p w'ere I alway stay
Since ever de tam I was go away,
He welcome de poores' man dat call,
But love de leetle wan bes' of all,
So dat 's de reason I spik for you
An' come to-night for to bring you t'roo."

Lak de young Jesu w'en he 's here below
De face of ma leetle son look jus' so--
Den off beyon', on de bush I see
De w'ite dress fadin' among de tree--
Was it a dream I dream las' night
Is goin' away on de morning light?

[Illustration: Border]

Getting On

I know I 'm not too young, an' ma back is not as straight
As it use to be some feefty year ago--
Don't care to go aroun' if de rain is fallin' down
'Less de rheumateez is ketch me on de toe--
But dat is ma beez-nesse, an' no matter how I feel---
Oder folk dey might look out deir own affair
'Stead o' w'isperin', "Wall! ba Gosh! lissen poor Maxime Meloche,
How dat leetle drop o' rain is mak' heem swear!
De ole man 's gettin' on!"

Smart folk lak dat, of course, mebbe never hear de news
Of de tam he 's comin' sick Guillaume Laroche,
Who 's tak' heem home to die w'en de rapide's runnin' high,
An' carry heem on hees shoulder t'roo de bush?
Oh! no, it was n't me, only wan of dem young man
Hardly got de baby 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--