| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: Morskaya.
An hour later we reached the station. The coachman and a porter
with a disc on his breast carried my trunks into the ladies'
room. My coachman Nikanor, wearing high felt boots and the skirt
of his coat tucked up through his belt, all wet with the snow and
glad I was going away, gave me a friendly smile and said:
"A fortunate journey, your Excellency. God give you luck."
Every one, by the way, calls me "your Excellency," though I am
only a collegiate councillor and a kammer-junker. The porter told
me the train had not yet left the next station; I had to wait. I
went outside, and with my head heavy from my sleepless night, and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: looking up from its gory feast, descried them. With an
angry roar the beast walked quickly in their direction,
and at the sound of its voice a score of others followed
its example.
Carthoris drew his long-sword. The girl stole a quick
glance at his face. She saw the smile upon his lips,
and it was as wine to sick nerves; for even upon warlike
Barsoom where all men are brave, woman reacts quickly to
quiet indifference to danger--to dare-deviltry that is
without bombast.
"You may return your sword," she said. "I told you
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ballads by Robert Louis Stevenson: A boat to be seized by stealth, a wife to be taken by rape.
Still was the dark lagoon; beyond on the coral wall,
He saw the breakers shine, he heard them bellow and fall.
Alone, on the top of the reef, a man with a flaming brand
Walked, gazing and pausing, a fish-spear poised in his hand.
The foam boiled to his calf when the mightier breakers came,
And the torch shed in the wind scattering tufts of flame.
Afar on the dark lagoon a canoe lay idly at wait:
A figure dimly guiding it: surely the fisherman's mate.
Rahero saw and he smiled. He straightened his mighty thews:
Naked, with never a weapon, and covered with scorch and bruise,
Ballads |
