| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Elizabeth and her German Garden by Marie Annette Beauchamp: pony-carriage to the other farms on the place, to rate the "mamsells,"
as the head women are called, to poke into every corner,
lift the lids off the saucepans, count the new-laid eggs,
and box, if necessary, any careless dairymaid's ears.
We are allowed by law to administer "slight corporal punishment"
to our servants, it being left entirely to individual taste to decide
what "slight" shall be, and my neighbour really seems to enjoy
using this privilege, judging from the way she talks about it.
I would give much to be able to peep through a keyhole and see
the dauntless little lady, terrible in her wrath and dignity,
standing on tiptoe to box the ears of some great strapping
Elizabeth and her German Garden |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: Paul has their number when he calls them zeros. They deceive themselves
with their self-suggested wisdom and holiness. They have no understanding
of Christ or the law of Christ. By insisting that everything be perfect they
not only fail to bear the burdens of the weak, they actually offend the weak
by their severity. People begin to hate and shun them and refuse to accept
counsel or comfort from them.
Paul describes these stiff and ungracious saints accurately when he says of
them, "They think themselves to be something." Bloated by their own silly
ideas and schemes they entertain a pretty fair opinion of themselves, when
in reality they amount to nothing.
VERSE 4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: when I know the integrity of my own Heart--indeed 'tis monstrous.
SURFACE. But my dear Lady Teazle 'tis your own fault if you suffer
it--when a Husband entertains a groundless suspicion of his Wife and
withdraws his confidence from her--the original compact is broke and
she owes it to the Honour of her sex to endeavour to outwit him--
LADY TEAZLE. Indeed--So that if He suspects me without cause
it follows that the best way of curing his jealousy is to give him
reason for't--
SURFACE. Undoubtedly--for your Husband [should] never be deceived
in you--and in that case it becomes you to be frail in compliment
to his discernment--
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