| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: to the soul of the chevalier a sudden gleam. That momentary flash of
lightning enabled him to read the past.
"Ha! the devil!" he said to himself; "what a checkmate I'm exposed
to!"
Monsieur de Valois now approached Mademoiselle Cormon, and offered his
arm. The old maid's feeling to the chevalier was that of respectful
consideration; and certainly his name, together with the position he
occupied among the aristocratic constellations of the department made
him the most brilliant ornament of her salon. In her inmost mind
Mademoiselle Cormon had wished for the last dozen years to become
Madame de Valois. That name was like the branch of a tree, to which
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic: He--may--think we've gone some other way."
"It wouldn't matter if he did," remarked Celia.
She appeared to comprehend his nervousness and take pity
on it, for she added, "It is my brother Michael, as good
a soul as ever lived. He is quite used to my ways."
The Rev. Mr. Ware drew a long comforting breath.
"Oh, I see! He went with you to--bring you home."
"To blow the organ," said the girl in the dark, correctingly.
"But about that doctor; did you like him?"
"Well," Theron began, "'like' is rather a strong word
for so short an acquaintance. He talked very well;
The Damnation of Theron Ware |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: "Fame?"
He answered, "likely not. For the man I touch there is a path traced out
in the sand by a finger which no man sees. That he must follow. Sometimes
it leads almost to the top, and then turns down suddenly into the valley.
He must follow it, though none else sees the tracing."
"Love?"
He said, "He shall hunger for it--but he shall not find it. When he
stretches out his arms to it, and would lay his heart against a thing he
loves, then, far off along the horizon he shall see a light play. He must
go towards it. The thing he loves will not journey with him; he must
travel alone. When he presses somewhat to his burning heart, crying,
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