ction；　or　so　much　as　an　infected　cut。　I　have　had　colds；　but　they　have　been　infrequent　…　six　or　seven　years　apart；　and　although　people　who　don't　have　colds　often　are　supposed　to　suffer　more　serious　ones；　that　has　never　been　the　case　with　me。　Once；　earlier　on　in　that　awful　year　of　1956；　I　passed　a　gallstone。　And　although　I　suppose　it　will　sound　strange　to　some　reading　this　in　spite　of　all　I　have　said；　part　of　me　relished　the　pain　that　came　when　that　gallstone　went。　It　was　the　only　serious　pain　I'd　had　since　that　problem　with　my　waterworks；　twenty…four　years　before。　The　ills　that　have　taken　my　friends　and　same…generation　loved　ones　until　there　are　none　of　them　left　…　the　strokes；　the　cancers；　the　heart　attacks；　the　liver　diseases；　the　blood　diseases　…　have　all　left　me　untouched；　have　swerved　to　avoid　me　the　way　a　man　driving　a　car　swerves　to　avoid　a　deer　or　a　raccoon　in　the　road。　The　one　serious　accident　I　was　in　left　me　untouched　save　for　a　scratch　on　the　hand。　In　1932；　John　Coffey　inoculated　me　with　life。　Electrocuted　me　with　life；　you　might　say。　I　will　pass　on　eventually　…　of　course　I　will；　any　illusions　of　immortality　I　might　have　had　died　with　Mr。　Jingles　…　but　I　will　have　wished　for　death　long　before　death　finds　me。　Truth　to　tell；　I　wish　for　it　already　and　have　ever　since　Elaine　Connelly　died。　Need　I　tell　you？

I　look　back　over　these　pages；　leafing　through　them　with　my　trembling；　spotted　hands；　and　I　wonder　if　there　is　some　meaning　here；　as　in　those　books　which　are　s