Exhaustion Quote by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
““Incidentally her head ached and her shoulders ached and her lungs ached and the ankle-bones of both feet ached quite excruciatingly. But nothing of her felt permanently incapacitated except her noble expression. Like a strip of lip-colored lead suspended from her poor little nose by two tugging wire-gray wrinkles her persistently conscientious sickroom smile seemed to be whanging aimlessly against her front teeth. The sensation certainly was very unpleasant.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Unfortunate Smile”, 1915
Physical pain is described vividly, yet the narrator’s spirit remains unbroken, showing resilience despite suffering.
In simple terms: Pain persists, spirit endures
Key Takeaway
Find strength in inner resolve despite discomfort
Themes
resilience
pain
humor
Mood
somber
wry
Type
literary
descriptive
When to use this quote
- hospital stay
- chronic illness
- daily discomfort
Key Concepts
Stoicism
psychological endurance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humor help endure pain?
- When does suffering become too great?
A Different Perspective
Physical limits may eventually overwhelm will
![“Then Night came down like the feathery soot of a smoky lamp, and smutted[9] first the bedquilt, then the hearth-rug, then the window-seat, and then at last the great, stormy, faraway outside world. But sleep did not come. Oh, no! Nothing new came at all except that particularly wretched, itching…” quote by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ff9/eleanor-hallowell-abbott-23054_insomnia_then-night-came-down-like-the-feathery-s_311779.jpg)
