Page 20 - From Breton Cove and Boston: Conversations with Josie Matheson Bredbury

ISSUE : Issue 56

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/1/1

And sometimes,| Papa'd say books--that's what we'd call| it. He'd read a piece in thej Bible, a chap? ter in the Bible. And then we'd all go on our knees, and Pa? pa'd make a Gaelic prayer.| Sometimes Ma? ma'd go and doj this to him- (give him a sign)--because I he kept on and| on and on and on, you know, in prayer. To wake him up, you know. "That's e- nough." Be? cause we'd be starting to wiggle, you know, and giggle, and tickling one another. And she knew that we were getting itchy.... And Papa'd go into his prayer for so long. And then, we'd go to bed. We'd say the prayer, our night prayer, with Mama. And we'd go up to bed. Then we'd get up in the morning, and the first thing, we'd get out of bed--honest, it was really, truly won? derful. I'd get out of bed. And we'd go on Josie's parents: Norman K. and Effie (MacDonald) Matheson CoW flexure our knees, and we'd say that quick prayer that she taught us. And then we'd get dressed and come downstairs, and do our duties, washing. And she'd have breakfast ready. We'd all sit at the table. And then, there was a grace said at the table. And we'd eat--we'd be all through-- there'd be a grace said at the table. And then we'd push back, everybody sit around. Papa'd read a piece of the Bible. And we'd all go on our knees again. But Mama'd gen? erally say, "Dean goirid e." That meant, "Make it short"! (This scene--it's time for your mother to put the children to bed.) She'd sit in the rocking chair.... And to this day, I re? peat it. And I say my prayers every morn? ing, every night. (With your mother, that wasn't just a now-and-then thing.) Oh, every day, every day. And Sunday--Sundays, we'd all get up. There was no swearing. You couldn't do anything. There were no dishes washed, from the time you got up until next morn? ing, Monday morning. There'd be stacks of them. We hated Monday morning. And, you could milk the cows--you had to milk the cows. You feed the animals. And everything that you ate Sunday was prepared the day before, Saturday. No cooking done. And, everything was like that. You went to church. You went to church at 11 o'clock, the service. And there'd be a 20-minute Gaelic service for the people that didn't understand the English. And they had -ape t from Tlie Centre EDISCOVER YOUR ROOTS Visit the N.S. Highland Village and experience pioneer life in Nova Scotia from 1800 to the 1920s. Visit displays of early architecture, in? cluding the only known replica of a "Taigh Dubh" (Black House) in North America. Our costumed staff are friendly and trained in conver? sational Gaelic and local history. Facilities include an outdoor stage and amphitheatre for concerts, the largest being our annual Highland Village Day on the first Saturday in August. Our Reception Building contains interesting displays as well as a small gift shop. It also houses "Highland Roots" • a computerized program offering genealogical information to those people interested in their family history. The village is open daily from June 15 to September 15. For more information write or phone: N.S. Highland Village Box 58, lona, N. S. BOA ILO (902) 725-2272 to bring all the children to church. Whether they had clothes to wear to go to church, or not. They had to take them. And (Mama'd) take those thick white peppermints--she'd take 4 or 5 of those. And sh''d get the iron, the heavy iron--she'd take it and break them all up, you know. And she'd put them in a piece of handker? chief or something. She'd take that in her little purse. And when every? body was wiggling in the church, and she couldn't keep them quiet, she'd start giving them pieces of the can? dy. That's what kept us quiet! (The minister'd) have the English first. It would be an hour. And then there'd be--well, 20 minutes or 25 minutes, of the Gaelic. Then that gave the people around the church-- the homes around the church--all a ~ 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CAPE BRETON ~ QHfc CHlftlbrcn'H Atir 'ocietg of (Hape IBreton r' INTAKE HOME STUDIES PROTECTION FOSTER HOMES ADOPTION problem identification; referral support services; crisis intervention all ages, in permanent homes CHILDREN IN CARE I Suite 7, Provincial Building, 360 Prince Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia BIP 5L1 (562-5506) I SINGLE MOTHERS counselling; support I THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN I counselling; support 9 "A UNITED WAY SERVICE AGENCY"

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