Page 60 - With Evelyn Smith, Wreck Cove

ISSUE : Issue 65

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1994/1/1

Evelyn's father, Sandy MacDer? mid, as a young man, and in his 30's during World War One And he went up, and he put his hands like that on the teapot, and it was hot. And he said in Gaelic, "Nach eil e do phoit a tha teth?" --"Isn't it your pot"--or something like that--"that's hot?" Letting her know, "I know that you have used that teapot." Wasn't that terrible? And another man--it wasn't the same man, I don't think. His wife made tea for some? one. And they saw him coming. And you know they used to have the long skirts on then, down to the floor. So she said to her friend, in Gaelic of course, "Put the lunch in under." And the dog came in with him! And right away the dog went over and started trying to get the lunch! And he twigged, I guess, to that. too. (What was the idea of not giving lunch? We have the sense of hospitality.) Yeah, I know. But there were some men at that time, they were so mean and tight that they wouldn't give anything. (And these are not strangers.) No, no, they were 1 part of the community. And the stories ' told about (one fellow), that he had everything locked--tea and different things locked, so that his wife couldn't have access to it unless he just shared it or gave it. Hard to believe, isn't it? (Well, it's not at all the kind of sense that we're given of the rural, tradition? al people.) Yeah, but see, those are the exceptions. And I don't want to give a down picture, because that wasn't--it was most? ly- -and 99% was the other. But I'm just pointing out that some women didn't have it easy. And I guess some men didn't, either. It wasn't all one-sided. Probably a man who was very free and willing and would have a woman that would be very stingy. Ski Cape Smokey' Cape Breton's MOUNTAIN OF WINTER FUN Ingonish Ferry, Victoria County 4 6 New Trails 4 l/logul Skiing 4 Apres Ski Activities Events Every Weekend World Class X-Country Skiing Nearby ice Skating 'j, , ,uM imm'iiiWmmimmssmmm CALL OUR SNOWLINE FOR INFORMATION l-800-563-a040 Local inquiries please call 28S-277S (But supposing they were both hospita? ble people. Would you say their lives were easy, in any case? In any case, was life easy here?) If they were both of the same...? (Regard? less of being tight or mean. Was life easy? We kind of look back and we say, "Oh, the good old days.") Ah, yeah, it wasn't all good. Don't let's kid ourselves. Hu? man nature doesn't change that much. And there was a sense of community Need a Radiator? Muffler? Shocks? Brakes? RAD-PRO Specializing in Radiator Repair & Recores Heaters Water Pumps, Etc. TWO LOCATIONS: Sydney i 349 George St. - Downtown i AND Port Hawkesbury Maclnnes Road at Specializing in Mufflers Brakes Shocks MASTER MUFFLER springs fsrmm Sydney: 562-2300 60 Port Hawkesbury: 625-3781 Port Hawkesbury Centre Sydney: 539-6691 • Port Hawkesbury: 625-3781

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