The best introduction that I know of to Dr. Drummond and his poems of French-Canadian country fold is contained in the lines of "The Habitant" itself, the poem which gives the title to his first book of verse. It shows his fine appreciation of nature & human nature. And as a picture of family life it is well worth of being classed with Burns’ "Cottar's' Saturday Night." It runs as follows:

With this it seems natural to associate the second long poem in the same volume which under the title of "Le Vieux Temps" gives as vivid and attractive a picture of the social life of French Canadian country people, as "The Habitant" does of their family life.

Wm. Henry Drummond was born 1844 in Currawin House near village of Mohill, county Leitrum, Ireland. His father was an officer in Royal Irish Constabulary. Oldest of four brothers, was initiated into fly-fishing by Lord Palmerston on waters of River Duff. Family came to Canada when William was only 10 years old and made their home in Montreal. Just a few months after their arrival, the father died leaving but the slenderest of means. After a few terms in a private school, William insisted on shouldering his share of the burden, and studied telegraphy. In the initial days of this work, when he was only 15 years old, he was located in the little village of Bord-a-Plouffe in Riviere des Prairie at back of Mount Royal. Here he first came in contact with habitants and voyageurs and listened to their quaint tales of backwoods life.

How pleasant were his recollections of this part of his life may be gathered from a little poem written years later under title of "Bord-a-Plouffe."

The same laughing gallantry is to be found in "De Nice Little Canadiense" in which he sings the praises of the Canadian girlfriend in these words:

INTERMISSION

II. After a few years he was able to turn again to his studies and prepare himself to practice as a medical doctor.

At McGill University Bill Drummond was better known as an athlete than a student excelling in snow-shoeing, shot-putting, hammer-throwing and fast-walking. For a time he was amateur champion walker of Canada. After a turn in the Western Hospital in Montreal, he took up a country practice at Stornoway, a little village near Lake Megantic, where he practiced for two years and incidentally thrashed the local bully, one "Red John" a brawny Scot of gigantic proportions and fiery red hair & temper. Thence he moved to Knowlton, and a couple of years later to Montreal, where he spent the rest of his life as a practicing physician, occupying at the same time, for several years, the Chair of Medical Jurisprudence in McGill University. Medicine was his life work, and his poetry was written only in the odd moments which he could snatch from it.

It was probably the reading of "Le Vieux Temps" as a substitute for a speech when urged to respond to a toast at a dinner of the Shakespeare Club of Montreal, that first brought to Dr. Drummond a foretaste of the enthusiastic reception which awaited his poetic efforts. When the night of the dinner arrived he was with difficulty prevented from running off somewhere on the plea of professional duty. However, he went and was bewildered by his own success. "It's the strangest thing in the world," he told his wife afterwards, "but do you know they simply went wild over that poem!"
(Perhaps better bring this in after reciting "Le Vieux Temps")

"When Albani Sang" is said to have been composed while he was sitting on a trunk on a railway platform waiting for a train. In it the French-Canadian pride of race is well brought out. (Explain and read).

"Bell of St. Michaels" [recites poem]

Few Characters in literature are so liv

¹ The date is unknown, however, we have dated this piece on the basis of the reading that Rev. Calvin did on Dr. Drummond's poetry, at the University of Toronto on June 1, 1918. We have also found dated record of several readings that Rev. Calvin did between 1912 and 1924, and he likely did readings after that date using these notes. See also: Box 03-188a, W-MCP2-3b.060, June 1, 1918, Box 12-159, W8734a, Box 03-246, Box 03-243.