| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: which they would have concluded that some inhabitants had been in
the place, and perhaps have searched farther for me. Then terrible
thoughts racked my imagination about their having found out my
boat, and that there were people here; and that, if so, I should
certainly have them come again in greater numbers and devour me;
that if it should happen that they should not find me, yet they
would find my enclosure, destroy all my corn, and carry away all my
flock of tame goats, and I should perish at last for mere want.
Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former
confidence in God, which was founded upon such wonderful experience
as I had had of His goodness; as if He that had fed me by miracle
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: one of my numerous PRAENOMINA. Look at the delight with
which two children find they have the same name. They are
friends from that moment forth; they have a bond of union
stronger than exchange of nuts and sweetmeats. This feeling,
I own, wears off in later life. Our names lose their
freshness and interest, become trite and indifferent. But
this, dear reader, is merely one of the sad effects of those
'shades of the prison-house' which come gradually betwixt us
and nature with advancing years; it affords no weapon against
the philosophy of names.
In after life, although we fail to trace its working, that
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: rectitude - why then, that accommodating husband would simply let
the ominous messenger have his chance. He would see there only his
natural anxieties being laid to rest for ever. Horrible? Yes.
But I could not take the risk. In a twelvemonth I had travelled a
long way in my mistrust of mankind.
We paced on steadily. I thought: "How on earth am I going to stop
you?" Had this arisen only a month before, when I had the means at
hand and Dominic to confide in, I would have simply kidnapped the
fellow. A little trip to sea would not have done Senor Ortega any
harm; though no doubt it would have been abhorrent to his feelings.
But now I had not the means. I couldn't even tell where my poor
The Arrow of Gold |
