Roamin’ in the gloamin’ (1928)

70 ROAMINT IN THE GLOAMIN' fixed at eight-and-six-pence the double ticket. The two families drew up lists of probable well-wishers and issued invitations to them, marking the financial obligation very clearly on the "invite." My brother, Matt, who was my best man, and Nance's sister, Kate, who acted as best maid, sold thirty double tickets and they joyfully reported to me that they could have sold as many more had the hall been big enough to accommodate the extra number. Like the wedding of Sandy MacNab, our "do" was a swell affair! There were lashings of steak pie, chappit tatties, rice pudding, tea and pastries. There was beer in abundance for all who wished it. And there were bottles of Scotch for the "heid yins" at the top table. "Jamie" presided over the function. He said a brief grace and ordered the assembled company to "fa' tae!" (English — get busy on the grub !) They required no second bidding. Some of the young miners had refrained from eating any food for a day or two so that they could do full justice to the steaming pies, the endless plates of potatoes and cabbage and carrots and the enormous helpings of rice and raisin pudding. The fun and clatter became fast and furious; the din was deafening. Nance and I sat together at the foot of the main table. We were very much in love, but we had both hearty appetites, and we tucked in with the best and bravest of them — at least, I did. After the tables were cleared there were speeches and toasts. My health and the health of the bride were duly toasted. Then the chairman sang a song, "Norah, the Pride of Kildare," only stopping twice or three times in the middle of it to implore silence from some of the more obstreperous spirits who had started arguments about how much coal they could cut if the "face" was workable at all! In any social gathering of miners the conversation generally gets down to coal-cutting! Millions of mythical tons must have been "cut" on the night I was married! Then