The 42nd Parallel

The Camera Eye (17)

the spring you could see Halley’s Comet over the elms from the back topfloor windows of the Upper House Mr. Greenleaf said you would have to go to confirmation class and be confirmed when the bishop came and next time you went canoeing you told Skinny that you wouldn’t be confirmed because you believed in camping and canoeing and Halley’s Comet and the Universe and the sound the rain made on the tent the night you’d both read The Hound of the Baskervilles and you’d hung out the steak on a tree and a hound must have smelt it because he kept circling round you and howling something terrible and you were so scared (but you didn’t say that, you don’t know what you said)

and not in church and Skinny said if you’d never been baptized you couldn’t be confirmed and you went and told Mr. Greenleaf and he looked very chilly and said you’d better not go to confirmation class any more and after that you had to go to church Sundays but you could go to either one you liked so sometimes you went to the Congregational and sometimes to the Episcopalian and the Sunday the bishop came you couldn’t see Halley’s Comet any more and you saw the others being confirmed and it lasted for hours because there were a lot of little girls being confirmed too and all you could hear was mumble mumble this thy child mumble mumble this thy child and you wondered if you’d be alive next time Halley’s Comet came round