| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: boards. They looked like little family chapels--and so they were;
shrines where the ritual of the good housewife was celebrated, and
the gift of daily bread, having been honestly earned, was
thankfully received.
At one house we noticed a curious fragment of domestic economy.
Half a pig was suspended over the chimney, and the smoke of the
summer fire was turned to account in curing the winter's meat. I
guess the children of that family had a peculiar fondness for the
parental roof-tree. We saw them making mud-pies in the road, and
imagined that they looked lovingly up at the pendent porker,
outlined against the sky,--a sign of promise, prophetic of bacon.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: maketh covenants with fools and fair false promises, only that it
may allure them to itself. But, as they have dealt
treacherously, it proveth itself treacherous and false in
fulfilling none of its pledges. To-day it tickleth their gullet
with pleasant dainties; to-morrow it maketh them nought but a
gobbet for their enemies. To-day it maketh a man a king:
to-morrow it delivereth him into bitter servitude. To-day its
thrall is fattening on a thousand good things; to-morrow he is a
beggar, and drudge of drudges. To-day it placeth on his head a
crown of glory; to-morrow it dasheth his face upon the ground.
To-day it adorneth his neck with brilliant badges of dignity;
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: to the right place. If you have the least use for a hundred
pounds, or any such trifling sum as that, please mention it. It's
here, quite at your service.'
'I am sure it is most kind of you,' said Ronald, 'and the truth is,
though I can't think how you guessed it, that I really AM a little
behind board. But I haven't come to talk about that.'
'No, I dare say!' cried I. 'Not worth talking about! But
remember, Ronald, you and I are on different sides of the business.
Remember that you did me one of those services that make men
friends for ever. And since I have had the fortune to come into a
fair share of money, just oblige me, and consider so much of it as
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