We are still paying the price of that knowledge;
suffering in both kinds is a substantial part of it, and brings its
own healing. Let us pay like men, our face to the open heaven,
neither whimpering like children in the dark, nor lulled to
unnecessary oblivion by some lethal drug; for it is manly, not
morbid, to dare to taste the pungent savour of pain, the lingering
sadness of farewell which emphasises the aftermath of life; it
should have its place in all our preparation as a part of our
inheritance we dare not be without.
There is an old couple in our village who are past work. The
married daughter has made shift to take her mother and the parish
half-crown, but there is neither room nor food for the father, and
he must go to N-. If husband and wife went together, they would be
separated at the workhouse door. The parting had to come; it came
yesterday. I saw them stumbling lamely down the road on their last
journey together, walking side by side without touch or speech,
seeing and heeding nothing but a blank future. As they passed me
the old man said gruffly, "'Tis far eno'; better be gettin' back";
but the woman shook her head, and they breasted the hill together.
At the top they paused, shook hands, and separated; one went on,
the other turned back; and as the old woman limped blindly by I
turned away, for there are sights a man dare not look upon. She
passed; and I heard a child's shrill voice say, "I come to look for
you, gran"; and I thanked God that there need be no utter
loneliness in the world while it holds a little child.
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