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Hough, Emerson, 1857-1923

"The Way of a Man"

We were rich in these, our belongings, which we shared.


CHAPTER XXVIII
TILL DEATH DO PART

Hitherto, while I was weak, exhausted, and unable to reason beyond the
vague factors of anxiety and dread, she had cared for me simply, as
though she were a young boy and I an older man. The small details of our
daily life she had assumed, because she still was the stronger. Without
plot or plan, and simply through the stern command of necessity, our
interests had been identical, our plans covered us both as one. At
night, for the sake of warmth, we had slept closely, side by side, both
too weary and worn out to reason regarding that or any other thing.
Once, in the night, I know I felt her arm across my face, upon my head
her hand--she still sleeping, and millions of miles away among the
stars. I would not have waked her.
But now, behold the strange story of man's advance in what he calls
civilization. Behold what property means in regard to what we call laws.
We were rich now. We had two pieces of robe instead of one. We might be
two creatures now, a man and a woman, a wall between, instead of two
suffering, perishing animals, with but one common need, that of
self-preservation.


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