He seemed to take a delight in finding that she had neglected to sew a button on his waistcoat.
His real joy, however, was the knowledge that she sewed as no other woman in Thrums could sew.

Jess had a genius for making new garments out of old ones, and Hendry never tired of gloating over her cleverness so long as she was not present.

He was always athirst for fresh proofs of it, and these were forthcoming every day.

Sparing were his words of praise to herself, but in the evening he generally had a smoke with me in the attic, and then the thought of Jess made him chuckle till his pipe went out.

When he smoked he grunted as if in pain, though this really added to the enjoyment.
"It doesna matter," he would say to me, "what Jess turns her hand to, she can mak ony mortal thing.