Page 62 - A Visit With the MacLeods at Belfry

ISSUE : Issue 74

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1999/6/1

the roosters in there on top of the bam and out on Saturday night emd didn't let them go intil Monday? Remald: Is that time or are you just pulling my leg? Jijnmv: I never heard that. Lena: Didn't you ever hear of that? Yes, they'd take the rooster • I remember it • come Saturday night emd wouldn't let it go till Monday. Flora; Well, they were pretty, pretty strict, anyway. Rov; Yes, we didn't go down and take a walk or anything. We'd have to take some wood in. Flora: Everything was done! Rov: We'd have to take the potatoes in and peel the potatoes and have them ready for Sunday. Flora; My mother knitted a lot. She knitted, you know • we had sheep emd then she'd knit and knit socks emd teLke the socks to Memn's store or Hughie's store and you'd get groceries in retum for socks. Jimmv; Usually bartered, what they called barter. Flora: Yes. And, you know, she'd be knitting, she'd get up at five in the morning and start knitting until they Jimmy; Go to bed at night. Flora: But when Saturday night came, they were rolled up, put in a bag, put away. They didn't come out until Monday. Never. You didn't wash emy I clothes of emy kind, no matter what. Ranald; What about cook? ing? Flora; Well, they did cook the potatoes-- they'd be peeled. Jim? mv; Cook the potatoes and that??s about it. Lena: They peeled the potatoes, they had everything ready to cook and ??IHiH FREE DIAMOND LIFETIME INSURANCE THINK ALTEEN'S * Instore Repairs * 56 Years of Reputable Service * Professional Jewellers * Honest Prices, True Value JEWELLERS LTD. 'The Diamond People" Charlotte Street Sydney 564-5495 when the time ceune, they could. Flora; No baking. No. But they were such good people, though. Weren't they good people? Jimmy; Oh, yes, yes. Lena; There were a few black sheep. Roy: But even the worst would help you out. .'- .' yes. Flora: And you kziow, I can remember my mother used to send me over to MacCormicks to babysit Jessie. She was a blind lady. She was in bed all the time while Mrs. MacCormick would be weaving. She had a room up in the attic and she'd be making blankets--I guess she made blankets for a lot of people. Jimmy: Oh, yes. For a lot of her neighbours. Flora: And my mother used to say, "And don't you teLke any money." And I tell my grandchil? dren today--they're always looking for fifty cents or a dollar for whatever they do--and I said, "I wasn't allowed to ask for emy money." I just went over there and I gave her a drink if she rang. She had a sort of a bell emd if she rang, I gave her a drink or whatever she wanted. And I'd stay over there. Jimmv: On Saturday night, we used to play down at MacCormicks' a couple of violins and a gui? tar • I think she knew eQjout it • and Alison (her son) would go over and sit. He'd put the clock back about an hour because you couldn't play over, after midnight. Years ago. That was it. Flora; Oh, no! She was the Sunday school teacher, too. Jimmy: And I, I still think that she could figure. Flora: She probeQsly knew. Jimmy; She'd never go to bed till after we left and he'd put the clock back, you know. But if she knew it or not, I don't know. Lena: She was a good soul. Specialized education for new economy jobs. wscc Nova Scotia CowMUNin Coiuot Education that Viotks Tel: 1-888-655-NSCC(6722) Fax: 1-877-884-NSCC (6722) www.nscc.ns.ca Our thanks to Ra? nald Thurgood for permission to offer this portion of a much longer interview, part of his research into storytelling in the Gabarus-Fram- boise community, towards his Ph.D. thesis at the De? partment of Folk? lore, Memorial University of Newfoundland. For funding as? sistance, Ranald wishes to thank ISER (Institute for Social and Eco? nomic Relations) and the Helen Creighton Folk? lore Society. 62

Cape Breton's Magazine