| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: paper-weight or any weight at all, but it happened that she died
as an epoch closed, an epoch of tremendous stabilities. Her son,
already elderly, had followed as the selvedge follows the piece,
he had passed and left the new age stripped bare. In nearly every
department of economic and social life now there was upheaval,
and it was an upheaval very different in character from the
radicalism and liberalism of the Victorian days. There were not
only doubt and denial, but now there were also impatience and
unreason. People argued less and acted quicker. There was a pride
in rebellion for its own sake, an indiscipline and disposition to
sporadic violence that made it extremely hard to negotiate any
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy: luncheon bell ring.
Thanks to the efforts of upwards of ten human
beings--counting laundresses, gardeners, cooks,
kitchen-maids, butlers and footmen--the table
was sumptuously laid for eight, with silver water-
jugs, decanters, kvass, wine, mineral waters, cut
glass, and fine table linen, while two men-servants
were continually hurrying to and fro, bringing
in and serving, and then clearing away the
hors d'oeuvre and the various hot and cold
courses.
The Forged Coupon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: fastening his coat. When he had finished, he turned to Bezukhov, and
said in a tone of indifferent politeness:
"Where are you going to now, my dear sir?"
"I?... I'm going to Petersburg," answered Pierre, in a childlike,
hesitating voice. "I thank you. I agree with all you have said. But do
not suppose me to be so bad. With my whole soul I wish to be what
you would have me be, but I have never had help from anyone.... But it
is I, above all, who am to blame for everything. Help me, teach me,
and perhaps I may..."
Pierre could not go on. He gulped and turned away.
The Mason remained silent for a long time, evidently considering.
War and Peace |
