Page 2 - MacDougalls and Whittys and Songs

ISSUE : Issue 23

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1979/8/1

world. I'd rather the times that we used to have then than we have now. It was hap? py days. We were all happy. Of course, I'm happy yet. But I often sit down and begin to think, well, all the fun we had. (Visiting was important to you?) Mary Ann; Was it ever! We had lots of"visiting m our day, I know. We'd go to one place and stay there for, well, not day after day • but we'd go for the weekend. They'd change and come back to us. (When you'd go to a home would they ever tell you, "We're bus- y"?) No, never. No, they'd always wajit us to stay longer among them. (These parties* would you bake all week to prepare?) No, they'd take what they'd get. Glad to get it. Used to have deer meat then--not fry meat, deer meat • steak, you know. Have lunches and then get supper. Times were hard then • my glory • you'd be glad then if you'd get a cup of tea. And bread and but? ter. Mike: Good tea. Mary Ann; I should say. Corn bread and butter • make your heart flutter. (And you'd never say, "I'm too tired"?) Mary Ann: Never. I was delighted. I was quite a working woman. I was raising 5 children, a cow and a pig • but always take time off to sing. That wouldn't take long. I don't think I ever turned anyone down that ever asked me to sing. (Did you ever wonder where your parents' songs came from?) Mike: In those days there was great interest in the songs, to listen to them. There were love songs. There were murder songs. There were drown? ing songs, ship songs • you name it. But you just listened to the stories and the beautiful air of the ballads that were, getting sung • but we never thought of this stuff being very valuable in any kind of way. And even myself, what I learned from my mother and my father in the lines of music, I didn't really realize that this stuff was so important until the later years of my life. This is why the older people have it hard to say, because they never wondered. Mary Ann; That's right, Mike; They just took it for granted. Mary Ann: Sing it any old way. on the rag- ing White jackets and blue trousers This fair maid she put on And like a jolly sailor She boldly jogged along She bargained with the captain Her passage to go free And to be his companion Out on the raging sea. Oh when they were undressing And going to their bed The captain oft times sighed and said college of Cdpe breton press ??'r''' presents Some interesting souvenirs of your visit to our beautiful island "> Patterson's History of Victoria County (edited by W. James MacDonald). G. G. Patterson wrote the history in 1885. The work has been updated with added appendices and footnotes. Complete with early photographs, first settlers' names and early place names. Beautifully bound, hard cover $13.00 Records GLENDALE '77 - A live recording of the 1977 Cape Breton Festival of Fiddlers at Glendale, Inverness County ........ $6.50 THE RISE & FOLLIES OF CAPE BRETON ISLAND - Original cast recording of the music and comedy revue that took Cape Breton by storm $6.50 Historic Map Reproductions DETAIL OF FORTRESS LOUISBOURG (circa 1760). A beautiful detail of the city and fortifications. One of the few maps of this period in English. IT" 16". THOMAS KITCHIN'S MAP OF CAPE BRETON (circa 1758). An ex? quisite map of the island by the English geographer. Beautifully illustrated. 12"x16" Each Map: Matted - $10.00 / Framed - $30.00 AVAILABLE AT MANY RETAIL OUTLETS. If you wish to order by mail, send cheque or money order in the amount indicated to: THE COLLEGE OF CAPE BRETON PRESS P. 0. Box 5300, Sydney, N. S., BIP 6L2

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