| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: dear Adeline, I am sure of what I say. I feel it is my duty to
enlighten you.--Well, let us think of the future. The Marshal is an
old man, but he will last a long time yet--he draws good pay; when he
dies his widow would have a pension of six thousand francs. On such an
income I would undertake to maintain you all. Use your influence over
the good man to get him to marry me. It is not for the sake of being
Madame la Marechale; I value such nonsense at no more than I value
Madame Marneffe's conscience; but you will all have bread. I see that
Hortense must be wanting it, since you give her yours."
The Marshal now came in; he had made such haste, that he was mopping
his forehead with his bandana.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: secretary is a product of the representative government hot-house; he
is propagated and developed there, and there only. Under a monarchy
you will find none but courtiers and vassals, whereas under a
constitutional government you may be flattered, served, and adulated
by free men. In France ministers are better off than kings or women;
they have some one who thoroughly understands them. Perhaps, indeed,
the private secretary is to be pitied as much as women and white
paper. They are nonentities who are made to bear all things. They are
allowed no talents except hidden ones, which must be employed in the
service of their ministers. A public show of talent would ruin them.
The private secretary is therefore an intimate friend in the gift of
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: the wrong I have done."
Then he went among the flowers, but they closed their leaves, and
shrank away, trembling with fear; while the birds fled to hide
among the leaves as he passed.
This grieved poor Thistle, and he longed to tell them how changed
he had become; but they would not listen. So he tried to show, by
quiet deeds of kindness, that he meant no harm to them; and soon
the kind-hearted birds pitied the lonely Fairy, and when he came near
sang cheering songs, and dropped ripe berries in his path, for he
no longer broke their eggs, or hurt their little ones.
And when the flowers saw this, and found the once cruel Elf now
Flower Fables |
