| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: hadn't ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep
off bad luck when you'd killed a spider.
I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my
pipe for a smoke; for the house was all as still as
death now, and so the widow wouldn't know. Well,
after a long time I heard the clock away off in the
town go boom -- boom -- boom -- twelve licks; and
all still again -- stiller than ever. Pretty soon I heard
a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees --
something was a stirring. I set still and listened.
Directly I could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: I gave some directions, promised to send a bottle of
medicine, and naturally made some inquiries.
"'Smith caught him in the stackyard at New
Barns,' said the old chap in his deliberate, unmoved
manner, and as if the other had been indeed a sort
of wild animal. 'That's how I came by him.
Quite a curiosity, isn't he? Now tell me, doctor--
you've been all over the world--don't you think
that's a bit of a Hindoo we've got hold of here.'
"I was greatly surprised. His long black hair
scattered over the straw bolster contrasted with the
Amy Foster |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: and Bertram, driven by the infernal decree, pursues his son, and makes
a last effort. Alice has called up the vision of the Mother, and now
comes the grand trio to which the whole opera has led up: the triumph
of the soul over matter, of the Spirit of Good over the Spirit of
Evil. The strains of piety prevail over the chorus of hell, and
happiness appears glorious; but here the music is weaker. I only saw a
cathedral instead of hearing a concert of angels in bliss, and a
divine prayer consecrating the union of Robert and Isabella. We ought
not to have been left oppressed by the spells of hell; we ought to
emerge with hope in our heart.
"I, as musician and a Catholic, wanted another prayer like that in
Gambara |
