Sic a gran’ surprise I got the day, fin e postie cam’! ‘Ere wis a bookie sent frae my aul’ freen Les, an’ it wis wark deen b’ him an’ Sheena fan they were deein’ a series o’ wark-shops in e Art Gallery in Aiberdeen.
I can min’ fan we flittit tae Aiberdeen, ‘e year ‘e war ended. It wid hae been aboot July, aifter fit we caa’d VE Day, bit afore VJ Day. Onywye, ma mither took my sister an’ me tae veesit ‘e Art Gallery, ‘e first o’ mony sic veesits. Jist as ee wid expect, we a’ hid oor favourites, bit ae paintin’ we aye had a gweed lang stan’ afore, wis the “Flood in the Highlands.”
A’ these bitties tae see ilka time! ‘E cattie suppin’ ‘e broken eggie! ‘E bairnie swaddl’t in ‘e plaidie! In the beginnin’, like mony a bairn, I jist gaed a gey quick lookie, an’ syne wid hae moved awa’, bit ma mither gar’t me stan’, an’ listen, an’ look, an’ then sic ferlies! I wyte, ilka time, ower e’ years a new corner caught ma e’en. Nae eyn tae the magic o’ that painting!
Bit for a’ that, it wisna the ane we liket the best. Na, na! Far frae it! In a canny neuk, ahin a door, wis the “Gypsy Queen O Seville” Oh, bit we watched her watchin’ us! Her e’en follaed us a’ roon the room, bit hooiver quick we turned tae look at her, she wis aye still, nae movin’ at a’! An’ we thocht she wis jist winnerfu’! Files we gaed tae the exhibeetions o’ different artists, bit nivver a visit withoot we gaed tae pey oor respects till her Romany majesty. Is she still there? Can onybody lat me ken? I wid like fine tae see her again, jist tae see if the aul’ glamour is still there!