Page 88 - Dr. Jack Yazer, Citizen

ISSUE : Issue 59

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/1/1

(I want to know so much about peddling, though. Being in the homes like that. Would there be any entertainment? Would they sing, when you were there? Was that part of it?) Yeah, among themselves, they used to sing. The most of them always said Grace before you had your meal. They were Professional Locksmiths 24-HOUR SERVICE • 562-4556 473 Townsend Street, Sydney, N. S. (behind the Provincial Building) Call us for information on our FREE home or I commercial security seminars & inspections.! ALL THE KEYS YOU'LL EVER NEED! FAST OPENINGS • VEHICLES, DOORS, SAFES Deadbolts • High-Security Locks • Anti-Holdup Systems Now Fly All Atlantic Canada. This year see all Atlantic Canada in one vacation. The green, gently rolling hills of Prince Edward Island... colourful, Newfoundland and Labrador fishing villages... majestic New ft-unsmdc sidnMMi rivers... and the ocean'vrashed shoretine of Nova Scotia. Over 200,000 square miles of natural beauty, rich heritage, and unforgettable people waiting for you. Getting here is easy... with Air Canada and Air Nova's daily iM??B-8t('>saad connections from major centres world-wide. Once here, Adantic Canadapass... ticket for 3,4,5 or 6 one-way flights between 14 Air Nova or Air Canada cities in Atlantic Canada. Aad fly wtee you want., when you want., at savings up to 60% off regular one-way fares. For reservations and more inf(??inatiMi see your Travel Agent or call Air Canada Reservations. 85 per flight ? M AirCanada MMirNasm always a very close family. And a lot of it--don't forget, they spoke (Gaelic)-- which I didn't understand enough. But then I remember they used to have what you call milling frolics a lot. Or they used to go like in the church groups, have affairs. And you go in different homes, playing cards, and teas. I remember one (milling frolic) very well in Ingonish. I was learning to speak Eng? lish. And I thought what the word was, but I didn't think it would come out in my mouth. There was a woman, a Mrs. Hussey. She had--whatever it was, she dropped it. Then she had tea, and she dropped that. There were a lot of people around there, you know. She said, "What sign is that?" (As in, "What does it mean when you drop something?") And my word came with "clumsiness," and I said it--you know-- "Clumsiness." It came into my mind; I was just trying to learn to speak English. So she started up, she said, "Johnny Yazer," she said, "you're not going to sleep with me tonight!" And everybody else, "Oh, I see, so Johnny Yazer's sleeping with you, eh?" You know, they just kept on, you know, teasing her. And Johnny Yazer. Then another milling frol? ic. There was a minister-- what was his name--MacDon? ald- -I think it was Nelson MacDonald. He was a very strong NDPer, I think. And he used to tell jokes in Gaelic. And he was telling a story there about Hughie Mary Peggy. You know, like, out the windows--just try? ing to force the couple to marry, like matchmaking. And everybody was just jumping out of their seats. I can still remember seeing it--he was trying to ex? plain to me, you know, what he was translating. And I used to enjoy those things. And they used to dance in square dances. They used to love to do that. And they treated me as though I was part of the family, wherev? er I went. And it was real? ly- -I don't know, I felt part of them. I'd say the happiest days of my life were when I went peddling. The people were so genuine. (Would they know you were a Jew?) Oh, yes. I always Ote i)f tbr H>iif4K)7iut tfiu'

Cape Breton's Magazine