| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: hair is in curls, while Nais' is brought forward softly on the
forehead as a border to the pink-and-white cap. Then the shoes are
buckled; and when the little bare legs and well-shod feet have trotted
off to the nursery, while two shining faces (/clean/, Mary calls them)
and eyes ablaze with life petition me to start, my heart beats fast.
To look on the children whom one's own hand has arrayed, the pure skin
brightly veined with blue, that one has bathed, laved, and sponged and
decked with gay colors of silk or velvet--why, there is no poem comes
near to it! With what eager, covetous longing one calls them back for
one more kiss on those white necks, which, in their simple collars,
the loveliest woman cannot rival. Even the coarsest lithograph of such
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An Episode Under the Terror by Honore de Balzac: of the woman's face show a very evident desire to be rid as soon as
possible of an unwelcome visitor, but she even permitted herself an
impatient exclamation when the drawer proved to be empty. Without
looking at the lady, she hurried from her desk into the back shop and
called to her husband, who appeared at once.
"Wherever have you put?----" she began mysteriously, glancing at the
customer by way of finishing her question.
The pastry-cook could only see the old lady's head-dress, a huge black
silk bonnet with knots of violet ribbon round it, but he looked at his
wife as if to say, "Did you think I should leave such a thing as that
lying about in your drawer?" and then vanished.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: Oh! you may as well take back that tiresome book she would lend me,
and pretend I have read it through. I really cannot be plaguing myself
for ever with all the new poems and states of the nation that come out.
Lady Russell quite bores one with her new publications.
You need not tell her so, but I thought her dress hideous the other night.
I used to think she had some taste in dress, but I was ashamed of her
at the concert. Something so formal and arrange in her air!
and she sits so upright! My best love, of course."
"And mine," added Sir Walter. "Kindest regards. And you may say,
that I mean to call upon her soon. Make a civil message;
but I shall only leave my card. Morning visits are never fair
Persuasion |
