| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass: his one day being a freeman, on the banks of the
Chesapeake Bay--viewing the receding vessels as they
flew with their white wings before the breeze, and
apostrophizing them as animated by the living spirit
of freedom. Who can read that passage, and be in-
sensible to its pathos and sublimity? Compressed
into it is a whole Alexandrian library of thought,
feeling, and sentiment--all that can, all that need be
urged, in the form of expostulation, entreaty, rebuke,
against that crime of crimes,--making man the prop-
erty of his fellow-man! O, how accursed is that
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: Argyle Buildings, however, she was roused by this address
from her companion, "Who is that girl who looked at you
so hard as she went by?"
"Who? Where?"
"On the right-hand pavement--she must be almost
out of sight now." Catherine looked round and saw Miss
Tilney leaning on her brother's arm, walking slowly down
the street. She saw them both looking back at her.
"Stop, stop, Mr. Thorpe," she impatiently cried;
"it is Miss Tilney; it is indeed. How could you tell me
they were gone? Stop, stop, I will get out this moment
Northanger Abbey |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: enough sense left to perceive it. It is the way I have lived, I
suppose. I have never known the need to deny myself anything I
wanted." Then suddenly he swung round, and the outburst came.
"But, my God, I want Aline as I have never wanted anything yet! I
think I should kill myself in rage if through my folly I should
have lost her." He struck his brow with his hand. "I am a beast!"
he said. "I should have known that if that sweet saint got word of
these petty devilries of mine she would despise me; and I tell you,
Charles, I'd go through fire to regain her respect."
"I hope it is to be regained on easier terms," said Charles; and
then to ease the situation which began to irk him by its solemnity,
|
