Dubliners

Dubliners
James Joyce

Dubliners

Table of Contents
Dubliners..............................................................................................................................................................1
James Joyce
..............................................................................................................................................1

iDubliners
James Joyce
Dubliners
• The Sisters
• An Encounter
• Araby
• Eveline
• After The Race
• Two Gallants
• The Boarding House
• A Little Cloud
• Counterparts
• Clay
• A Painful Case
• Ivy Day In The Committee Room
• A Mother
• Grace
• The Dead

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The Sisters
There was no hope for him this time: it was the third stroke. Night afternight I had passed the house (it was
vacation time) and studied the lighted square of window: and night after night I had found it lighted in the
same way, faintly and evenly. If he was dead, I thought, I would see the reflection of candles on the darkened
blind, for I knew that two candles must be set at the head of a corpse. He had often said to me: `I am not long
for this world,' and I hadthought his words idle. Now I knew they were true. Every night as I gazed up at the
window I said softly to myself the word paralysis. It had always sounded strangely in my ears, like the word
gnomon in the Euclid and the word simony in the Catechism. But now it sounded to me like the name of
some maleficent and sinful being. It filled me with fear, and yet I longed to be nearer to it and tolook upon its
deadly work. Old Cotter was sitting at the fire, smoking, when I came downstairs to supper. While my aunt
was ladling out my stirabout he said, as if returning to some former remark of his:
`No, I wouldn't say he was exactly... but there was something queer... there was something uncanny about
him. I'll tell you my opinion... '
He began to puff at his pipe, no doubt arranging hisopinion in his mind. Tiresome old fool! When we knew
him first he used to be rather interesting, talking of faints and worms; but I soon grew tired of him and his
endless stories about the distillery.
`I have my own theory about it,' he said. `I think it was one of those... peculiar cases... But it's hard to say... '
He began to puff again at his pipe without giving us his theory. My uncle sawme staring and said to me:
`Well, so your old friend is gone, you'll be sorry to hear.'
`Who?' said I.
`Father Flynn.'

Dubliners

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Dubliners
`Is he dead?'
`Mr Cotter here has just told us. He was passing by the house.'
I knew that I was under observation, so I continued eating as if the news had not interested me. My uncle
explained to old Cotter.
`The youngster and he were greatfriends. The old chap taught him a great deal, mind you; and they say he
had a great wish for him.'
`God have mercy on his soul,' said my aunt piously.
Old Cotter looked at me for a while. I felt that his little beady black eyes were examining me, but I would not
satisfy him by looking up from my plate. He returned to his pipe and finally spat rudely into the grate.
`I wouldn't like childrenof mine,' he said, `to have too much to say to a man like that.'
`How do you mean, Mr Cotter?' asked my aunt.
`What I mean is,' said old Cotter, `it's bad for children. My idea is: let a young lad run about and play with
young lads of his own age and not be... Am I right, Jack?'
`That's my principle, too,' said my uncle. `Let him learn to box his corner. That's what I'm always saying to
thatRosicrucian there: take exercise. Why, when I was a nipper, every morning of my life I had a cold bath,
winter and summer. And that's what stands to me now. Education is all very fine and large... Mr Cotter might
take a pick of that leg of mutton,' he added to my aunt.
`No, no, not for me,' said old Cotter.
My aunt brought the dish from the safe and put it on the table.
`But why do you...