| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Well, I took the note out to the shelter-house, and rapped. Mr.
Dick let me in, and it struck me he wasn't as cheerful as usual.
He reached out and took the muff.
"Oh," he said, "I thought that was the supper."
"It's coming," I said, looking past him for Mrs. Dicky. Usually
when I went there she was drawing Mr. Dick's profile on a bit of
paper or teaching him how to manicure his nails, but that night
she was lying on the cot and she didn't look up.
"Sleeping?" I asked in a whisper.
"Grumping!" Mr. Dick answered. He went over and stood looking
down at her with his hands in his pockets and his hair
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: 2. The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place;
that of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in
their being with the virtuous; that of government is in its securing
good order; that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability; and
that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness.
3. And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about
his low position), no one finds fault with him.
9. 1. It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to
carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been
sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.
2. When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: the laurel. "You're on all men's lips and, what's better, on all
women's. And I've just been reading your book."
"Just? You hadn't read it this afternoon," said Overt.
"How do you know that?"
"I think you should know how I know it," the young man laughed.
"I suppose Miss Fancourt told you."
"No indeed - she led me rather to suppose you had."
"Yes - that's much more what she'd do. Doesn't she shed a rosy
glow over life? But you didn't believe her?" asked St. George.
"No, not when you came to us there."
"Did I pretend? did I pretend badly?" But without waiting for an
|
