Mr. Coffey says, Now, woman, whats your name?
Angela McCourt, sir.
And whats up with you?
Tis my son, sir. He has two bad eyes.
Oh, by God, he does, woman.Theyre desperate-looking eyes alto-
gether.They look like two rising suns.The Japs could use him on their
flag, ha ha ha. Did he pour acid on his face or what?
Tis some class of infection, sir. He had the typhoid last year and
then this came.
All right, all right, we dont need the life story. Heres your docket
to Dr.Troy.
Two long benches are filled with patients for Dr.Troy.Mam sits next
to a woman who has a big sore on her nose that wont go away. I tried
everything, missus, every known cure on Gods lovely earth. Im eighty-
three years of age and Id like to go to my grave healthy. Is it too much
to ask that I meet my Redeemer with a healthy nose? And whats up
with yourself, missus?
My son.The eyes.
Ah, God bless us and save us, look at them eyes.Theyre the sorest
two eyes I ever seen in me life. I never seen that color red before.
Tis an infection, missus.
Sure theres a cure for that.You need the caul.
Whats that now?
Babies are born with this thing on their heads, a class of a hood, rare
and magical. Get a caul and put that on his head any day that has a three
in it, make him hold his breath for three minutes even if you have to
clap your hand over his face, sprinkle him with holy water three times
head to toenail and his two eyes will shine in the dawn.
And where would I get a caul?
Dont all the midwives have cauls, missus.Whats a midwife with-
out a caul? It cures all classes of disease and keeps off more.
Mam says shell talk to Nurse OHalloran and see if she has a spare
caul.
Dr.Troy looks at my eyes. Into the hospital with this boy at once.
Take him to the eye ward at the City Home. Heres the docket to get
him in.
What does he have, Doctor?
The worst case of conjunctivitis Ive ever seen in my life and some-
thing else in there I cant make out. He needs the eye man.
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