WHEN ALBANI SANG[1]
BY WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND
Was workin' away on de farm dere, wan morning not long ago,
Feexin' de fence for winter—'cos dat's w'ere we got de snow!
W'en Jeremie Plouffe, ma neighbor, come over an' spik wit' me,
"Antoine, you will come on de city, for hear Ma-dam All-ba-nee?"
"W'at you mean?" I was sayin' right off, me, "Some woman was mak' de speech,
Or girl on de Hooraw Circus, doin' high kick an' screech?"
"Non—non," he is spikin'—"Excuse me, dat's be Madam All-ba-nee
Was leevin' down here on de contree, two mile 'noder side Chambly.
"She's jus' comin' over from Englan', on steamboat arrive Kebeck,
Singin' on Lunnon an' Paree, an' havin' beeg tam, I ex-pec',
But no matter de moche she enjoy it, for travel all roun' de worl',
Somet'ing on de heart bring her back here, for she was de Chambly girl.
"She never do not'ing but singin' an' makin' de beeg grande tour
An' travel on summer an' winter, so mus' be de firs' class for sure!
Ev'ryboddy I'm t'inkin' was know her, an' I also hear 'noder t'ing,
She's frien' on La Reine Victoria an' show her de way to sing!"
"Wall," I say, "you're sure she is Chambly, w'at you call Ma-dam All-ba-nee?
Don't know me dat nam' on de Canton—I hope you're not fool wit' me?"
An he say, "Lajeunesse, dey was call her, before she is come mariée,
But she's takin' de nam' of her husban'—I s'pose dat's de only way."
"C'est bon, mon ami," I was say me, "If I get t'roo de fence nex' day
An' she don't want too moche on de monee, den mebbe I see her play."
So I finish dat job on to-morrow, Jeremie he was helpin' me too,
An' I say, "Len' me t'ree dollar quickly for mak' de voyage wit' you."
Correc'—so we're startin' nex' morning, an' arrive Montreal all right,
Buy dollar tiquette on de bureau, an' pass on de hall dat night.
Beeg crowd, wall! I bet you was dere too, all dress on some fancy dress,
De lady, I don't say not'ing, but man's all w'ite shirt an' no ves'.