Absence from Emily hurt just as much as he had feared it would.

He missed her, needed her, longed for her.

In numerous letters he told her so.

But, owing to the frequency with which he moved, her letters never caught up with him.
It was almost a relief.

He did not care to think of what they might tell him.
The route assigned David took him through the South and kept him close to the Atlantic seaboard.