An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 3, October 1907-September 1908

68
AM DEO-GREiNfe
Stall : the worst evil that overtook it was, when
the stallholders came to tidy up on Friday morning,
to find all access to the back of the stall barred by
a large boat- Many were the enquiries as to its
lawful destination, but finally, and not without
various passages at arms, it was run to earth, if
such an expression may be used about a boat,
at the children’s stall.
In addition to the actual sum realized by the
three days’ sale, there were the proceeds from
several concerts and entertainments organized in
different parts of the county, chiefly owing to the
efforts of Mrs. Mackenzie of Farr, Mrs. Watson
Hilton Inverness, Mrs. Ross, Atholdene, Miss
Barron and Mr. Barron. I should like also to
mention that Mr. Roderick Macleod gave his ser¬
vices freely to the committee, and the success of
the concerts is in a great measure due to him.
X.—Buth nan Eilean.
(Islands’ Stall.)
MAJOR MATHESON OF LEWIS.
The first impression was one of wonder and
admiration at the organisation, the enthusiasm, and
the strenuous effort which had produced that
splendid exhibition, and had brought together
stallholders and keepers from all parts of the
United Kingdom and from every Scottish Family.
But the second impression was one of keen dis¬
appointment that this stupendous effort met with so
inadequate a response. Whatever the cause may
have been, the generous and wealthy buyers who
make the success of the first day of a bazaar were
entirely absent. Many an interesting curio and
many a unique product of the outer Islands might
have been picked up—and prices were certainly not
exorbitant—but they found no purchasers. At the
Island Stall few articles over a pound in value found
a purchaser except among the stall-holders of other
stalls. On Friday and Saturday morning the
crowds were so enormous that intending purchasers
could hardly get near the Halls, but the majority
had come merely to look on, and on Saturday well-
to-do but unblushing bargain hunters were very
much in evidence. A steward of the Island Stall
was accosted by one such female ‘-hunter” who
offered two shillings for an article the cost price of
which was twenty - five shillings, and when he
declined the offer, she said, “ You’re very foolish ;
I have made better bargains than that all round
the bazaar.” He could not help replying, “You
ought to be ashamed to make such an admission,”
and great was the wrath of the lady !
But on Saturday afternoon and evening our
spirits rose and our hearts warmed, for the Islanders
who are fighting the battle of life in Glasgow came
pouring in, and then one felt enthusiasm and love
of home and language and country were in the air.
Naturally they were not blessed with full purses,
but the cordiality of the inquiries for even the
smallest reminiscence of the Island of , the
faces lighted with pleasure at buying from the
Island Stall, the handshakes when we found we
were “ ’« ar luchd-duthcha” and the word or two in
a' chainnt mhathaireil? are reminiscences that we
shall not soon forget. It left a happier impression
than the first day and one felt that all the labour
was not in vain. No impression of the Feill would
be complete without reference to the enormous and
incredible amount of work done by the ladies who
were stall conveners and assistants. We men were
tired, but what must it have been to the ladies, who
regardless of ‘hours of duty,” spent the entire three
days on their feet with all the responsibility of
organization and sale and banking entirely on their
shoulders. It was certainly one of the most striking
features of the bazaar. -‘ Gu ma fada beo sibh, a
mnathan-uasail dileas, agus ceo as nr tighean /”
Item.—A beautiful '* Shetland Shawl, ’ so fine it
would almost go through a ring, made by Christina
Matheson, Knock, Lewis, was bought by H.R.H.
Princess Louise at the Island Stall. *‘ Tha mi
deanamh naill as a sin ! ”
BY MISS CAMPBELL OF JURA.
Having been asked to give my impressions of the
“ Feill,” I may say at the outset that what struck
me most of all was, in the first place, the enormous
amount of beautiful work and goods that were sent
to each and every stall, and in the second place, the
very hearty and thorough manner in which every
one seemed to devote their time and energy to the
work undertaken. Only the great and lasting love
which all loyal Highlanders possess for their
country and language could have produced the very
marked success which undoubtedly crowned this
Highland Bazaar.
I am often told by people who know no better
that loyalty from Highlanders to their laird or chief
is a thing of the past, and ardently I wished I could
have had a lot of these pessimists present at our
Island Stall to hear the numbers who made kindly
enquiry for the different lairds or their ladies whose
presence was expected at our stall. Many said they
wished to buy something merely for the honour of
being served by their laird or his lady, and when
any of our people from the Island of Jura caught
sight of me it made one’s heart glad to see the
manner in which their faces lighted up, and to feel
the warmth ot their hand clasp.
All the w’orkers at the Island Stall felt much
touched, gratified and honoured, not only by the
gracious and friendly manner in which H.R.H.
Princess Louise sold at the stall, but no less for the
genuine interest which Her Royal Highness mani¬
fested so evidently in the Highland people. Among
her purchases were a rush chair from North Uist
and a lovely Shetland shawl from the Lews Speak¬
ing from my own feelings, I must add that the
extremely friendly manner in which H R. Highness
greeted us made true Highland loyalty well up in
our hearts, and none of us workers at the Island
Stall will ever forget what brightness and pleasure
they received from H. R. Highness’s visit.
One of the chief features of our stall was
undoubtedly the home industry goods from Uist
consisting of rush chairs, mats, horse collars,
spinning wheels, and lovely webs of home-spun
tweeds ; also a very fine web of Matheson tartan
from the Lews and a grand web of cloth from St.
Kilda. From the more southern Islands came large
quantities of splendid dyed hose and socks, and as
for the beautiful fancy work of all kinds, pottery,
glass and china, which was sent to us in such large
quantities, we would have required a stall at least
four times as large as the one we had to shew off
our splendid selection of goods to anything like the
advantage they required. Let me not forget to
mention that a cannon ball fished up in Tobermory