De Notaire Publique
By William Henry Drummond
M'sieu Paul Joulin, de Notaire Publique
Is come I s'pose seexty year hees life
An' de mos' riche man on Sainte Angelique
W'en he feel very sorry he got no wife,
So he's paint heem hees buggy, lak new, by Gor!
Put flower on hees coat, mak' hese'f more gay
Arrange on hees head fine chapeau castor
An' drive on de house of de Boulanger.
For de Boulanger's got heem une jolie fille
Mos' bes' lookin' girl on paroisse dey say
An' all de young feller is lak Julie
An' plaintee is ax her for mak' marie,
But Julie she's love only jus' wan man,
Hees nam' it is Jrmie Dandurand
An' he's work for her sak' all de hard he can
'Way off on de wood, up de Mattawa.
M'Sieu Paul he spik him "Bonjour Mamzelle,
You lak promenade on de church wit' me?
Jus' wan leetle word an' we go ma belle
An' see heem de Cur toute suite, chrie;
I dress you de very bes' style la mode,
If you promise for be Madame Paul Joulin,
For I got me fine house on Bord Plouffe road
Wit' mor'gage also on de Grande Moulin."
But Julie she say "Non, non, M'Sieu Paul,
Dat's not correc' t'ing for poor Jrmie
For I love dat young feller lak not'ing at all,
An' I'm very surprise you was not know me.
Jrmie w'en he's geev me dat nice gol' ring,
Las' tam he's gone off on de Mattawa
Say he's got 'noder wan w'en he's come nex' spring
Was mak' me for sure Madame Dandurand.
"I t'ank you de sam' M'Sieu Paul Joulin
I s'pose I mus' be de wife wan poor man
Wit' no chance at all for de Grande Moulin,
But leev all de tam on some small cabane."
De Notaire Publique den is tak' hees hat,
For he t'ink sure enough dat hees dog she's dead;
Dere's no use mak' love on de girl lak dat,
Wit' not'ing but young feller on de head.
Julie she's feel lonesome mos' all dat week,
Don't know w'at may happen she wait till spring
Den t'ink de fine house of Notaire Publique
An' plaintee more too, but love's funny t'ing!
So nex' tam she see de Notaire again,
She laugh on her eye an' say "M'Sieu Paul
Please pass on de house, or you ketch de rain,
Dat's very long tam you don't come at all."
She's geev him so soon he's come on de door
Du vin de pays, an' some nice galettes,
She's mak' dem herse'f only day before
An' he say "Bigosh! dat is fine girl yet."
So he's try hees chances some more, hooraw!
Julie is not mak' so moche troub' dis tam;
She's forget de poor Jrmie Dandurand
An' tole de Notaire she will be hees famme.
W'en Jrmie come off de wood nex' spring,
An' fin' dat hees girl she was get marie
Everybody's expec' he will do somet'ing,
But he don't do not'ing at all, dey say;
For he's got 'noder girl on Sainte Dorothe,
Dat he's love long tam, an' she don't say "No,"
So he's forget too all about Julie
An' mak' de marie wit' hese'f also.