| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: myself not equally satisfied with the behaviour of his lady. She is
perfectly well-bred, indeed, and has the air of a woman of fashion, but her
manners are not such as can persuade me of her being prepossessed in my
favour. I wanted her to be delighted at seeing me. I was as amiable as
possible on the occasion, but all in vain. She does not like me. To be sure
when we consider that I DID take some pains to prevent my brother-in-law's
marrying her, this want of cordiality is not very surprizing, and yet it
shows an illiberal and vindictive spirit to resent a project which
influenced me six years ago, and which never succeeded at last.
I am sometimes disposed to repent that I did not let Charles buy Vernon
Castle, when we were obliged to sell it; but it was a trying circumstance,
Lady Susan |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: "No, let it slide, Sandy, I don't mind. But you've got a Sandy
Hook HERE, too, have you?"
"We've got everything here, just as it is below. All the States
and Territories of the Union, and all the kingdoms of the earth and
the islands of the sea are laid out here just as they are on the
globe - all the same shape they are down there, and all graded to
the relative size, only each State and realm and island is a good
many billion times bigger here than it is below. There goes
another blast."
"What is that one for?"
"That is only another fort answering the first one. They each fire
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: white man, looking away upon the water.
"No, Tuan," said Arsat, softly. "I shall not eat or sleep in this
house, but I must first see my road. Now I can see nothing--see
nothing! There is no light and no peace in the world; but there is
death--death for many. We are sons of the same mother--and I left him
in the midst of enemies; but I am going back now."
He drew a long breath and went on in a dreamy tone:
"In a little while I shall see clear enough to strike--to strike. But
she has died, and . . . now . . . darkness."
He flung his arms wide open, let them fall along his body, then stood
still with unmoved face and stony eyes, staring at the sun. The white
Tales of Unrest |
