dirt under one's fingernails; shred (of decency, etc.); scrap; bit
to boil; to decoct; to infuse
to live up to (one's) expectations; to meet expectations
throat; singing voice; gutter (inner margins of a book)
to swallow; to gulp down; to understand; to grasp; to engulf; to swallow up
participation in a war; going to war; taking part in a competition or contest
tank (military vehicle); chariot
to fight against; to oppose; to face
to watch to the end; to ascertain; to determine; to know thoroughly; to obtain a deep understanding of
to untie; to unfasten; to unsew; to unstitch; to solve; to work out; to dispel (misunderstanding, etc.)
comfortable; easy; calm; loose; spacious
first time; first; initial
wait-and-see (situation, stance, etc.); waiting to see (how things play out); watching developments (before acting); probe; probing move
reluctantly; grudgingly; unwillingly
strange; unfamiliar; mysterious; not knowing the true nature
same feeling; same sentiment; same opinion; sympathy; agreement; concurrence
ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
staringly; fixedly; unblinkingly
still; much more; (not) yet; still a long way to go; still a long way off; not there yet
prime of one's working life
widower; divorced man not remarried; (long-term) bachelor
(my) wife; inside the home; one's family
to lose (through death; e.g. a wife, child)
to fall ill; to become indisposed; to have one's physical condition deteriorate
exhausting work; hard work; severe duty
together; jointly; at the same time; with; both
to wear away; to rub down; to abrade
all sorts of things; (anything and) everything; by all means; at any cost
private; non-governmental; non-official; folk; popular
to be hurtful; to resonate emotionally (with one)
not long has passed since ...
authentic; credible; creditworthy; dependable; reliable; sound
capable person; talented person; human resources; personnel
one's nature; one's destiny; custom; tradition; habit
huge; vast; enormous; colossal; extensive; large
great commander; famous commander
to be greatly obliged; to be very sorry
to feel (as if); to have a feeling (that); to have a hunch (that); to feel like doing; to want to do
to choke; to be choked by; to be stifled by