| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Camille by Alexandre Dumas: convents are not high enough, mothers have no locks strong
enough, religion has no duties constant enough, to shut these
charming birds in their cages, cages not even strewn with
flowers. Then how surely must they desire the world which is
hidden from them, how surely must they find it tempting, how
surely must they listen to the first voice which comes to tell
its secrets through their bars, and bless the hand which is the
first to raise a corner of the mysterious veil!
But to be really loved by a courtesan: that is a victory of
infinitely greater difficulty. With them the body has worn out
the soul, the senses have burned up the heart, dissipation has
Camille |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: after looking at her a good deal--at her face and her hands,
her dress and her hair.
"Very much indeed," said Bessie.
"Do you like this hotel?"
"It is very comfortable," said Bessie.
"Do you like stopping at hotels?" inquired Lady Pimlico after a pause.
"I am very fond of traveling," Bessie answered, "and I suppose
hotels are a necessary part of it. But they are not the part
I am fondest of."
"Oh, I hate traveling," said the Countess of Pimlico and transferred
her attention to Mrs. Westgate.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: form of the goddess which she used as a frontispiece, bound the
whole up in yellow silk or satin and gave it as a present to her
favourite officials. Of course I thought at once of my collection
of paintings, and said:
"How much I should like to have a picture of the Empress Dowager
as the goddess of mercy!"
"I'll paint one for you," said he.
All this conversation I soon discovered was only a diplomatic
preliminary to what he had really come to tell me, which was that
he had been eating fish in the palace a few days before, and had
swallowed a fish-bone which had unfortunately stuck in his
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