I know Im not too young, an' ma back is not as straight
As it use to be some feefty year ago--
Don't care to go aroun' if de rain is fallin' down
'Less de rheumateez is ketch me on de toe--
But dat is ma beez-nesse, an' no matter how I feel---
Oder folk dey might look out deir own affair
stead o' w'isperin', "Wall! bâ Gosh! lissen poor Maxime Meloche,
How dat leetle drop o' rain is mak' heem swear!
De ole mans gettin' on!"
Smart folk lak dat, of course, mebbe never hear de news
Of de tam hes comin' sick Guillaume Laroche,
Whos tak' heem home to die w'en de rapide's runnin' high,
An' carry heem on hees shoulder t'roo de bush?
Oh! no, it was n't me, only wan of dem young man
Hardly got de baby moustache on de mout',
Dat's de reason w'y I say to mese'f mos' ev'ry day,
"Purty hard deres not'ing else dan talk about
'De ole mans gettin' on.'"
W'ats mak' me feelin' mad is becos dey don't spik out,
Non! deyll sneak aroun' for watch me as I go,
An' if I mebbe spill leetle water on de hill,
W'en Im comin' from de well down dere below,
No use for tellin' me--I know too moche mese'f,
Dats de tam Im very sure dey alway say,
"See heem now, how slow he go--don't I offen tole you so?
Were sorry, but Maxime is have hees day,
De ole man's gettin' on."
It's foolish t'ing to do, for deres alway hang aroun'
Some crazy feller almos' ev'ry day--
So I might a' stay at homestead o' tryin' feex de boom,
Dough Im sure de win' is blow de oder way;
For I never hear dem shout w'en dey let de water out,
An' de log dey come a-bangin' down de chute,
But leetle Joe Leblanc ketch me on de pant, hooraw!
Den spile de job by w'isperin', "Im afraid I spik de trut',
De ole mans gettin' on."
Only yesterday de pig get loose an' run away,
An' de nex' t'ing he was goin' on de corn--
So I run an' fetch de stick, an' after heem so quick
Jus' to mak' heem feelin' sorry he was born;
An' dat pig he laugh at me, an' he fill hees belly full
'Fore hes makin' up his min' for come along--
Im sure I see heem wink--should n't wonder if he t'ink,
"Very easy see deres somet'ing goin' wrong--
De ole mans gettin on."
If only I can get some doctor feex me up,
Mak' me feel a leetle looser on de knee--
On de shoulder, ev'ryw'ere--ba tonder! I don't care,
I 'le spen' a couple o' dollar, mebbe t'ree--
Jus' to larn dem feller dere how to skip an' how to jomp,
On de way I beat deir fader long ago--
Yass siree! an' purty soon deyll sing anoder tune,
An' wonder w'at de devils dere to show
De ole man's gettin' on.
Oh! dat maudit rheumateez! now she's ketchin' me again
On de back becos Im leetle bit excite,
An' put ma finger down, widout stoopin' on de groun'--
But Ill do dat trick to-morrow, not to-night--
All de sam' I often t'ink ev'ry dog is got hees day,
Dats de lesson I was learnin' on de school;
So I can't help feelin' blue w'en I wonder if its true
W'at dey 're sayin'--dough o' course dey 're only fool--
De ole mans gettin' on.
