An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 59, 26 June 1969

Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 26 latha de’n Og-mhios 1969
Eleven
..... ‘/Re at ecv Gid e i
COMMUNITY STORIES
The short story as an art
form has undergone the many
changes, in keeping witn the
novel, poetry, drama, and the
visual arts. Whether the re¬
sults now are better than
what went before is a matter
! of debate. Certainly, the
older forms of art were more
satisfying, and the short
story and the novel were no
exception. Ideally, one sup¬
poses the short story to be
entertaining for the reader.
It should offer the reader
l some minutes of escape into
j another world created by the
writer. Many modern stories
instead apply the mental
j pressure and offer no kinds
j of escape to the reader, but
only involvement, almost to
the point of a realism result¬
ing in some kind of mental
anguish and leaving a bad
taste in the mind.
While one accepts that the
short story is also a propa¬
ganda vehicle for various
kinds of messages, the re¬
viewer feels that perhaps it
is high time the entertain¬
ment aspect of the short
, story came back, for a while
at least.
Having said this, it is a
great pleasure to welcome the
chance to escape into the
small worlds of Eona Mac-
nicol, whose recent volume
of short stories offer the
chance to read about aspects
of life in the Highlands some
decades ago. The setting, of
course is largely incidental.
The stories are more about
people and their close-knit
communities.
Eona Macnicol probes into
what makes people tick in
different environments. In
“ The Small Herdsman ” the
contrast is drawn between
the rural and urban ife and
the changes whicn each can
effect on people. There are
are stories which illustrate
the heightened mental plane
on which only those who live
in rural environments seem
able to operate. The rational
explanation is always to
hand; but there remains the
unexplained third dimension.
Beyond the realism with
which Eona Macnicol drapes
her stories there is a bond
of sympathy which is best
recognised and understood by
those who have had the ex¬
perience (and privilege ?) of
being born or brought up in
a rural community environ¬
ment. It is this which makes
these stories so acceptable
and more than just a pleas¬
ant way of spelling away an
hour or so.
The entertainment is cer¬
tainly there. But it is that
special kind of entertainment
which the sennachies of old
offered to their audience: the
tale with two sides to it, and
a third dimension for those
who appreciate what life
itself can mean to those who
have the initiative to live it
to the full.
4 The Hallowe’en Hero ’ by
Eona Macnicol; William
Blackwood & Sons, Ltd.,
45 George Street, Edin¬
burgh, 2; price 24s.
THE LAST SUMMER
In recent years there has
been a significant increase in
the contribution by writers of
Lewis origins to the general
literary scene in both England
and Scotland. In particular,
Iain Crichton Smith has been
experiencing an increase in
stature over the past five years
which is marking him out as a
definite candidate for the name
of 4 major writer.’
He is poet, playwright, writer
of short stones and novelist. In
each of these fields, whether in
Gaelic or in English, his con¬
tribution has added signifiantly
to our literature.
His latest novel, 44 The Last
Summer,” was published at the
end of May and will no doubt
receive the same kind of success
which was afforded to his first
novel, 44 Consider the Lilies.’
That book received high praise
from the critics, who are diffi¬
cult to please at the best of
times; and the work was re¬
printed within a few days of its
publication.
“The Last Summer” is set
in the Highlands and is con¬
cerned with the complex and
maturing character of a 16-year
old boy in his last term at
school.
The author explores this
character and his relationship
with others with that insight of
mind which will be familiar to
those who know him through
his writings.
There is a wartime back¬
ground to the book, which
lends an extra dimension to the
inter-play which takes place
between the number of teenage
characters who are set poised on
tip-toe on the threshold over
which one small step will take
them into the first stages of
adulthood, a step they must in¬
evitably take.
Iain Smith’s mastery over
the words he uses in 44 The Last
Summer” is evident; the poet’s
presence is to be found in most
pages. The dialogue is good,
realistic and free-flowing. Read¬
ing it, one is immediately
taken into the presence of the
characters.
If this were a work of
shallowness, one would recom¬
mend it to readers on the
strength that it’s author came
from Lewis. In this context it
would be an interesting curios¬
ity. As it is, the work is
recommended on its own merits
and any association which the
author has with the Outer Isles
only serves to enhance the work
in that a reader from a similiar
background will find much with
which to associate himself.
Though it does not intrude,
there is a genuine Highland
atmosphere of the kind that
began to emerge between 1940
and 1950. It was gentle, feeling
its way in a world which was
changing face with each day’s
passing.
44 The Last Summer ” by Iain
Crichton Smith; 26s; Victor
Gollancz Ltd., Henrietta Street,
London.
4 Witdom,’ by Oliver Brown.
Published by William Mac-
Lellan, Scotpress, 90 Buc-
cleuch Street, Glasgow.
Price 6/-.
Tha fhios aig a h-uile duine
a chuala e bruidhinn riamh no
a leugh na sgriobhaidhean
aige gu bheil inntinn gheur
agus peann sgaiteach aig
Oliver MacIlleDhuinn, inn¬
tinn agus peann a chuir e gu
feum o chionn iomadh bliadh-
na a chum leas Alba. Tha
Uisdean MacDiarmaid ag
radh mu a dheidhinn ann an
roimh-radh an leabhair gur e
fear dhe ’n fheadhainn as
ainmeile dhe ’n bhuidhinn
bhig a shaothraich gun sgiths
gun taing fad bhliadhnachan
airson fiach an dualchais aca
fhoillseachadh do mhuinntir
Alba, saothair a tha, mu
dheireadh thall a’ giulan
toraidh. Chan eil doigh as
fhearr air buaidh inntinn Mac-
IlleDhuinn a dheanamh fol-
laiseach dhuibh na leigeil
leibh pairt dhe na faclan aige
fhein a leughadh.
The bride dresses herself
all in white as a symbol of her
virginal purity; the bride¬
groom wears white cuffs.
4 God is no respecter of
persons.’ His Church more
than makes up for such a
lack of social graces.
(Tha Mgr. MacIlleDhuinn
’na bhall de ’n eaglais).
Scotland lost her aristo¬
cracy at Flodden, Eton and
Harrow.
The function of the Tory
is to oppose every desirable
change till it becomes inevit¬
able, then to adopt it and
claim that it was his original
idea.
Jazz is the terrible revenge
of the American negro for
generations of slavery.
The value of a man of
straw is that he shows which
way the wind is blowing.
The Lord Privy Seal is so
called because he is neither
a Lord, a privy nor a seal.
1320 CLUB TO HOLD
SYMPOSIUM
The 1320 Club is to hold a
public Symposium on Com¬
munications. The role of the
press, radio and television in
a self-governing Scotland will
be debated. The symposium
is to be held in the Modern
Science Lecture Theatre, Glas¬
gow University, on Saturday,
June 28th.
The speakers will be Alas-
dair Dunnett and Eric Mac-
Kay of 44 The Scotsman,” and
Denis Mitchell (formerly of
the BBC).
There are two sessions,
morning and afternoon. Each
session will cost 5s. The
symposium secretary is Mrs
Norma Sturock, 357 Perth
Road, Dundee.
Failte Do Lybster
THE PORTLAND ARMS
extends a warm welcome
Salmon Fishing, Trout Fishing
Sea Angling
Good Fare and a Fine Cellar
Buidheann Rannsachaidh
Roinn
Caoraich
Galair Nematodirus. Tha
enuimheagan goile an comh-
naidh a’toirt taire do dh’
fheadhainn aig a bheil caor¬
aich agus tha na h-uain gu
h-araidn a’ fulang leis na
biastan sin, Tha a’ chnuimh
ris an can iad 4 Nematodiruis
ag eirigh aig am araidh dhe’n
bhliadhna o mheadhon Maigh
gu meadhon an luchair agus
tha i anabarrach dona ann an
uain a tha eadar 6 agus 12
seachdainean a dh’ aois.
Tha comharraidhean a’
ghalair seo ri’m faicinn aig
an aon am ann an torr dhe’n
treud agus, mar as trice, tha
na h-uain uile ’ga ghabhail.
’S e an sput dona a’cheud
chomharradh gun ghabh iad
an galair. Tha a’bhru air a
cumail a stigh mar gum bit-
headh pian air a’ bheathach.
Tha na beathaichean slaodach
’nan gluasad, tha na suilean
aca fada stigh agus tha a’
chloimh aca dol bhuaithe.
Tha iad a’basachadh an ceann
da latha an deidh dha’n sput
toiseachadh agus mura gab-
har aca dh’fhaodadh call mor
a bhith ann.
Tha uain a tha air feur
anns a bheil an galair seo as
t-samhradh a’ slugadh nan
enuimheagan oga comhla ris
an fheur. Tha na enuimheag¬
an sin a’tighinn gu ire anns a’
ghoile agus tha na enuim¬
heagan boireann a’breith uig-
hean a tha a’dol a mach anns
a’bhuachar. Tha na h-uig-
hean seo comasach air mair-
sinn beo troimh ’n gheamh-
radh. As t-earrach tha iad a’
tighinn a mach agus a’dol air
an fheur agus tha na h-uain
a tha air an fheur ’gan slug¬
adh. Tha Bord an Aiteachais
air rabhadh a chur a mach gu
bheil saoil aca gun gabh air-
eamh mhor uan an galair seo
am bliadhna.
Faodar an galair seo a
sheachnadh le bhith deanamh
cinnteach nach til na h-uain
An lar
am bliadhna air an cur air an
aon fheur ri uain an uraidh.
Chan eil buaidh aig a’ghalair
air caoraich nas sine agus
faodar iadsan a chur air feur
air a bheil e gun chunnart
sam bith. Chan eil na caor¬
aich sin a’giulan a’ghalair seo
idir agus mar sin chan eil
moran cunnart ann an cur
uain air feur far an robh iad¬
san an uraidh. Ach ’s e an
doigh as sabhailte buileach na
h-uain a chur air feur far
nach robh caoraich idir an
uraidh.
Far nach urrainn dhuibh
an cur air feur ur feumaidh
sibh an dosadh an aghaidh a
ghalair agus feumaidh sibh
dos eile thoirt dhaibh an
ceann 3 seachdainean. Bu
choir comhairle iarraidh air
a’bhet mu dheidhinn an
doigh as fhearr air dos a
thoirt dhaibh.
Comharrachadh. Dh’ fhao-
dadh seo a bhith cunnartach
ma tha innealan maola no
salach air an cleachdadh air-
son comharrachadh chlusan
no spothadh. Tha galairean
gabhaltach mar a tha tetanus
air an sgapadh mar seo agus
ma ni sibh cinnteach gu
bheil a h-uile cail glan fao-
daidh sibh an da chuid gal¬
air a sheachnadh agus na
caoraich a dhion o bhith ful¬
ang pian.
Crodh
Faodaidh sibh an crodh
fhaighinn air am breacadh gu
saor troimh 4 The Free Calf
Vaccination Service.’ Bheir
am bhet comhairle dhiubh
mu dheidhinn seo. Cumaidh
seo sios brucellosis. Faodar
na laoigh a bhreacadh eadar
3 is 6 miosan a dh’aois.
Faodaidh sibh cumail cuid-
hteas na plaigh ghartain
(ticks) le dup aig an neart
cheart a shuathadh ris na
beathaichean.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Thousands of Our finest men and
women in the Royal Air Forces
have given their service, their health, and in many cases thciTfivcs
|C'r C|0untrf and 111 clcrcncc of Freedom. Today many of them
and thdr dependants arc in urgent need of the R.A.F. Association’s
Welfare Service. Please give all you can for the emblem on Wings Day
or send a donation direct to Headquarters.
WEAR THIS EMBLEM
ON SATURDAY
Wings Appeal
SEPTEMBER 1 5th - 20th 1969
<3 GROVE P,
R FORCES ASSOCIATION
CENTRAL HQTRS., ROYAL Al _ __
»--K road. LONDON. V...
r'"Y ROYAL CHARTER)
'A,*R CHARmES ACT. I9«>
PROCEEDS TO BE DEVOTED TO CHARITABLE A WELFARE PURPOSES
(INCORPORATED B\
(REGISTERED UNDER THE W
“'D THE CHARITIES A
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