"Why, my lamb, it was just two nights ago that grandma came over and told you the Bible story about Joseph and his brothers. That was only a teeny-weeny time ago, wasn't it?"
"But you were here, then mamma. And this morning was almost forever. You stayed out so long that Lucy said you weren't coming back any more."
"That was naughty of Lucy because she is old enough to know better. Why do you choke that way? Does your throat hurt you?"
"It hurts because you are going away, mamma."
"But I'm going only to be with papa, precious. Don't you want poor papa to have somebody with him?"
"He's so big he can go by himself. But suppose the black man should come in the night while you are away, and I'd get scared and nobody would hear me."
"Grandma would hear you, Harry, and there isn't any black man that comes in the night. You must put that idea out of your head, dear. You're getting too big a boy to be afraid of the dark."
"Four isn't big, is it?"
"You're nearer five than four now, honey. Let me button your nightgown, and lie down and try to go to sleep while mamma sings to you. Does your throat really hurt you?"
"It feels as if it had teensy-weensy marbles in it. They came there when I woke up in the dark and thought that you were going away to-morrow."