You can't get drown on Lac St. Pierre
So long you stay on shore.



LE VIEUX TEMPS.


Venez ici, mon cher ami, an' sit down by me--so
An' I will tole you story of old tam long ago--
W'en ev'ryt'ing is happy--w'en all de bird is sing
An' me!--I'm young an' strong lak moose an' not afraid no t'ing.

I close my eye jus' so, an' see de place w'ere I am born--
I close my ear an' lissen to musique of de horn,
Dat's horn ma dear ole moder blow--an only t'ing she play
Is "viens donc vite Napoleon--'peche toi pour votre souper."--

An' w'en he's hear dat nice musique--ma leetle dog "Carleau"
Is place hees tail upon hees back--an' den he's let heem go--
He's jomp on fence--he's swimmin' crik--he's ronne two forty gait,
He say "dat's somet'ing good for eat--Carleau mus' not be late."

O dem was pleasure day for sure, dem day of long ago
W'en I was play wit' all de boy, an' all de girl also;
An' many tam w'en I'm alone an' t'ink of day gone by
An' pull latire an' spark de girl, I cry upon my eye.

Ma fader an' ma moder too, got nice, nice familee,
Dat's ten garcon an' t'orteen girl, was mak' it twenty t'ree