The Voyageur and Other Poems Part 12

Jus' tak' de Hudson Reever, an' de Mississippi too, Missouri, an' de res' of dem, an' oders I can't t'ink, Dey 're all beeg, dirty places, wit' de steamboat gruntin' troo, An' de water runnin' in dem is black as any ink, An' de noises of dem reever never stoppin' night or day, An' de row along de sh.o.r.e, too, enough to mak' you scare; Not a feesh is wort' de eatin', 'less you 're starvin by de way, An' you 're feeling purty t'orsty if you drink de water dere!

So ketch de han' I geev' you w'ile I 'm on de humor now, An' I bet you won't be sorry w'en you go along wit' me, For I show you all aroun' dere, until you 're knowin' how I come so moche to brag--me--on de Riviere des Prairies.

It 's a cole October mornin', an' de maple leaf is change Ev'ry color you can t'ink of, from de purple to de green; On de sh.o.r.e de crowd of blackbird, an' de crow begin' arrange For de journey dey be takin' w'en de nort' win's blowin' keen.

Quick! down among de bushes!--don't you hear de wil' goose cry An' de honk de great beeg gander he was makin' up above?

On de lake dey call Two Mountain is de place dey 're goin' fly, But only spen' de night-tam, for dey 're alway on de move; Jus' see de shadder dancin' up an' down, up an' down, You t'ink dem geese was pa.s.sin' in an' out between de tree W'en de branch is bendin' over on de water all aroun'

Now you see de place I 'm talkin', dat 's de Riviere des Prairies!

Missouri! Mississippi! better wait till you go back-- No tam for talk about dem w'en dis reever you can see, But watch de cloud a-sailin' lak a racer on de track, An' lissen to de music of de Riviere des Prairies-- An' up along de sh.o.r.e dere, don't you envy Bord a Plouffe?

Oh! dat's de place is lucky, have de reever come so near-- I 'm knowin' all de people, ev'ry chimley, ev'ry roof, For Bord a Plouffe she never change on over feefty year!

St. Martin's bell is ringin', can't you hear it easy now?

Dey 're marryin' or buryin' some good ole frien' of me, I wonder who it can be, don't matter anyhow, So long as we 're a-lookin' on de Riviere des Prairies.

Only notice how de sun s.h.i.+ne w'en he's comin' out to peep, I 'm sure he 's leetle brighter dan anyw'ere you see, An' w'en de fall is over, an' de reever 's gone to sleep, De w'ites' snow is fallin' on de Riviere des Prairies!

I love you, dear ole reever, more dan ev'ry Yankee wan; An' if I get de money, you will see me on de train, Wit' couple o' t'ousan' dollar, den hooraw! it 's goodbye, John!

You can kill me if you ketch me leavin' Bord a Plouffe again.

But sometam it 'll happen dat a feller 's gettin' stop Because he's comin' busy wit' de wife an' familee-- No matter, if de good G.o.d he won't forget to drop, Ev'ry day an' night, hees blessin' on de Riviere des Prairies!

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The Wind that Lifts the Fog

Over de sea de schooner boat _Star of de Sout'_ is all afloat, Many a fine brave feesherman Sailin' away for Newfunlan'; Ev'ry feller from St. Malo, Dem is de boy can mak' her go!

Tearin' along t'roo storm or gale, Never sparin' an inch of sail--

Down below w'en de night is come, Out wit' de bottle an' t'ink of home, Push it aroun' till bottle 's drain, An' drink no more till we 're home again, "Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog, No matter how she 's blowin', Nort' or sout', eas' or wes', Dat is de win' we love de bes', Ev'ry sailor an' young sea dog, Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog An' set de s.h.i.+p a-goin'."

Flyin' over de wave she go, _Star of de Sout'_ from St. Malo, Never a tack, before she ran Out on de bank of Newfunlan'-- Drop de anchor, an' let her down, Plaintee of comrade all aroun', Fees.h.i.+n' away till night is fall, Singin' away wit' ev'ry haul, "Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog, No matter how she 's blowin', Nort' or sout', eas' or wes', Dat is de win' we love de bes', Ev'ry sailor an' young sea dog, Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog An' set de s.h.i.+p a-goin'."

_Star of de Sout'_--did you see de light Steamin' along dat foggy night?

Poor leetle bird! anoder star s.h.i.+nin' above so high an' far Dazzle you den, an' blin' de eye, Wile down below on de sea you lie Anchor dere--wit' your broken wing How could you fly w'en de sailor sing "Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog No matter how she 's blowin', Nort' or sout', eas' or wes', Dat is de win' we love de bes', Ev'ry sailor an' young sea dog, Here 's to de win' dat lif' de fog An' set de s.h.i.+p a-goin'"?

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The Fox Hunt

I'm all bus' up, for a mont' or two, On account of de wife I got, Wit' de fuss an' troublesome t'ing she do, She 's makin' me sick a lot; An' I 'm sorry dat woman was go to school For larnin' de way to read, Her fader an' moder is great beeg fool For geevin' her more she need!

'Cos now it 's a paper ev'ry week, Dollar a year, no less-- Plaintee o' talkin' about musique, An' tell you de way to dress; Of course dat 's makin' her try to sing An' dress, till it 's easy see She 's goin' crazy about de t'ing Dey 're callin'--Societee.

Las' week, no sooner I come along From market of Bonsecour, Dan I 'm seein' right off, dere 's somet'ing wrong, For she 's stannin' outside de door Smilin' so sweetly upon de face, Lookin' so nice an' gay-- Anywan t'ink it 's purty sure case She marry me yesterday.

Can't wait a minute till supper's t'roo Before she commence to go-- "Oh! Johnnie, dere 's somet'ing I mus' tole you-- Somet'ing you lak to know-- To-morrow we 're goin' for drive aroun'

An' it won't be de heavy load, Jus' me an' you, for to see dem houn'

T'row off on de Bord a Plouffe road."

"Denise, if dat was de grande affaire On w'at you call a la mode-- Lookin' dem fox dog stannin' dere T'row off on de Bord a Plouffe road, You can count me out!" An' she start to cry-- "You know very well," she say, "I don't mean dat--may I never die But you 're a beeg fool to-day!

"Johnnie, to-morrow you 'll come wit' me Watchin' dem run de race, Ketchin' de fox--if you don't, you see We 're bote on de beeg disgrace.

Dey 're all comin' out from de reever side, An' over from Beaurepaire, Seein' de folk from de city ride, An' ev'rywan 's sure be dere."

All right--an' to-morrow dere's two new shoe, So de leetle horse mak' de show, Out wit' de buggy: de new wan too, Only get her ten year ago-- An' dere on de road, you should see de gang Of folk from aroun' de place, Billy Dufresne, an' ole Champagne, Comin' to see de race,

Wit' plaintee of stranger I never see, An' some of dem from Pointe Claire, All of dem bringin' de familee, W'enever dere 's room to spare.

Wonderful sight--I 'm sure you say-- To see how Societee (W'atever dat mean?) she got de way Of foolin' de w'ole contree.

Den I 'm heetchin' de horse on de fence, for fear Somebody run away, So man wit' de bugle he 's comin' near, An' dis is de t'ing he say-- "You see any fox to-day, ma frien', Runnin' aroun' at all, You know any place he got hees den?

For we lak it to mak' de call."

An' me--I tell heem, "You mus' be wrong, An' surely don't want to kill De leetle red fox, about two foot long, Dat 's leevin' below de hill; Jompin' de horse till he break hees knee, Wile spotty dog mak' de row, For a five-dollar fox? You can't fool me-- I know w'at you 're wantin' now!

"You hear de story of ole Belair, He 's seein' de silver fox W'enever he 's fees.h.i.+n' de reever dere, Sneakin' along de rocks."

But ma wife get madder I never see, An' say, "Wall! you _mus'_ be green-- Shut up right away," she 's tellin' me, "It 's de leetle red fox he mean!"

So me--I say not'ing, but watch de fun--- An' spotty dog smell aroun'

Till dey start to yell, an' quick as a gun Ev'rywan 's yellin', "Foun'!"

An' de way dey 're goin' across de fiel', De lady in front, before, Dunno, but I 'm willin' to bet good deal Somebody mus' be sore!

Over de fence dey 're jompin' now, Too busy for see de gate Stannin' wide open, an' den dey plough Along at a terrible rate; All for de small red fox, dey say, Only de leetle fox, You 're buyin' for five dollar any day, An' put heem on two-foot box.

I 'm foolish enough, but not lak dat-- Never lak dat at all, Sam' as you see a crazy cat Tryin' to climb de wall; So I say to ma wife, I 'm satisfy On ev'ryt'ing I was see, But happy an' glad, until I die, I 'm not on Societee!

Losin' a day on de fall 's no joke, Dat 's w'at I 'm tellin' you, Jus' for de pleasure of see dem folk Dress up on de howdy do; So I 'm sorry you go to school, Larnin' de readin' dere-- Could do it mese'f, an' play de fool, If money I got to spare.

But potatoes a dollar a bag, An' easy to sell de load, Watchin' de houn' to see heem wag Hees tail, on de Bord a Plouffe road Foolin' away w'en de market 's good For seein' Societee Chasin' de leetle fox t'roo de wood Wit' crazy folk!--no siree!