| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: entirely the merriment which possessed them. The remodeled lunch
being gaily partaken of, the studio and garden visited, and art
discussed with enthusiasm, Amy ordered a buggy (alas for the elegant
cherry-bounce), and drove her friend quietly about the neighborhood
till sunset, when `the party went out'.
As she came walking in, looking very tired but as composed as
ever, she observed that every vestige of the unfortunate fete had
disappeared, except a suspicious pucker about the corners of Jo's
mouth.
"You've had a loverly afternoon for your drive, dear," said
her mother, as respectfully as if the whole twelve had come.
Little Women |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: cell.
Thus left alone, Cornelius threw himself on his bed, but he
slept not, he kept his eye fixed on the narrow window,
barred with iron, which looked on the Buytenhof; and in this
way saw from behind the trees that first pale beam of light
which morning sheds on the earth as a white mantle.
Now and then during the night horses had galloped at a smart
pace over the Buytenhof, the heavy tramp of the patrols had
resounded from the pavement, and the slow matches of the
arquebuses, flaring in the east wind, had thrown up at
intervals a sudden glare as far as to the panes of his
The Black Tulip |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: of God, in humility of mind persuading himself that his labours
were nought and that he was debtor even for more, as saith the
Lord, `When ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you, say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done
that which was our duty to do."' Others again persuaded
themselves that they had not done even the things which they were
commanded to do, but that the things left undone outnumbered the
things already well done. Again, he that was far behind in
austerity, perchance through bodily weakness, would disparage and
blame himself, attributing his failure to slothfulness of mind
rather than to natural frailty. So each excelled each, and all
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