The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [225]
He climbed down from the pulpit, genuflected in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and disappeared through the sacristy door. An altar boy came onto the altar, cassocked, and lit the candles for Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
III
“Say, wasn’t that a sermon!” Les exclaimed.
“It was a knockout,” Studs said, watching the people gush from church, looking at the girls coming out with an attitude of almost futile hope and expectancy.
“It was even better than the sermon he gave Tuesday night,” Red Kelly said.
“Sure it was, if it only teaches you guys something,” Barney said.
“People who live in glass houses shouldn’t fling bricks,” Stan said.
“Me, I’m an old man. He was talking to youth, and you bastards might still technically classify as youth,” Barney said.
Studs scanned the faces. Maybe that girl would be coming out, but it seemed that she had moved away. Lucy. He wanted them to see him there, calm, nonchalant. But he realized that he wasn’t so much to look at any more. Getting fatter all the time, had an alderman, was twenty pounds heavier than when he’d taken Lucy to that dance. Then he had been a damn good-looking guy, and he hadn’t danced so badly either.
“I like what he said about these bastards monkeying around with a guy’s sister. Like the time at Nolan’s, and that bastard, Guy Bain, was trying to lay it into my kid sister on the dance floor. Remember, Studs? Well, I got him,” Weary Reilley said.
“He knows his apples,” Les said.
“He didn’t hand it to the sheiks much, did he?” Tommy said.
“And neither did he to those people who think they are too good for the human race like Young O’Neill who goes to the University. He knows better than make the mission. He’d get his ear full,” said Red.
“Isn’t he making the mission?” asked Studs.
“He’s an atheist,” Red said.
“I always thought he was goofy,” Studs said.
Studs watched for a girl. Still plenty of them in the parish. He hated guys with a girl. Goddamn it, he needed a girl, he wanted the feeling a guy would have, having a girl that was his only. He edged over to listen to the punks razzing Curley, because he wanted to get closer to the crowd. He listened with a supercilious expression on his face. The razzing suddenly turned on Jerry Rooney because he had a big nose. Studs touched his own nose... Well, Rooney’s was bigger. Young Horn Buckford rushed to Studs from another group, and said he would let Studs prove it. Studs curtly asked him what?
“Listen, I was telling these dumbbells that there’s a fellow named Cardigan who beat Locke of Iowa running backwards. Remember you told me about it. This Cardigan beat Locke in the hundred yards, running backwards, and he made a back-ward dive over the tape to nose Locke out. Remember you told me, Studs?”
“You heard Father Shannon, didn’t you? Well, for Christ sake, leave it alone before it’s too late.”
“Hink wouldn’t have a leg to stand on after that sermon,” Tommy said, as they trailed back to the corner.
“He sure laid it on thick,” Les said.
“That’s the only way to do it,” said Red.
“Well, then, let’s see if you guys cut out the bottle after the mission is over, and quit adding to the revenue of whore houses,” Barney said.
“Say, Barney, at a time like this, when we’re all making the mission, there’s no place for kidding. I know we all done things, but the flesh is weak, and that’s why we’re making the mission. It’s to help us be more decent. We all know he told us the truth, and we all know that at times we’ve been pretty filthy bastards. But we’re going to try not to from now on,” Red said.
“Yeah,” Studs added, as if with deep reflection.
“He didn’t tell you nothing I ain’t been telling you for years,” Barney said.
“This is serious,” Red crisply said.
They had coffee an’ in the Greek restaurant. Coming out, Studs told about hearing Christy talk with Davey.
“Why don’t he go back to Ireland where he belongs,” Barney said.
“I think we ought to boycott the restaurant until Gus gets rid of him,” Red said.
“We’ll make the punks do it too,” Studs said.
“We don’t want radicals like that in this neighborhood. Father Shannon showed just what they are,