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William Henry Drummond - The Old House And The New
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Is it only twelve mont` I play de fool,
   You`re sure it `s  correc` , ma dear?
I `m glad for hearin` you spik dat way
   For I t`ink it was twenty year,
Since leffin` de leetle ole house below,
   I mak` wit` ma own two han`
For go on dat fine beeg place, up dere-
   Mon Dieu! I`m de crazy man!

You `member we `re not very riche, cherie,
   Dat tam we `re beginnin` life!
Mese`f  I`m twenty, an` you eighteen
   W`en I `m bringin`  you home ma wife,
Many de worry an` troub` we got
   An` some of dem was n`t small,
But not very long dey bodder us
   For we work an` forget dem all.

An` you was de savin` woman too,
   Dere `s nobody beat you dere!
An` I laugh w`en I t`ink of de tam you go
   Over on Trois Rivieres
For payin` de bank -you know how moche
   We `re owin` for dat new place
W `at was he sayin` de nice young man
   Smilin` upon hees face

W`en he got dat monee was all pure gole
   Come down on your familee
For honder year an` mebbe more?
   "Ma-dame you `re excusin` me,
But w`ere was you gettin` dis nice gole coin
   Of Louis Quatorze, hees tam
Wit` hees face on back of dem ev `ry wan?
   For dey `re purty scase now, Ma-dam?"

An` you say  "Dat `s not`ing at all M`sieu
   Ma familee get dem t`ing,
I suppose it`s very long tam ago,
   W`en Louis Quatorze is King,
An` I`m sorry poor feller he `s comin` dead
   An` not leevin here to-day
`Cos man should be good on hees frien`, M`sieu`
   W`en de monee he mak` dat way."

Yass, ev `ry wan know we `re workin` hard
   An` savin` too all dem year,
But nobody see us starve ourse`f
   Dere `s plaintee to eat, don `t fear-
Bimeby our chil`ren dey `re growin` up
   So we`re doin` de bes` we can
Settle dem off on de firse good chance
  An` geevin` dem leetle lan`.

An`den de troub` is begin to show
   W `en our daughter poor Caroline
Sha marry dat lawyer on Trois Rivieres
   De beeges` fool never seen!
Alway come home ev`ry summer sure
   Bringin` her familee,
All right for de chil`ren, I don`t  min` dem;
   But de husban`!  sapree maudit!

I wish I was close ma ear right off
   W`en he talk of our leetle house
Dough I know w`en familee`s comin` home
   Dere is n`t moche room for a mouse,
He say "Riche man lak youse`f  can`t leev`
   On shaintee lak dis below,
W`en t`ousan` dollar will buil` fin` place
   Up on de hill en haut."

An` he talk about gallerie all aroun`
   W`ere we sit on de summer night
Watchin` de star on de sky above
   W`ile de moon she was shinin` bright,
Could plant some apple-tree dere, also,
   An` flower, an` I dunno w`at,
   An` w`en de sun he `s begin to rise
   Look at de view we got!

Den he bring `noder feller from Trois Rivieres
   An` show w`at he call de plan
For makin` dem house on de w`ole contree-
   Mon Dieu! how I hate dat man!
`Cos he `s talkin` away nearly all de tam
   Lak trotter upon de race-
Wall!  affer a w`ile we mak` our min`
   For havin` dat nice new place.

So dey go ahead, an` we let dem go,
   But stuff dey was  t`row away;
I `m watchin` for dat, an` I save mese`f
   Mebbe twenty-five cent a day,
For you `re surely cheat if you don`t tak` care
   Very offen we fin` dat `s true,
An` affer de house she was finish up,
   We `re geevin` it nam` Bellevue.

O! yass, I know we enjoy ourse`f
   W`en our frien` dey was comin` roun`
An` say "Dat `s very fine place you got;
   Dere`s not`ing upon de town,
Or anyw`ere else for honder mile
   Dis house Bellevue can touch,
An` den let de horse eat de garden fence
   Non! we don`t enjoy dat so moche.

An` of course we can`t say not`ing at all
   For it `s not correc` t`ing you know—
But "Never min` dat, an` please come again,
   I`m sorry you got to go."
Baptême! w`en I`m seeing beeg feller bus`
   Our two dollar easy chair-
Can`t help it at all, I got to go
   Down on de cellar an` swear!

An` w`ere did we leev` on dat belle maison?
   Wan room an` de kitchen, dat `s all
An` plaintee too for de man an` wife!
   An` you `member de tam I fall
Off on de gallerie wan dark night,
   I los` mese`f  tryin` fin`
De winder dere on de grande parloir,
   For closin` it up de blin`?

An` al de tam de poor leetle house
   Is down on de road below,
I t`ink she was jealous dat fine new place
   Up on de hill en haut,
For O! she look lonesome by herse`f
   De winder all broke an` gone-
No smoke on de chimney comin` out
   No frien` stannin` dere—not wan.

You `member too, w`en de fever come
   An` ketch us wan winter day?
W`at he call de shaintee, our son-in-law,
   Dat `s w`ere dey pass away
Xavier, Zoë. an` Euchariste
   Our chil`ren wan, two, t`ree-
I offen t`ink of de room dey die,
   An` I can`t help cryin`—me.
  
So we `ll go on de ole house once again,
   Long enough we been fool lak dis
Never min` w`at dey say bimeby, ma chere
   But geeve me de leetle kiss,
Let dem stay on dat fine new place up dere
   Our daughter an` son-in-law
For to-morrow soon as de sun will rise
   We `re goin` back home-  Hooraw!
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