ere is dat swamp to-day?

Don't care if you 're huntin' up an' down You won't fin' not'ing but medder groun', An' affer de summer come aroun'

W'ere can you see such hay?

Wall! de year go by, an' Louis leev'

Widout no work to do, Rise w'en he lak on winter day, Fin' all de snow is clear away, No fuss, no not'ing, dere 's de sleigh An' trotter waitin' too.

W'en t'orty year is nearly t'roo An' devil 's not come back 'Course Louis say, 'Wall! he forget Or t'ink de tam 's not finish yet; I 'll tak' ma chance an' never fret,"

But dat 's w'ere he mak' mistak'.

For on a dark an' stormy night W'en Louis is sittin' dere, After he fa.s.sen up de door De devil come as he come before, Lookin' de sam' only leetle more, For takin' heem--you know w'ere.

"a.s.seyez vous, sit down, ma frien', Bad night be on de road; You come long way an' should be tire-- Jus' wait an' mebbe I feex de fire-- Tak' off your clothes for mak' dem drier, Dey mus' be heavy load."

Dat 's how poor Louis Desjardins Talk to de devil, sir-- Den say, "Try leetle w'isky blanc, Dey 're makin' it back on St. Laurent-- It '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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]

The Family Laramie

Hss.h.!.+ 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 pa.s.sin' 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 sh.e.l.l 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 sh.o.r.e 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]

Yankee Families

You s'pose G.o.d 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 pet.i.te Marie Leetle Joe an' Angelique, Hormisdas an' Dieudonne, 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-- Cuc.u.mber, 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 bet!

No wonder dey was bringin'

For helpin' dem along So many kin' of feller I dunno-- Chinee washee from Kong Kong An' w'at dey call Da-go, was work for dollar a day, But w'en dey mak' some money, off dey 're goin', right away-- Dat 's de reason dey was get de nam' Da-go.

Of course so long dey 're comin'

From ev'ry place dey can, Not knowin' moche, dere 's not'ing fuss about Only boss de stranger man-- But now dem gang of feller dat 's come across de sea-- He 's gettin' leetle smarter, an' he got de familee-- So Uncle Sam mus' purty soon look out.

I wonder he don't know it-- It 's funny he don't see Dere 's somet'ing else dan money day an' night-- Non--he 'll work hese'f cra-zee, Den travel roun' de worl', an' use de money too-- De King hese'f can't spen' lak de Yankee man is do-- But w'ere 's de leetle chil'ren? dat's not right!