Page 6 - With Katie Margaret Gillis, Mabou Coal Mines

ISSUE : Issue 38

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1985/1/1

That's filth. You don't know who's going to have their hands around, or what's go? ing on. You're not going to do that. Well, I said, "This is extra work in the eve? nings, and I feel that I can do it." "No way." Well, there you are. There's where the points came where you learned. My sister was very bright, Katherine, She went when she was 16 to New York. She had a hard life, she had a hard time. She wasn't getting the jobs that were suitable. She'd get in a place where they'd demand too much of you, where some of the other girls said, "She's not supposed to do this or that." They'd pile on you, say, a wash. Well, naturally, we had linens to do, and we were very careful and ironing them, in my day, too, not too much. But they seemed to take advantage of her, and give her more work than she should for her age. And you know, too many things at one time. She hit one or two bad places like that. But then she stayed a few weeks with Angus and the wife--she wasn't very well. That helped her an awful lot--Angus Beaton, the cop--that gave her a good idea of what was to be done, in housework. (But there were girls who were just being taken advantage of.) Well, I suppose they didn't understand that we could be so far back. After all, even if we were born on farms here, all we had was grain and wheat and potatoes and barley, and we had plenty of that. We'd put that in the barn. We'd put it to the mill and get flour out of it, and oatmeal out of the oats. All those things. But when it came to vegetables, there was nothing to speak of at all. May? be a few cabbage. But of all, potatoes, feeds of potato. And you see where we wer' The Trial Of The Century.., FARLEY MOWAT I SEA OF SLAUGHTER by Farley Mowat No single man, but all of mankind stand on trial in Sea of Slaughter, Farley Mowat's scathing deposition revealing centuries of humanity's un? told brutality and wanton destruction. In this eloquent and moving cry for conservation and protectionism, the author of Never Cry Wolf and A Whale for the Killing traces the course of human cruelty as endured by ten of the world's I endangered species. ''' '' ... The Tale Of Centuries A SEA WITHIN: THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE by Bruce Litteljohn and Wayland Drew A Sea Within: The Gulf of St. Lawrence is a dazzling achievement: a book that is at once a compelling piece of history and a remarkable work or art. Turn the pages of dramatic photographs, and browse through a text which vividly demon? strates that the history of the Gulf is as rich and diverse as its geography. McClelland and Stewart $39.95 The Canadian Publishers (6)' on the stupid side, and it was pretty hard to learn things the new way. It was just like going to another country. And even meats, in the fresh meat, because we usually had salty codfish and salty pork--we'd have our own pork--kill her. And we'd have a cow, we'd kill that cow. And Papa'd have lots and lots of this hard, nice fish, codfish, on flakes, you know, that we'd have all winter. He'd have some of it pickled in another barrel, and anoth? er couple of barrels of mackerel and her? ring. That was our winter's supply. (And in New York they weren't eating that.) Well, now, there was no such a thing as salt there. Very little. And there was broccoli, and there was spinach. (Had you ever eaten a tomato before?) No. I didn't know what a tomato nor a banana was. No, that's very true. Oh, we didn't know the stove from the table! The doctor's wife was a very hard person to get along with, although she was nice in other words, but she was hard of hear? ing. When she was young, she lost her hear? ing. No family. And the doctor, oh, he had a heck of a time. He was a maternity doc? tor and he'd come in all hours. And she'd be out all day with her car. As deaf as she was. But anyway, by gosh, he'd start. And you know, they'd have everything so beautiful, butter plates--they had every? thing beautiful. Only themselves at the ta? ble, it had to be just so. No drinking in that place. It was just cocktails of toma? toes or something; doctor had no use for liquor. But she'd say, "Hon, put that out of your mouth while you're talking to me." And him so hungry, going to eat. "Hon, put that out of your mouth while you're talk? ing to me." He'd just do like this and put it on the butter plate, to please her. So that tells how strict she was. You'd think she was deaf--she had an in? strument in her ear. But she could hear the hay growing! She was that strict that if we were washing the dishes without a towel in the bottom of the sink, she'd . ring the bell at the table. (Why did you have to have a towel in the bottom of the • For the Right Shocks • For Your Safety Economy & Comfort |.I = I:|II.'I4 Master Muffler & Brake Centre NATIONALLY GUARANTEED ' FAST. Reliable Service ' FREE Inspection .' FREE Estimates ??' FREE Installation FOR MOST MAKES - DOMESTIC AND IMPORTS 349 GEORGE ST. DOWNTOWN Ph: 539-6691 WeAccept jg lOI J

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