| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Criminal Sociology by Enrico Ferri: testified that short terms of imprisonment increased the number of
offences. ``After a first sentence many offenders in this class
become professional criminals. Professional thieves, who are
habitual offenders, ought, with few exceptions, to be sentenced to
imprisonment for life, or for a term equivalent to the probable
remainder of their life.'' The draft Russian code, in 1883,
provides that, ``If it is found that the accused is guilty of
several offences, and that he has committed them through habitual
criminality, or as a profession, the court, when deciding upon the
punishment in relation to the different crimes, may increase it,''
&c. And the Italian penal code, though with much timidity, has
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: testimony of an upright and unsullied name and reputation], with which
we cannot dispense. For it is intolerable to live among men in open
shame and general contempt. Therefore God wishes the reputation, good
name, and upright character of our neighbor to be taken away or
diminished as little as his money and possessions, that every one may
stand in his integrity before wife, children, servants, and neighbors.
And in the first place, we take the plainest meaning of this
commandment according to the words (Thou shalt not bear false witness),
as pertaining to the public courts of justice, where a poor innocent
man is accused and oppressed by false witnesses in order to be punished
in his body, property, or honor.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Message by Honore de Balzac: racked his brains to discover a reason for his niece's tears. The
lady's husband silently digested his dinner; content, apparently,
with the Countess' rather vague explanation, sent through the
maid, putting forward some feminine ailment as her excuse. We all
went early to bed.
As I passed the door of the Countess' room on the way to my
night's lodging, I asked the servant timidly for news of her. She
heard my voice, and would have me come in, and tried to talk, but
in vain--she could not utter a sound. She bent her head, and I
withdrew. In spite of the painful agitation, which I had felt to
the full as youth can feel, I fell asleep, tired out with my
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