The critic was to begin his painful duties with a yard measure.

As a rule, visitors are a painful duty to me.

He presents cooperating with the committee as a necessary, if painful, duty of good citizenship.

He called police headquarters and made brisk work of his painful duty.

What it is my painful duty to tell you, must be told in writing.

He had wrestled a lifetime of difficult, sometimes painful duty, and won himself a reprieve.

It was now his painful duty to turn her over to the authorities.

Sumner later called this the most painful duty of his career.

"It will be my painful duty to foreclose the mortgage."

This is the most agonizing and the most painful duty of your President.