| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: Icelandic, reminded me of the heroes of old. It was evident that we
were more at home than he was himself.
The conversation was carried on in the vernacular tongue, which my
uncle mixed with German and M. Fridrikssen with Latin for my benefit.
It turned upon scientific questions as befits philosophers; but
Professor Liedenbrock was excessively reserved, and at every sentence
spoke to me with his eyes, enjoining the most absolute silence upon
our plans.
In the first place M. Fridrikssen wanted to know what success my
uncle had had at the library.
"Your library! why there is nothing but a few tattered books upon
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Crisis in Russia by Arthur Ransome: industries, on transport, on the general situation and so again
on itself.
Mr. J. M. Keynes, writing with Central Europe in his
mind (he is, I think, as ignorant of Russia as I am of
Germany), says: "What then is our picture of Europe? A
country population able to support life on the fruits of its
own agricultural production, but without the accustomed
surplus for the towns, and also (as a result of the lack of
imported materials, and so of variety and amount in the
salable manufactures of the towns) without the usual
incentives to market food in exchange for other wares; an
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: third day) was the sole compensation ever given to the family, he
said, in a tone of deep sadness: "It was a time of great misery,
and of great hopes; but now are the days of forgetfulness." The
saying seemed to me sublime in its simplicity; but when I came to
reflect upon the matter, I felt there was some justification for
the apparent ingratitude of the House of Austria. Neither nations
nor kings are wealthy enough to reward all the devotions to which
these tragic struggles give rise. Let those who serve a cause with
a secret expectation of recompense, set a price upon their blood
and become mercenaries. Those who wield either sword or pen for
their country's good ought to think of nothing but of DOING THEIR
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