| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe: or four large pieces of good beef, and opened some gates, through
which they passed; but none of them had courage so much as to look
out to see them go, and, as it was evening, if they had looked they
could not have seen them as to know how few they were.
This was John the soldier's management. But this gave such an
alarm to the county, that had they really been two or three hundred the
whole county would have been raised upon them, and
* Here he called to one of his men, and bade him order Captain
Richard and his people to march the lower way on the side of the
marches, and meet them in the forest; which was all a sham, for they
had no Captain Richard, or any such company. [Footnote in the original.]
A Journal of the Plague Year |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from La Grande Breteche by Honore de Balzac: their last wishes, I confess that families in tears and the agonies I
have seen were as nothing in comparison with this lonely and silent
woman in her vast chateau. I heard not the least sound, I did not
perceive the movement which the sufferer's breathing ought to have
given to the sheets that covered her, and I stood motionless, absorbed
in looking at her in a sort of stupor. In fancy I am there still. At
last her large eyes moved; she tried to raise her right hand, but it
fell back on the bed, and she uttered these words, which came like a
breath, for her voice was no longer a voice: "I have waited for you
with the greatest impatience." A bright flush rose to her cheeks. It
was a great effort to her to speak.
La Grande Breteche |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Andes by Rex Stout: "Yes, a little fever. But you're all right now. And now you
must eat and drink. Not much of a variety, but it's better than
nothing."
I carried the platter and basin over to him, and sat down by
his side, and we fell to together.
But he would talk of Desiree, and I humored him. There was
little enough to say, but he pressed my hand hopefully and
gratefully when I expressed my belief that her disappearance had
been a trick of some sort and no matter for apprehension.
"We must find her, Paul."
"Yes."
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