good time.We trot around to the church where they have statues of St.
Joseph himself as well as the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. I pray to the Little Flower
because she died of the consumption herself and shed understand.
One of our prayers must have been powerful because Brenda stays
alive and doesnt die till the second day of school.We tell Mickey were
sorry for his troubles but hes delighted with his week off and he gets
the black diamond patch which will bring the money and sweets.
My mouth is watering at the thought of the feast at Brendas wake.
Billy knocks on the door and theres Mickeys aunt.Well?
We came to say a prayer for Brenda and Mickey said we could come
to the wake.
She yells, Mickey!
What?
Come here. Did you tell this gang they could come to your sisters
wake?
No.
But, Mickey, you promised . . .
She slams the door in our faces.We dont know what to do till Billy
Campbell says, Well go back to St. Josephs and pray that from now
on everyone in Mickey Spellacys family will die in the middle of
the summer and hell never get a day off from school for the rest of his
life.
One of our prayers is surely powerful because next summer Mickey
himself is carried off by the galloping consumption and he doesnt get
a day off from school and that will surely teach him a lesson.
Proddy Woddy ring the bell,
Not for heaven but for hell.
On Sunday mornings in Limerick I watch them go to church, the
Protestants, and I feel sorry for them, especially the girls, who are so
lovely, they have such beautiful white teeth. I feel sorry for the beauti-
ful Protestant girls, theyre doomed.Thats what the priests tell us. Out-
side the Catholic Church there is no salvation. Outside the Catholic
Church there is nothing but doom.And I want to save them. Protestant
girl, come with me to the True Church. Youll be saved and you
wont have the doom.After Mass on Sunday I go with my friend Billy
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