| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: "I had my reasons, monsieur, for leaving Monsieur Hulot his liberty."
"That falsehood, madame, will surely be enough to wipe out every sin
you have ever committed, and to open to you the gates of Paradise,"
replied Crevel, with a knowing air that brought the color to the
Baroness' cheeks. "Sublime and adored woman, tell that to those who
will believe it, but not to old Crevel, who has, I may tell you,
feasted too often as one of four with your rascally husband not to
know what your high merits are! Many a time has he blamed himself when
half tipsy as he has expatiated on your perfections. Oh, I know you
well!--A libertine might hesitate between you and a girl of twenty. I
do not hesitate----"
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: in those places where they were least expected: then all were put to
the sword; the villages were burned; and the horses and cattle which
were not driven off behind the army killed upon the spot. They seemed
to be fiercely revelling, rather than carrying out a military
expedition. Our hair would stand on end nowadays at the horrible
traits of that fierce, half-civilised age, which the Zaporozhtzi
everywhere exhibited: children killed, women's breasts cut open, the
skin flayed from the legs up to the knees, and the victim then set at
liberty. In short, the Cossacks paid their former debts in coin of
full weight. The abbot of one monastery, on hearing of their approach,
sent two monks to say that they were not behaving as they should; that
Taras Bulba and Other Tales |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: thought. And you'll generally observe," I added, "that the more nobly a
Socialist vaporizes about the rights of humanity, the more wives and
children he has abandoned penniless along the trail of his life."
He was livelier than ever at this. "What date have you fixed for the
smash-up of our present civilization?"
"Why fix dates? Is it not diversion enough to watch, and step handsomely
through one's own part, with always a good sleeve to laugh in?"
Pensiveness returned upon him. "I shall be able to step through my own
part, I think." He paused, and I was wondering secretly, "Does that
include the wedding?" when he continued: "What's there to laugh at?"
"Why, our imperishable selves! For instance: we swear by universal
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