| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: recognize her eyes or her mouth! Not a feature of her is there! And
her wit has deserted her! Oh, it is awful!"
"You don't know," said Valerie, "what death is; what it is to be
obliged to think of the morrow of your last day on earth, and of what
is to be found in the grave.--Worms for the body--and for the soul,
what?--Lisbeth, I know there is another life! And I am given over to
terrors which prevent my feeling the pangs of my decomposing body.--I,
who could laugh at a saint, and say to Crevel that the vengeance of
God took every form of disaster.-- Well, I was a true prophet.--Do not
trifle with sacred things, Lisbeth; if you love me, repent as I do."
"I!" said Lisbeth. "I see vengeance wherever I turn in nature; insects
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes: trees a little now? That is one of my specialities.
[So they all agreed that they should like to hear me talk about
trees.]
I want you to understand, in the first place, that I have a most
intense, passionate fondness for trees in general, and have had
several romantic attachments to certain trees in particular. Now,
if you expect me to hold forth in a "scientific" way about my tree-
loves, - to talk, for instance, of the Ulmus Americana, and
describe the ciliated edges of its samara, and all that, - you are
an anserine individual, and I must refer you to a dull friend who
will discourse to you of such matters. What should you think of a
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: and began running after him.
"What d'ye want?" cried Dick, stopping. "What make ye after me?
Stand off!"
"Will follow an I please," said Matcham. "This wood is free to
me."
"Stand back, by 'r Lady!" returned Dick, raising his bow.
"Ah, y' are a brave boy!" retorted Matcham. "Shoot!"
Dick lowered his weapon in some confusion.
"See here," he said. "Y' have done me ill enough. Go, then. Go
your way in fair wise; or, whether I will or not, I must even drive
you to it."
|
