| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: ignorant of the malicious watcher in the window be-
hind them.
A great peacock strutted proudly across the walk be-
fore them, and, as Richard ran, childlike, after it, Lady
Maud hastened on to the little postern gate which she
quickly unlocked admitting her lover who had been
waiting without. Relocking the gate the two strolled
arm in arm to the little bower which was their trysting
place.
As the lovers talked, all self-engrossed, the little
Prince played happily about among the trees and flow-
The Outlaw of Torn |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: readers under facts; but he comes in the last resort, and as
his energy declines, to discard all design, abjure all
choice, and, with scientific thoroughness, steadily to
communicate matter which is not worth learning. The danger
of the idealist is, of course, to become merely null and lose
all grip of fact, particularity, or passion.
We talk of bad and good. Everything, indeed, is good which
is conceived with honesty and executed with communicative
ardour. But though on neither side is dogmatism fitting, and
though in every case the artist must decide for himself, and
decide afresh and yet afresh for each succeeding work and new
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: BELOW La Fere the river runs through a piece of open pastoral
country; green, opulent, loved by breeders; called the Golden
Valley. In wide sweeps, and with a swift and equable gallop, the
ceaseless stream of water visits and makes green the fields. Kine,
and horses, and little humorous donkeys, browse together in the
meadows, and come down in troops to the river-side to drink. They
make a strange feature in the landscape; above all when they are
startled, and you see them galloping to and fro with their
incongruous forms and faces. It gives a feeling as of great,
unfenced pampas, and the herds of wandering nations. There were
hills in the distance upon either hand; and on one side, the river
|
