And I'm trying to decide whether I'll pine away and die, or go on and get my B.A.
"You couldn't possibly be sensible and useful, Phil, so you'd better pine away and die," said Anne cruelly.
For which reason Jason declared that was he deprived of his kingdom he should
pine away with regret, as not knowing how to live a private man.
That he had once, by way of experiment, privately removed a heap of these stones from the place where one of his YAHOOS had buried it; whereupon the sordid animal, missing his treasure, by his loud lamenting brought the whole herd to the place, there miserably howled, then fell to biting and tearing the rest, began to
pine away, would neither eat, nor sleep, nor work, till he ordered a servant privately to convey the stones into the same hole, and hide them as before; which, when his YAHOO had found, he presently recovered his spirits and good humour, but took good care to remove them to a better hiding place, and has ever since been a very serviceable brute."
"Aunt Martha's ain't got a faded leaf on 'em; but they
pine away when they ain't cared for," she said reflectively.
There he seized her by the wrist, and in a struggle or in a fall or through the horse being frightened and lashing out, she was lamed in the hip and from that hour began to
pine away."
Here's my two cents' worth: It is very easy after a certain age to take the line of least resistance and just
pine away lying in bed or on the couch and playing it safe at home.