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 death would be a happy release. As long as they remain alive they get no happiness themselves, and make others miserable.”

‘To say this in the ordinary course might be tolerated, but, with the example of my wife before us, such a subject ought not to have been mentioned. But I suppose doctors grow callous about the question of life and death of men.

‘Suddenly one day, as I was sitting in the room next to the sick chamber, I heard my wife say to the doctor: “Doctor, why do you go on giving me so many useless medicines? When my whole life has become one continuous disease. don’t you think that to kill me is to cure me?”

‘The doctor said: “You shouldn’t talk like that.”

‘As soon as the doctor had gone, I went into my wife’s room, and seating myself beside her began to stroke her forehead gently. She said: ‘This room is very hot, you go out for your usual walk. If you don’t get your evening exercise, you will have no appetite for your dinner.”

‘My evening walk meant going to Doctor Haran’s house. I had myself explained that a little exercise is necessary for one’s health and