| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: unless some relief comes to us. Oh, my friends, you know as well
as I do, that my soul is at stake. And though I know there
is one way out for me, you must not and I must not take it!"
She looked appealingly to us all in turn, beginning and ending
with her husband.
"What is that way?" asked Van Helsing in a hoarse voice.
"What is that way, which we must not, may not, take?"
"That I may die now, either by my own hand or that of another,
before the greater evil is entirely wrought. I know, and you know,
that were I once dead you could and would set free my immortal spirit,
even as you did my poor Lucy's. Were death, or the fear of death,
Dracula |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: he could overlook the river and watch the sun climb to the
meridian.
"Now I'll give you till noon, and then--"
"Wot?"
"You'll be hitting the brimstone trail. But if you speak up, I'll
keep you till the next bunch of mounted police come by."
"Well, Gawd blime me, if this ain't a go! 'Ere I be, innercent as
a lamb, an' 'ere you be, lost all o' your top 'amper an' out o'
your reckonin', run me foul an' goin' to rake me into 'ell-fire.
You bloomin' old pirut! You--"
Jim Cardegee loosed the strings of his profanity and fairly outdid
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Droll Stories, V. 1 by Honore de Balzac: Marmoustiers, our neighbour; he will advise you well and will holily
direct you in the good way."
"Tomorrow I will go," said she.
And indeed directly it was day, she trotted off to the monastery of
the good brethren, who marvelled to see among them so pretty a lady;
committed more than one sin through her in the evening; and for the
present led her with great ceremony to their reverend abbot.
Blanche found the said good man in a private garden near the high rock
under a flower arcade, and remained stricken with respect at the
countenance of the holy man, although she was accustomed not to think
much of grey hairs.
Droll Stories, V. 1 |
