In presenting to the public "The Habitant and other French-Canadian
Poems," I feel that my friends who are already, more or less,
familiar with the work, understand that I have not written the
verses as examples of a dialect, or with any thought of ridicule.
Having lived, practically, all my life, side by side with the
French-Canadian people, I have grown to admire and love them, and
I have felt that while many of the English-speaking public know
perhaps as well as myself the French-Canadian of the cities, yet
they have had little opportunity of becoming acquainted with the
habitant, therefore I have endeavored to paint a few types, and in
doing this, it has seemed to me that I could best attain the object
in view by having my friends tell their own tales in their own way,
as they would relate them to English-speaking auditors not
conversant with the French tongue.
My good friend, Dr. Louis Frechette, Poet Laureate, has as a
French-Canadian, kindly written an "Introductory" in his own
graceful language, and I have to thank him above all for his
recognition of the spirit which has actuated me in writing
"dialect" verse.
To Mr. F. S. Coburn, the artist, also, I am deeply indebted for
the faithful manner in which he has interpreted the different
characters and scenes contained in this volume. All the pictures
have been sketched from nature or life, and the keenest critic will
agree with me, that Mr. Coburn's illustrations are most typical,
both of the people and the soil.