| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: of time till our own day, have cherished as a precious treasure
certain strains which epitomize their instincts and habits; I might
almost say their history. Listen to one of these primitive tones,--the
Gregorian chant, for instance, is, in sacred song, the inheritance of
the earliest peoples,--and you will lose yourself in deep dreaming.
Strange and immense conceptions will unfold within you, in spite of
the extreme simplicity of these rudimentary relics. And once or twice
in a century--not oftener, there arises a Homer of music, to whom God
grants the gift of being ahead of his age; men who can compact
melodies full of accomplished facts, pregnant with mighty poetry.
Think of this; remember it. The thought, repeated by you, will prove
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke: mine, for I was born here, and here my life is rooted. But
you are of the Children of the Unquiet Heart, whose feet can
never rest until their task of errors is completed and their
lesson of wandering is learned to the end. Until then go
forth, and do not forget that I shall remember always."
Behind her quiet voice I heard the silent call that
compels us, and passed down the street as one walking in a
dream. At the place where the path turned aside to the ruined
vineyards I looked back. The low sunset made a circle of
golden rays about her head and a strange twin blossom of
celestial blue seemed to shine in her tranquil eyes.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Herland by Charlotte Gilman: those eager young things waiting to talk to us, a sudden question
crossed my mind: "What was their point of view? What did they
think of us?" We learned that later.
Terry plunged in among those young creatures with a sort of
rapture, somewhat as a glad swimmer takes to the sea. Jeff, with
a rapt look on his high-bred face, approached as to a sacrament.
But I was a little chilled by that last thought of mine, and kept
my eyes open. I found time to watch Jeff, even while I was
surrounded by an eager group of questioners--as we all were--
and saw how his worshipping eyes, his grave courtesy, pleased
and drew some of them; while others, rather stronger spirits they
Herland |
