| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Collected Articles by Frederick Douglass: state of things in the late rebellious States,--where frightful murders and
wholesale massacres are perpetrated in the very presence of Federal soldiers.
This horrible business they require shall cease. They want a reconstruction
such as will protect loyal men, black and white, in their persons and property;
such a one as will cause Northern industry, Northern capital, and Northern
civilization to flow into the South, and make a man from New England
as much at home in Carolina as elsewhere in the Republic.
No Chinese wall can now be tolerated. The South must be opened
to the light of law and liberty, and this session of Congress
is relied upon to accomplish this important work.
The plain, common-sense way of doing this work, as intimated
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: disaster, my advice to you is to take time to recover breath and
recruit your energies. When you have grown stronger then give battle
to these unconquered veterans.[22] At present," he continued, "you
know without my telling you that among your own allies there are some
who are already discussing terms of friendship with your foes. My
advice is this: by all means endeavour to obtain a truce. This," he
added, "is my own ambition: I want to save you, on the ground of my
father's friendship with yourselves, and as being myself your
representative."[23] Such was the tenor of his speech, but the secret
of action was perhaps to be found in a desire to make these mutual
antagonists put their dependence on himself alone. Whatever his
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: the old hymn:
"The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet,
And angels descend there the children to greet."
There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet children; children at
least in heart; and it was summer-time; summer, glorious summer!
THE LEAP-FROG
A Flea, a Grasshopper, and a Leap-frog once wanted to see which could jump
highest; and they invited the whole world, and everybody else besides who
chose to come to see the festival. Three famous jumpers were they, as
everyone would say, when they all met together in the room.
"I will give my daughter to him who jumps highest," exclaimed the King; "for
Fairy Tales |
