CHAPTER VIII

NEIGHBOURHOOD SOCIAL LIFE

Musical Instruments

The only musical instruments we had were the jew’s-harp, the mouth organ, the accordion, the concertina, the flute, the bagpipes and the fiddle. The bagpipes made a weird droning sound. They were capable of very lively or very mournful music, and responded readily to the skill of the player. It required strong lungs to play them. They were not so well suited for the home as were the other instruments and were not so commonly used. The fiddle was the favourite for

social functions.

Music and Dancing

There was plenty of amusement and merrymaking, and plenty of young people to enjoy them. Dancing was the most common and merriest of all the jolly times. Small boys and girls and Protestants were not supposed to take any part in this. The-y might look on, but the Protestants disapproved of it. They did not think it a good amusement. Mother kept a gentle pressure on our consciences and we made an effort to shun what she disliked, whether or not she for— bade it. Surrounded as we were by neighbours who engaged in dan- cing, and considered it innocent and delightful amusement, it was hard for us to hold out against the temptation to join in it with them. I got the impression that a fiddle (violin) was a wicked instrument; that it had as many devils in it as had the man of Gadara. The neigh- bour boys, and some of the girls, could play it very skilfully. Often, in the evenings, the music floated over to our place. We all liked to listen to it, though we did not like to have it in the house, especially if I it were accompanied by dancing. There were special and great occa- sions when our rule was stretched to the breaking point. The first of these, that I can remember, involved mother and all the family.

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