So I went in, with my mind all took up with the grandchildern.
But the first words she sez to me wuz, as she looked close at the
pamm of my hand, "Keep up good spirits, Mom; you will get him in
spite of all opposition."

"Get who?" sez I, "And what?"

"A man you want to marry. A small baldheaded man, a amiable-lookin',
slender man. His heart is sot on you. And all the efferts of the
light-complected woman in the blue hat will be in vain to break it
up. Keep up good courage, you will marry him in spite of all," sez
she, porin' over my pamm and studyin' it as if it wuz a jography.

"For the land's sake!" sez I, bein' fairly stunted with the idees
she promulgated.

"Yes, you will marry him, and be happy. But you have had a
sickness in the past and your line of happiness has been broken
once or twice."

Sez I, "I should think as much; let a woman live with a man, the
best man in the world for 20 years, and if her line of happiness
haint broke more than once or twice, why it speaks well for the
line, that is all. It is a good, strong line."

"Then you have been married?" says she.

"Yes, Mom," sez I.

"Oh, I see, down in the corner of your hand is a coffin, you are