At least I should not die alone. Human eyes would watch me end. It was cold comfort I presume, but yet I derived some slight peace of mind from the contemplation of it.
If you say that a slightly encouraging fact or event is cold comfort to someone, you mean that it gives them little or no comfort because their situation is so difficult or unpleasant. These figures may look good on paper but are cold comfort to the islanders themselves. Extremely limited empathy, sympathy, or encouragement: "I told him that the years would pass with remarkable celerity, but that appeared to be cold comfort" (Nelson Bryant). if something that is slightly positive is cold comfort to someone who is feeling very bad about a situation, it does not make them feel any better