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Books · 1908

Nothing—so it seems to me…is more beautiful than the love that has weathered the storms of life. … The love of the young for the young, that is the beginning of life. But the love of the old for the old, that is the beginning of—of things longer.

— Jerome K. Jerome  ·  The Passing of the Third Floor Back

Two stems twist together, one bearing pink blossoms and the other wilted, against a terracotta background.
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An editorial interpretation.

The speaker finds love most beautiful once it has survived life's storms. Young love is described as a beginning, but love between the old is a start of something longer, quietly suggesting endurance, shared history and companionship deepen affection rather than ending it.

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