riage I've needed the
stick, but there was days 'at I could gang across the road an' sit on a
stane. Joey kent there was something wrang when I had to gie that up,
an' syne he noticed 'at I couldna even gang to the window unless Hendry
kind o' carried me. Na, ye wouldna think 'at there could hae been days
when Hendry did that, but he did. He was a sort o' ashamed if ony o'
the neighbours saw him so affectionate like, but he was terrible taen
up aboot me. His loom was doon at T'nowhead's Bell's father's, an'
often he cam awa up to see if I was ony better. He didna lat on to the
other weavers 'at he was comin' to see what like I was. Na, he juist
said he'd forgotten a pirn, or his cruizey lamp, or ony thing. Ah, but
he didna mak nae pretence o' no carin' for me aince he was inside the
hoose. He came crawlin' to the bed no to wauken me if I was sleepin',
an' mony a time I made belief 'at I was, juist to please him. It was
an awfu' business on him to hae a young wife sae helpless, but he wasna
the man to cast that at me. I mind o' sayin' to him one day in my bed,
'Ye made a poor bargain, Hendry, when ye took me.' But he says, 'Not
one soul in Thrums 'll daur say that to me but yersel, Jess. Na, na,
my dawty, you're the wuman o' my choice; there's juist one wuman i' the
warld to me, an' that's you, my ain Jess.' Twa an' twenty years syne.
Ay, Hendry called me fond like names, thae no everyday names. What a
straucht man he was!

"The doctor had said he could do no more for me, an' Hendry was the
only ane 'at didna gie me up. The bairns, of course, didna understan',
and Joey would come into the bed an' play on the top o' me. Hendry
would hae ta'en him awa, but I liked to hae 'im. Ye see, we war long
married afore we had a bairn, an' though I couldna bear ony other
weight on me, Joey didna hurt me, somehoo. I liked to hae 'im so close
to me.

"It was through that 'at he came to bury my staff. I couldna help
often thinkin' o' what like the hoose would be when I was gone, an'
aboot Leeby an' Joey left so young. So, when I could say it without
greetin', I said to Joey 'at I was goin' far awa, an' would he be a
terrible guid laddie to his father and Leeby when I was gone? He aye
juist said, 'Dinna gang, mother, dinna gang,' but one day Hendry came
in frae his loom, and says Joey, 'Father, whaur's my mother gaen to,
awa frae uset.' I 'll never forget Hendry's face. His mooth juist
opened an' shut twa or thre