But whichever or whatever it was, it concerned my little boy, who has grown to be a big giant, so much that I woke all of a tremble.

Laddie dear, I thought that I saw ye being married." This gave me an opening, though a small one, for comforting her, so I took it at once: "Why, dear, there isn't anything to alarm you in that, is there?
It was only the other day when you spoke to me about the need of my getting married, if it was only that you might have children of your boy playing around your knees as their father used to do when he was a helpless wee child himself." "That is so, laddie," she answered gravely.

"But your weddin' was none so merry as I fain would see.

True, you seemed to lo'e her wi' all yer hairt.

Yer eyes shone that bright that ye might ha' set her afire, for all her black locks and her winsome face.