| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic: and regret the change--and blame me."
"I think you may rest easy in your mind about that,"
the other responded. "Whatever else he does, he will
never want to come within gunshot of a pulpit again.
It came too near murdering him for that."
Alice looked at her doubtfully. "Something came near
murdering him, I know. But it doesn't seem to me
that I would say it was the ministry. And I guess you
know pretty well yourself what it was. Of course,
I've never asked any questions, and I've hushed up
everybody at Octavius who tried to quiz me about it--
 The Damnation of Theron Ware |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tanach: Judges 21: 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said: 'There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
Judges 21: 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?'
Judges 21: 8 And they said: 'What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto the LORD to Mizpah?' And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
Judges 21: 9 For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
Judges 21: 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying: 'Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
Judges 21: 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.'
Judges 21: 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Judges 21: 13 And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace unto them.
Judges 21: 14 And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet so they sufficed them not.
 The Tanach |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Silas Marner by George Eliot: unnatural.
"Did you speak to me, my dear?" said the authentic doctor, coming
quickly to his wife's side; but, as if foreseeing that she would be
too much out of breath to repeat her remark, he went on immediately--
"Ha, Miss Priscilla, the sight of you revives the taste of that
super-excellent pork-pie. I hope the batch isn't near an end."
"Yes, indeed, it is, doctor," said Priscilla; "but I'll answer
for it the next shall be as good. My pork-pies don't turn out well
by chance."
"Not as your doctoring does, eh, Kimble?--because folks forget
to take your physic, eh?" said the Squire, who regarded physic and
 Silas Marner |