| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: dead-level of correct practice in the crafts of land and sea. The
conditions fostering the growth of that supreme, alive excellence,
as well in work as in play, ought to be preserved with a most
careful regard lest the industry or the game should perish of an
insidious and inward decay. Therefore I have read with profound
regret, in that article upon the yachting season of a certain year,
that the seamanship on board racing yachts is not now what it used
to be only a few, very few, years ago.
For that was the gist of that article, written evidently by a man
who not only knows but UNDERSTANDS - a thing (let me remark in
passing) much rarer than one would expect, because the sort of
The Mirror of the Sea |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: panting chasers after repose that kept Broadway
warm should pounce upon and destroy this contiguous
but covert haven.
After dinner on the next day after the arrival of
Harold Farrington Madame Beaumont dropped her
handkerchief in passing out. Mr. Farrington recov-
ered and returned it without the effusiveness of a
seeker after acquaintance.
Perhaps there was a mystic freemasonry between
the discriminating guests of the Lotus. Perhaps
they were drawn one to another by the fact of their
The Voice of the City |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: to conjure away false positions. It all took place in a moment.
Paul was conscious that he knew him now, conscious of his handshake
and of the very quality of his hand; of his face, seen nearer and
consequently seen better, of a general fraternising assurance, and
in particular of the circumstance that St. George didn't dislike
him (as yet at least) for being imposed by a charming but too
gushing girl, attractive enough without such danglers. No
irritation at any rate was reflected in the voice with which he
questioned Miss Fancourt as to some project of a walk - a general
walk of the company round the park. He had soon said something to
Paul about a talk - "We must have a tremendous lot of talk; there
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