| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: Tartarus were added to it,--a land peopled with flitting shadows,
suffering no torment, but experiencing no pleasure, like those
whom Dante met in one of the upper circles of his Inferno. Sheol
is the first story of the cosmic house; the earth is the second.
Above the earth is the firmament or sky, which, according to the
book of Genesis (chap. i. v. 6, Hebrew text), is a vast plate
hammered out by the gods, and supports a great ocean like that
upon which the earth rests. Rain is caused by the opening of
little windows or trap-doors in the firmament, through which
pours the water of this upper ocean. Upon this water rests the
land of heaven, where Jehovah reigns, surrounded by hosts of
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Margret Howth: A Story of To-day by Rebecca Harding Davis: and earth, and sky, of waiting hope, of a promised joy. Down
there in the farm-window two human hearts had given the joy a
name; the hope throbbed into being; the hearts touching each
other beat in a slow, full chord of love as pure in God's eyes as
the song the angels sang, and as sure a promise of the Christ
that is to come. Forever,--not even death would part them; he
knew that, holding her closer, looking down into her face.
What a pale little face it was! Through the intensest heat of
his passion the sting touched him. Some instinct made her glance
up at him, with a keen insight, seeing the morbid gloom that was
the man's sin, in his face. She lifted her head from his breast,
Margret Howth: A Story of To-day |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Moral Emblems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Something that did not seem to suit all -
Something, O call it bluff, not brutal -
Something at least, howe'er it's called,
Made Robin generally black-balled.
His soul was wounded; proud and glum,
Alone he sat and swigged his rum,
And took a great distaste to men
Till he encountered Chemist Ben.
Bright was the hour and bright the day
That threw them in each other's way;
Glad were their mutual salutations,
|
