Carabinades/00
The Country Doctor
I s’pose mos’ ev’ry body t’ink hees own jobs’ bout de hardes’
From de boss man on de gouvernement to poor man on de town,
From de curé to de lawyer, an’ de farmer to de school boy,
An’all de noder feller was mak’ de worl’ go roun !
But dere’s wan man got hees han’ full t’roo ev’ry kin’ of wedder,
An’ he’s never sure of not’ing but work an’ work away,
Dat’s de man dey call de docteur, w’en you ketch heem on de contree.
An’ he’s only wan I know — me — dont’ got no holiday !
If you’re comin off de city, spen’ de summer-tam among us
An’ you walk out on de morning w’en de leetle bird is sing
Mebbe den you meet de docteur w’en he’s passin’ wit’ hees buggy
An’ you tink « Wall ! contree docteur mus’ be very pleasan’ ting !
Drivin’ dat way all de summer up an’ down along de reever,
W’ere de nice cool win’ is blowin’ among de maple tree,
Den w’en he’s mak’ hees visit, comin’ home before de night tam,
For spen’ de quiet evening wit’ hees wife an’ familee. »
An’ w’en off across de mountain some wan’s sick an’ want de docteur,
« Mus’ be fine trip crossin’ over for watch de sun go down,
Makin’ all dem purly color, lak w’at you call de rainbow ! »
Dat’ s way de peop’ is talkin’ was leevin on de town !
But it isn’t alway summer on de contree, an’ de docteur
He could tole you many story of de storm dat he’s been in,
How hees coonskin coat corne handy w’en de win’ blow off de reever,
For if she’s sam’ ole reever, she’s not alway sam’ old win’ !
An’ de mountain dat’s so quiet w’en de w’ite cloud go a-sailin’
All about her on de summer w’ere de sheep is feedin’ high,
You should see her on December w’en de snow is pilin’ ’roun’ her !
An’ all de win’ of winter come tearin’ t’roo de sky !
Oh ! le bon Dieu help de docteur w’en de message corne to call heem,
From hees warm bed on de night tam for visit come poor man,
Lyin’ sick across de hill side on noder side de reever,
An’ he hear de mountain roarin’ lak de beeg Shaw-in-i-gan !
Ah ! well he know de warning, but he can’t stay till de morning,
So he’s hitchin’ up hees leetle horse, an’ put heem on berlot,
Den w’en he’s feex de buffalo, an’ w’issle to hees pony.
Away t’roo storm an’ hurricane de contree docteur go !
O ! de small canadian pony ! dat’s de horse can walk de snow-dreef
Dat’s de horse can fin’ de road too, he’s never been before !
Kip your heart up leetle feller, for dere’s many mile before you,
An’ it’s purty hard job tellin’ w’en you see your stable door !
Yass, de docteur he can tole you if he have de tam for tellin’
All about de bird was singin’ before de summer lef
For he’s got dem on hees bureau, an’ he’s doin it hes’ef too,
An’ de las’ tam I was dere — me — I see dem all mese’f !
But about de way he travel t’roo de stormy night of winter,
W’en de rain come on de spring flood, an’ bridge is wash away,
All de hard work, an’ de danger dat was offen hang aroun heem.
Dat’s de tam our contree docteur don’t have very moche to say !
For its purty ole ole story, an’ he alway have it wit’ heem,
Ever since he come among us on parish Saint-Mathieu,
An’ I s’pose he’s feelin’ mebbe jus’ de sam’ as noder feller,
So he rader do hees talkin about somet’ing dat was new !
