The Corduroy Road

De corduroy road go bompety bomp,

De corduroy road go jompety jomp,

An' he' s takin'beeg chances upset hees load

De horse dat 'll trot on de corduroy road.

Of course it's purty rough, but it's handy

           t'ing enough

An' dey mak' it wit' de log all jine togeder

W'en deystrek de swampy groun' w' ere de

           Water hang aroun'

Or passin'by some tough ole beaver medder.

But it' s not macadamize, so if you're only

           wise

You will tak' your tam an' never min' de

           worry

For de corduroy is bad, an' will mak' you

           plaintee mad

By de way de buggy jomp, in case you hurry.

An' I' m sure you don't expec' leetle Victorine

           Leveque

She was knowin' moche at all about dem

           places,

'Cos she's never dere before, till young Zeph-

           irin Madore

He was takin' her away for see de races.

O, I wish you see her den, dat's before she

           marry, w' en

She's de fines' on de lan' but no use talkin'

I can bet you w'at you lak, if you meet her

           you look back

Jus' to watch de fancy way dat girl is walkin'.

Yass de leetle Victorine was de nices' girl be-

           tween

De town of Yamachiche an' Maskinongé,

But she's stuck up an' she's proud, an' you 'll

           never count de crowd

Of de boy she geev' it w'at dey call de congé.

Ah! De moder spoil her sure, for even Joe

           D'Amour

W'en he's ready nearly ev'ry t'ing to geev

           her

If she mak' de mariée, only say,  "please go

           away"

An'  he's riches habitant along de reever.

Zephirin he try it too, an' he's workin' some-

           t'ing new

For he's  makin' de ole woman many presen'

Prize package on de train, umbrella for de rain

But she' s grompy all de tam, an' never

           pleasan'.

Wall, w'en he ax Ma-dame tak' de girl away

           dat tam

See dem races on Sorel wit'  all de trotter

De moder say  "All right if you bring her

home to-night

Before de cow'smilk, I let go, ma

           daughter."

So Victorin she go wit' Zephirin her beau

On de yankee buggy mak' it on St. Bruno

An' w'en dey pass hotel on de middle of Sorel

Dey're puttin' on de beeges' style dat you

           know.

Wall! dey got some good horse dere, but

           Zephirin don't care

He's back it up hees own paroisse, ba golly,

An' he mak' it t'ree doll-arr w'en Maskinongé

           Star

On de two mile heat was beatin' Sorel Molly.

Victorin don't min' at all, till de  "free for

           all"  dey call

Dat's de las'  race dey was run before de snow fly

Den she say  "I t'ink de cow mus'be getting'

           home soon now

An' you know it's only clock ole woman go by.

An' if  we're comin'late w'en de cow pass on

           de gate

You'll be sorry if you hear de way she talk

           dere,

So w'en I see de race on Sorel or any place

After dis, you may be sure I got to walk dere."

Den he laugh dat Zephirin, an' he say  "Your

           poor mama

I know de pile she t'ink about her daughter

So we'll tak' de sshort road back on de cor-

           duroy race track

Don't matter if we got to sweem de water."

No wonder he is smile till you hear heem half

           a mile

For  dat morning he was tole hees leetle broder

Let de cattle out de gate, so he know it's

           purty late

By de tam dem cow was findin' out each oder.

So along de corduroy de young girl an' de boy

Dey was kipin' up a joggin' nice an' steady

It is n't heavy load,  an' Guillaume he know de

           road

For many tam he's been dat way already.

But de girl she fin' it slow, so she ax de boy

           to go

Somet'ing better dan a mile on fifteen minute

An' he's touch heem up Guillaume; so dat

           horse he lay for home

an' de nex' t'ing Victorine she know she's

           in it.

"O, pull him in, "she yell, "for even on Sorel

I am sure I never see de quicker racer,"

But it's leetle bit too late, for de horse is get

           hees gait

an' de worse of all ba gosh! Guillaume's a

           pacer.

See hees tail upon de air, no wonder she was

           scare

But she hang on lak de winter on T'ree

           Reever

Cryin' out- "please hol' me tight, or I'm

           comin'dead to-night

An' ma poor ole moder dear, I got to leave

           her."

Wit'her arm aroun' hees wais': she was doin'

           it in case

She bus'her head, or keel herse'f, it's not so

           easy sayin'

Dey was comin' on de jomp t'roo dat dam ole

           beaver swamp

An' meet de crowd is lookin' for dem cow was

           go a-stayin'.

Den she's cryin', Victorine, for she's knowin'

           w'at it mean

De parish dey was talkin' firse chances dey be

           gettin',

But no sooner dat young man stop de horse,

           he tak' her han'

An' w'isper "never min', ma chere, won't do

           no good a-frettin'."

Non! she is n't cryin' long, for he tole her it

           was wrong

She 's sure he save her life too, or she was

           moche mistaken,

An' de ole Ma-dame Leveque also kiss heem,

           on de neck

An'quickly affer dat Hooraw! de man an' wife

           dey're makin'.