The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: trustworthy about the gods, but had always betrayed their trust in
the crisis of it, and, with their powers at the full reach, became
ministers to pride and to lust. And I felt also, with increasing
amazement, the unconquerable apathy in ourselves and hearers, no
less than in these the teachers; and that while the wisdom and
rightness of every act and art of life could only be consistent with
a right understanding of the ends of life, we were all plunged as in
a languid dream--our hearts fat, and our eyes heavy, and our ears
closed, lest the inspiration of hand or voice should reach us--lest
we should see with our eyes, and understand with our hearts, and be
healed.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: hounds and horses) found for her by the English Government, at an
expense which would be now equal to some twenty thousand a year,
could afford to employ the whole of her jointure as Queen Dowager
of France (probably equal to fifty thousand a year more), in
plotting the destruction of the said government, and the murder of
its queen; a Mary who, if she prospered as she ought, might have
dukedoms, and earldoms, fair lands and castles to bestow on her
faithful servants; a Mary, finally, who contrived by means of an
angel face, a serpent tongue, and a heart (as she said herself) as
hard as a diamond, to make every weak man fall in love with her,
and, what was worse, fancy more or less that she was in love with
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: her in a circle to hear of the wonderful "Van Amberg" who used to
"walk right into the lion's cage and put his head in the lion's
mouth." The children were in a state of nerves that did credit
to Polly as an entertainer, when Hasty broke in upon the song.
"When you get a minute I want ter tell yer somethin'."
"I have one right now." And turning to the eager mites at her
side, Polly told them to run along into the grove, and that she'd
come pretty soon to teach them a new game.
The youngsters went screaming and laughing on their way, and she
breathed a sigh of relief as she threw herself down on the rustic
seat that encircled the elm tree.
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