| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: D'Artagnan repressed his inclination to laugh, because the
brevity of Aramis's letter gave rise to reflection. He
followed Mousqueton, or rather Mousqueton's chariot, to the
castle. He sat down to a sumptuous table, of which they did
him the honors as to a king. But he could draw nothing from
Mousqueton, -- the faithful servant seemed to shed tears at
will, but that was all.
D'Artagnan, after a night passed in an excellent bed,
reflected much upon the meaning of Aramis's letter; puzzled
himself as to the relation of the Equinox with the affairs
of Porthos; and being unable to make anything out unless it
Ten Years Later |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: comparative mythology, were it not easy to show that the
difference is merely apparent and non-essential. It is the old
story of the shield with two sides; and a comparison of the
ideas fundamental to these myths will show that there is no
valid ground for disagreement in the interpretation of them.
The myths of schamir and the divining-rod, analyzed in a
previous paper, explain the rending of the thunder-cloud and
the procuring of water without especial reference to any
struggle between opposing divinities. But in the myth of
Hercules and Cacus, the fundamental idea is the victory of the
solar god over the robber who steals the light. Now whether
Myths and Myth-Makers |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris: combers' breastworks of sand, and a brief hand-to-hand scrimmage
around the old cabin. In all accounts he had ever read of such
affairs, and in all ideas he had entertained on the subject, this
had always been the case. The two bodies had shocked together
like a college rush, there had been five minutes' play of knife
and club and gun, a confused whirl of dust and smoke, and all was
over before one had time either to think or be afraid. But
nothing of the kind happened that morning.
The "Bertha Millner's" crew, in a long line, Moran at one end,
Wilbur at the other, and Charlie in the centre, came on toward the
beach-combers, step by step. There was little outcry. Each
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