| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: came a fixture, a feature, an institution of the place.
People pointed us out to visitors as 'That 'ere bark
that's going to Bankok--has been here six months--put
back three times.' On holidays the small boys pulling
about in boats would hail, 'Judea, ahoy!' and if a head
showed above the rail shouted, 'Where you bound to?--
Bankok?' and jeered. We were only three on board.
The poor old skipper mooned in the cabin. Mahon un-
dertook the cooking, and unexpectedly developed all a
Frenchman's genius for preparing nice little messes. I
looked languidly after the rigging. We became citizens
Youth |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: I cannot thank you as I ought for all your loving care of me."
So they passed to the bed beside the discontented bee, and here upon
the softest down lay the dove, whose gentle eyes looked gratefully
upon the Fairy, as she knelt beside the little couch, smoothed the
soft white bosom, folded her arms about it and wept sorrowing tears,
while the bird still whispered its gratitude and love.
"Dear Fairy, the fairest flowers have cheered me with their sweet
breath, fresh dew and fragrant leaves have been ever ready for me,
gentle hands to tend, kindly hearts to love; and for this I can only
thank you and say farewell."
Then the quivering wings were still, and the patient little dove
Flower Fables |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Altar of the Dead by Henry James: between them - that was the essence of the matter, and never so
much between them as when they were face to face. Then Stransom,
while still wanting to banish him, had the strangest sense of
striving for an ease that would involve having accepted him.
Deeply disconcerted by what he knew, he was still worse tormented
by really not knowing. Perfectly aware that it would have been
horribly vulgar to abuse his old friend or to tell his companion
the story of their quarrel, it yet vexed him that her depth of
reserve should give him no opening and should have the effect of a
magnanimity greater even than his own.
He challenged himself, denounced himself, asked himself if he were
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