| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: station at Nijni-Novgorod:
"Your hand, brother," said she.
And at the same time her hand, with an almost maternal
gesture, wiped away a tear which sprang to her compan-
ion's eye.
CHAPTER XIII
DUTY BEFORE EVERYTHING
NADIA, with the clear perception of a right-minded
woman, guessed that some secret motive directed all
Michael Strogoff's actions; that he, for a reason unknown
to her, did not belong to himself; and that in this instance
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: crooked ways cannot lead to great ends. Patience and endurance
are the two qualities most needed in your position. I am not
scolding you; I do not want any tinge of bitterness to spoil our
offering. I am only talking like a mother whose trust in you is
as great as her foresight for you. You know the steps that you
must take, and I, for my part, know the purity of heart, and how
good your intentions are; so I can say to you without a doubt,
'Go forward, beloved!' If I tremble, it is because I am a mother,
but my prayers and blessings will be with you at every step. Be
very careful, dear boy. You must have a man's prudence, for it
lies with you to shape the destinies of five others who are dear
 Father Goriot |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson: the exposure of these pious 'phantoms' did as a matter of fact
silence in all that part of the island the voice of the scoffer.
'Why then,' the word went round, 'why then, the Bible is true!'
And on our return afterwards we were told the impression was yet
lively, and those who had seen might be heard telling those who had
not, 'O yes, it is all true; these things all happened, we have
seen the pictures.' The argument is not so childish as it seems;
for I doubt if these islanders are acquainted with any other mode
of representation but photography; so that the picture of an event
(on the old melodrama principle that 'the camera cannot lie,
Joseph,') would appear strong proof of its occurrence. The fact
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