Bishop's Road Read Online Free PDF

list and the shopping cart and brings Mrs. Miflin a cup of tea. She plans to take Judy with her when she goes but does not bother to mention this to Mrs. Miflin. If she could convince the poor thing to go to the hospital - but no - Mrs. Miflin will have none of it. She doesn’t like hospitals. She’s heard her share of horror stories from people who went to have gall bladders removed or hearts repaired and came away dead or with holes in their kidneys. No hospitals for Mrs. Miflin and that’s that.
    Mrs. Miflin has not missed a Sunday Mass since she was born except for that one time. And now she wants to confess she won’t be there tomorrow. Ruth is dispatched to the rectory to find Father Delaney. Mrs. Miflin cannot have such a sin on her soul. If she should die before she can get back on her feet and over to the church it’s hell for all eternity. Mrs. Miflin knows this for a fact.
    Father Delaney’s housekeeper is not all that fond of living so near such a queer crowd of women. She looks Ruth up, down and sideways before she opens the screen door. Once she does, though, Ruth is past her and down the hall calling out to the old man.
    â€œFather,” she says. “Mrs. Miflin has burned herself with the kettle water. She wants to see you right away. She’s in a state thinking she might die in the night and needs to confess.”
    â€œShe confessed this morning. What could she possibly have done since then that she needs me now? I was just having my tea.”
    â€˜She hasn’t done anything. She wants to confess the sin of not going to Mass tomorrow so she can stay out of hell.”
    â€œI don’t think a person can go around confessing sins they haven’t committed yet. Besides, she was at Mass today and if she doesn’t get there tomorrow it isn’t even a sin. Hasn’t been for years. And the Pope went and told everyone there’s no such thing as hell anyway so what’s her problem? Fool Pope. I don’t know how he thinks we’re going to get them interested in heaven if we don’t have hell to throw at them.”
    â€œI think you may have missed the point, Father, but that’s none of my concern. Are you coming or not? Hell or no hell, the woman wants to confess and if I go back without you I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ll wait until doomsday if I have to so you might as well say yes now and get it over with.”
    Father Delaney trudges down the hall and out into the sunlight, muttering. Looks like he has to go back into that God-forsaken place after all. He follows Ruth. Grumbles all the way to the second floor bathroom. Eve hears him coming and closes the door to hide the naked Mrs. Miflin.
    His conversation with the landlady is not unlike the one with Ruth and the little patience he had is gone so he gives in and,through the door, hears Mrs. Miflin confess that she didn’t go to church tomorrow to which he replies that she should say the Sorrowful Mysteries and if her legs hurt too much to kneel she can say them in bed or wherever else she wants. He leaves the house and Mrs. Miflin yells to Eve to bring her Rosary beads and since she said the Sorrowful Mysteries last night for no reason at all, decides to say the Joyful Mysteries instead and to hell with Father Delaney. Settles back in the tub to purify her soul.
    Eve hasn’t shopped for groceries or anything else in six years, not since she moved to Mrs. Miflin’s house. She is rather excited by the idea but pleased to have Judy along. She rarely leaves home or garden these days and is not sure what is out there anymore because she hears the news now and then and things don’t sound all that pleasant. Eve loves the world but over time she has become cautious.
    So there they go to replenish the pantry. Eve tall and strong and gray. Judy taller and stronger and orange-crowned with rings and studs in her ears and nose and tongue. An unlikely pair if ever there