The Canadian Country Doctor

A poem by William Henry Drummond

I s'pose mos'ev'ry body t'ink hees job's about de hardes'
From de boss man on de Guvernement 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 doctor, w'en you ketch heem on de contree
An' he 's only man I know-me, don't 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 see de doctor w'en he 's passin wit' hees buggy
An' you t'ink "Wall! contree doctor mus' be very plesan' t'ing

"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 pass de quiet evening wit' hees wife an' familee."

An' w'en off across de mountain, some wan 's sick an' want de doctor
"Mus' be fine trip crossin' over for watch de sun go down
Makin' all dem purty color lak w'at you call de rainbow,"
Dat 's de way peop' is talkin' was leevin' on de town.

But it is n't alway summer on de contree, an' de doctor
He could tole you many story of de storm dat he 's been in
How hees coonskin coat come 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 in 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.

O! le bon Dieu help de doctor w'en de message come to call heem
From hees warm bed on de night-tam for visit some poor man
Lyin' sick across de hill side on noder side de reever
An' he hear de mountain roarin' lak de beeg Shawinigan.

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 burleau
Den w'en he 's feex de buffalo, an' wissle to hees pony
Away t'roo storm an' hurricane de contree doctor go.

O! de small Canadian pony! dat 's de horse can walk de snowdreef.
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 doctor he can tole you, if he have de tam for talkin'
All about de bird was singin' before de summer lef'
For he got dem on hees bureau an' he 's doin' it hese'f 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' de bridge is wash away
All de hard work, all de danger dat was offen hang aroun' heem
Dat 's de tam our contree doctor don 't have very moche to say.

For it 's purty ole, ole story, an' he alway have it wit' heem
Ever since he come among us parish Saint Mathieu
An' do doubt he's feelin' mebbe jus' de sam' as noder feller
So he rader do hees talkin' about somet'ing dat was new