Cape Breton's Magazine

leam music and go for it, and I was--1 couldn't be bothered with it, by the way. And I couldn't perform anyway, as he could. He could do anything with the violin and I couldn't. I was just a straight country player, that was all. I could do a fairly good square set--that was about the limit of my playing. But handling anything in? tricate, I could not. And he could. But I wasn't a bit jealous of him, it didn't bother me at all. I was kind of proud of him. When we were playing, there was one type of music that--how will I say it?--that I was considered to be rather good at. That was the music for a square set. And when we were playing, Angus could have just blinded me with selections that he knew. But he would always say, "Archie Neil' now you take the lead." So I had quite a num? ber of selections that I played. And I'd take the lead. For a square set, we'd play two in 6/8 time, and then what they called a reel--fast music. And I wasn't a note- player at all--everything was by ear. An? gus used to tell me, "You should leam the notes," he said, "you have a keen ear just as good or better than mine. Because," he said, "we play together, and you play ex- actly as I do." But I knew I couldn't play Museum of Cape Breton Heritage Northeast Margaree on Cabot Trail Inverness Co., Cape Breton, N, S. OPEN 9 TO 6 DAILY exactly as he. He could do pretty near any? thing with a fiddle. And I always felt, you know, a little bit behind. And I used to use this--and I realize it now--as a crutch--a mental crutch that would sort of free my conscience--the liq? uor. I'd say, I drink because it makes me feel good, and I'm equal to the next fel? low when I have quite a few drinks in me. But it wasn't that. I was trying to psyche myself. This is in retrospect. I was think? ing then that, well, I can be excused be? cause I'm crippled and they'll say to them? selves, poor devil, he's got to have some fun in all of that. But it wasn't. It was because I wanted it, I know what an alco? holic is, as well as anybody. And I look back on it now, as you say, in retrospect, and I feel that I was just making this excuse. But then we got--what started as a one- drink dance became two, and three. And then everybody wanted to treat the fid? dlers , later on, as we were growing a lit? tle older. So that we got to the fact, or place, where we began to buy it for our? selves, see. (You and Angus.) Oh yes. And it would be nothing to land in with a pint of rum by the neck of the fiddle in the vi? olin case. When you'd go to a dance, no? body would see it. And then you'd get your chance and have your drinks, And it gradu? ally, like any other drug, as you became addicted to it, you wanted more and more of it. (Were you getting drunk?) No, just havm'''fe'drmk''Bu'gradua'W''was' Catering Services for Any Function Large or Small Yellow Cello Cafe Bakery, Pizza Deli Outdoor Terrace .6' Passport Photographs While You Wait , 295-2303 If''yMihass Studta Ltd, ( ONE HOUR FILM PROCESSING ) 5"x 7" Enlargements or Reprints in Only 20 Minutes! Weddings * Commercial & Industrial * Family Groups * Graduation ABBASS STUDIO LTD. 170 Townsend St,, Sydney * 564-8234 or 564-6491 JFacing the[ Wharf in IBADDECK 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CAPE BRETON CAPE BRETON DAIRYMEN Ulorking Together To Moke Cope firelon Stronger! (76) Jeux Canada Games 87'a!'SJ Official Suppliers BroQ