The Old Sexton

I know very well t'was purty hard case

If dere 's not on de worl' some beeger place

Dan village of Cote St. Paul,

But we got mebbe sixty-five house or more

Wit' de blacksmit' shop an' two fine store

Not to speak of de church an' de city hall.

An' of course on village lak dat you fin'

Some very nice girl if you have a min'

To look aroun', an' we got dem too-

But de fines' of all never wear a ring,

Since first I 'm t'inkin' of all dem t'ing,

Was daughter of ole Narcisse Beaulieu.

Narcisse he 's bedeau on de beeg church dere,

He also look affer de presbytere,

An' leev on de house close by,

On Sunday he 's watchin' de leetle boys,

Stoppin' dem kickin' up too much noise,

An' he bury de peop' w'en dey 're comin' die.

So dat 's w'at he do, Narcisse Beaulieu,

An' it 's not very easy I 'm tolin' you,

But a purty large heavy load,

For on summer de cow she was run aroun'

An' eat all de flower on de Curé 's groun'

An'before he can ketch her, p-s-s-t! she 's

    down de road.

Dat 's not'ing at all,  for w'en winter come

Narcisse got plaintee more work, ba gum!

Shovellin' snow till hees back was sore,

Makin' some track for de horse an' sleigh,

Kipin' look out dey don 't run away,

An' freezin' outside on de double door.

But w'enever de vault on de church is fill

Wit' de peop' was waitin' down dere ontil

Dey can go on de cimetière,

For fear dem student will come aroun'

An' tak' de poor dead folk off to town

Narcisse offen watch for dem all night dere.

An' de girl Josephine she 's her fader's pet,

He never see nobody lak her yet,

So w'en he 's goin' on St. Jerome

For travel about on some leetle tour

An' lef' her alone on de house, I'm sure

De house she 's all right w'en he 's comin'

    home.

Wall! nearly t'ree year is come an' go,

De quietes' year de village know,

For dem student don 't show hees face,

An' de peop' is beginnin' to ax w'at for

Dey 're alway goin' on Ile Bizard

An' never pass on our place.

But it 's bully tam for de ole Narcisse,

An' w'en he 's lettin' heem go de pries'

For stay away two t'ree day

He t'ink of course it was purty good chance,

So he buy heem new coat an' pair of pants,

An' go see hees frien' noder side de bay.

An' dat very sam night, ba gosh! it seem

De girl 's not dreamin' some pleasan' dream

For she visit de worse place never seen

Down on T'ree Reever, an' near Kebeck

W'ere robber-man 's chokin' her on de neck-

De poor leetle Josephine!

So she 's risin' up den and she tak' de gun

An' off on de winder she quickly run

For fear she might need a shot

An' dem student he 's comin' across de square

Right on de front of de cimetière

An' carryin' somet'ing -you know w'at!

So she 's takin' good aim on de beeges' man

Abn' pull de trigger de hard she can,

An' he 's yellin' an' don he go,

Hees frien' dey say not'ing, but clear out quick,

Dat 's way Josephine she was playin' trick

On feller was treatin' poor dead folk so!

Den she kick up a row an' begin' to feel

Very sorry right off for de boy she keel

An' de nex' t'ing she 's startin' cry

An' call on her fader an' moder too,

Poor leetle Josephine Beaulieu,

An' wishin' she'd lak to die.

But she did n't die den, an' he 's leevin' yet—

Dat feller was comin' so near hees deat'-

For she nursin' heem back to life,

Dey 're feexin' it someway, I dunno how,

But dey 're marry an' leev'in de city now

An' she 's makin' heem firse classe wife.

An' Narcisse hese'f he was alway say,

"It 's fonny t'ing how it come dat way

But I 'm not very sorry at all,

Course I know ma son he 's not doin' right,

But man he was haulin' aroun' dat night

Is worse ole miser on Cote St. Paul."