OLD SARNIA. 299 



cider cup circulates is it not impossible for Pierre and the 

 others to hel]) drinking to the health of the smiling Hebes ? 



Little is thought of the midday (jrcui kerue dinner. It is 

 a mere prelude to the evening defrique ; yet, lest Ave should 

 misrepresent so substantial a meal, let us admit that hams, 

 cheeks, and shoulders, and pudding, too, hi houichepotte^ ncA er 

 fail to grace the table. 



In calling the plough supper a "defrique" Ave adhere to 

 ancient usage and reviAe a term Avhich ahvays involves a 

 gloAving image of culinary solidity and profusion. Whenever 

 grass or AAaste land Avas l^rought under cidtivation a feast Avas 

 very properly deemed the labourer's perqiusite ; such land 

 Avhile OA^er-run AA^th Avild vegetation is called a friquc^ Avhence 

 defriqner^ to break up, and the defrique^ the noble meal pre- 

 pared for this occasion. 



If Scotland's plump and tremulous haggis deserved a 

 voluntary grace as long as the home-loving poet's arm, Ave 

 may surely dilate a little on "la houichepotte " and "la 

 jijiouinne " — a plum pudding of enormous size, the principal 

 dish of our (jraa her tie supper. " Couayie V boeuf et mangie 

 du pain " may still pass for sound doctrine, l)ut Ave apprehend 

 that " couayie la jijiouinne " Avould ruin the ordinary digestion 

 from I'Eree to l^aradis and La Ramee to Hougue Antas. 

 After the Gargantuan repast came the singing and dancing. 



Our gran kerue sym]:)hony \\as nothing more than a 

 rumbling hurdy-gurdy. ()f the dancing I shall say naught, 

 except to remark that the most Avonderful exhibition of the 

 light fantastic toe Avas given by Dan and Judith, the former 

 just a little exhilarated by his copious libations of strong cider 

 and sundry p'tites (/outtes di km cPv/ie^ the latter in a Avhirl of 

 excitement caused by the unAvonted attentions to Avhich she 

 had been subjected during the day by the usually taciturn and 

 homely farm labourers. 



2s OAv for a fcAv extracts from the " chansonnettes " that Ave 

 heard at the last " gran' kerue " supper to Avhich Ave Avere bidden : 



Ma poiire A'ielle cbifournie, 



Pourrie tonte an travers ; 

 La cliiniolle enrouillai, 



L' bonais tons roguis des vars. 

 Ma vielle, te vlo craquie, 



Coumme ten pouie maitre, enfiii, 

 Mais tu as durai nne achie, 



Et toutes choses ont lenx fin. 



Grains, es jours de fete, 



Tu sonnais d'usse en u, 

 Notte et chant d'amourette — 



Helas, j'nen ponvon pn. 



