She held it toward him, smiling bravely and beautifully, but the tears were running straight down her cheeks.
"Take it to her," she said.

"I think, my son, it is very like." Laddie took her in his arms and wiped away the tears; he told her everything would come out all right about God, and the mystery, even.
Then he picked me clear off the ground, and he tried to see how near he could come to cracking every bone in my body without really doing it, and he kissed me over and over.

It hadn't been so easy, but I guess you'll admit that paid.

Then he rode away with the damask rose waving over his heart.

Mother and I stood beside the hitching rack and looked after him, with our arms tight around each other while we tried to see which one could bawl the hardest..