【荆棘鸟】第二章 18

she was too busy trying to remember how many plates there were in Teresa's willow pattern tea set. And when the Maoris in the organ gallery broke into glorious song, Meggie's head was spinning in a daze of ultramarine blue far removed from Catholicis

【荆棘鸟】第二章 17

However, in spite of bitter aloes, ridicule, Sister Agatha and Paddy's switch, Meggie went on biting her nails. Her friendship with Teresa Annunzio was the joy of her life, the only thing that made school endurable. She sat through lessons aching for

【荆棘鸟】第二章 16

and no idea in the world how to make the afflicted limb do what Sister Agatha insisted it could. She became mentally deaf, dumb and blind; that useless appendage her right hand was no more linked to her thought processes than her toes. She dribbled a

【荆棘鸟】第二章 15

Arithmetic she found easy, but when called upon to demonstrate toper skill verbally she could not remember how many two and two made. Reading was the entrance into a world so fascinating she couldn't get enough of it; but when Sister Agatha made her

【荆棘鸟】第二章 14

During lesson breaks in the playground they walked with arms looped around each other's waists, which was the sign that you were best friends and not available for courting by anyone else. And they talked, talked, talked. One lunchtime Teresa took he

【荆棘鸟】第二章 13

What happened then? Sister Ag caned her good and proper, and sent her home in disgrace. Well, I'd say she's had punishment enough. I have a lot of respect for the nuns and I know it isn't our place to question what they do, but I wish they were a bit

【荆棘鸟】第二章 12

Well, I told the boys what I'd do to any Cleary who even whimpered when he was caned, and that goes for you, too, Meggie. No matter how hard she beats you, not a whimper. Did you cry today? No, Frank, she yawned, her eyelids drooping and her thumb po

【荆棘鸟】第二章 11

Murder her, really murder her, take the double chins and squeeze .... Down went his tools, off came his apron; he walked to her quickly. What's the matter, dear? he asked, bending over until her face was level with his own. The smell of vomit rose fr

【荆棘鸟】第二章 10

Then down came the cane, anywhere it could land on Meggie's body as she flung up her arms to shield her face and cringed, still retching, into the corner. When Sister Agatha's arm was so tired it did not want to lift the cane, she pointed toward the

【荆棘鸟】第二章 09

Meggie Cleary, she whispered back. You there! came a dry, harsh voice from the front of the classroom. Meggie jumped, looking around in bewilderment. There was a hollow clatter as twenty children all put their pencils down together, a muted rustling

【荆棘鸟】第二章 08

It was lunchtime before the last of the pain died out of her hands. Meggie had passed the morning in a haze of fright and bewilderment, not understanding anything that was said or done. Pushed into a double desk in the back row of the youngest childr

【荆棘鸟】第二章 07

but her mouth tightened like an overwound spring, and the tip of the cane lowered itself an inch or two. Who is this? she snapped to Bob, as if the object of her inquiry were a new and particularly obnoxious species of insect. Please, Sister, she's m

【荆棘鸟】第二章 21

Doubt in her eyes, she turned then to Frank. Ought I to shave it? she asked, tight-upped. Frank put out his hand, revolted. Oh, Mum, no! Surely not! If she gets a good douse of kerosene it ought to be enough. Please don't shave it! So Meggie was marc

【荆棘鸟】第一章 11

Well, it would have to wait until the morning, when no doubt the pillow would be wet, too. He always did that, reversed himself and then wet once more.Well, one bedwetter among five boys wasn't bad. Meggie was curled into a little heap, with her thum

【荆棘鸟】第二章 01

When the Clearys went to church on Sundays, Meggie had to stay home with one of the older boys, longing for the day when she, too, would be old enough to go. Padraic Cleary held that small children had no place in any house save their own, and his ru

【荆棘鸟】第二章 02

The year was 1787. His fleet of eleven ships held over one thousand convicts, plus sailors, naval officers and a contingent of marines. No glorious odyssey in search of freedom, this. At the end of January 1788, eight months after setting sail from E

【荆棘鸟】第二章 03

Roderick Armstrong could no more have gone off into his escape leaving his tormentors intact or quickly dead than he could have reconciled himself to being a convict. With the rum and bread and jerky they took from the troopers, the eleven men fought

【荆棘鸟】第二章 04

Behave yourself, and mind your brothers. Bob, Jack, Hughie and Stu were hopping up and down by the front gate when Fee finally pushed Meggie out the door, her luncheon jam sandwiches in an old satchel. Come on, Meggie, we'll be late! Bob shouted, mov

【荆棘鸟】第二章 05

The general store was the next-biggest building, also boasting a sheltering awning, and two long wooden benches under its cluttered windows for passersby to rest upon. There was a flagpole in front of the Masonic hall; from its top a tattered Union J

【荆棘鸟】第二章 06

The sight was truly extraordinary; three dabs of person, which were Sister Agatha's face and hands, the rest white starched wimple and bib glaring against layers of blackest black, with a massive rope of wooden rosary beads dangling from an iron ring