| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Profits of Religion by Upton Sinclair: Jesus dictated--so simple, direct and practical: "Give us this
day our daily bread", and put it beside the hymns which the
slave-congregations are trained to sing. In my neighborhood is a
one-roomed building with a plate glass front, upon which I
observe a painter inscribing in red, white and blue letters the
sign "Glory Mission". I approach him, and he drops his work and
welcomes me with eager cordiality. Am I "living in grace"? I
answer that I am. I have to shout the good tidings into his ear,
as he is very deaf. He presents me with his card, which shows
that he bears the title of "Reverend", also the sobriquet of
"Mountain Missionary". I ask him to permit me to examine the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: vivacious, light-hearted child opened a new chapter in Ruskin's
life. Though but twelve years old, she sought to enliven the
melancholy student, absorbed in art and geology, and bade him
leave these and write for her a fairy tale. He accepted, and
after but two sittings, presented her with this charming story.
The incident proved to have awakened in him a greater interest
than at first appeared, for a few years later "Effie" Grey became
John Ruskin's wife. Meantime she had given the manuscript to a
friend. Nine years after it was written, this friend, with John
Ruskin's permission, gave the story to the world.
It was published in London in 1851, with illustrations by the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: calm waters the Judea glided imperceptibly, enveloped
in languid and unclean vapors, in a lazy cloud that
drifted to leeward, light and slow: a pestiferous cloud
defiling the splendor of sea and sky.
"All this time of course we saw no fire. The cargo
smoldered at the bottom somewhere. Once Mahon, as
we were working side by side, said to me with a queer
smile: 'Now, if she only would spring a tidy leak--
like that time when we first left the Channel--it would
put a stopper on this fire. Wouldn't it?' I remarked
irrelevantly, 'Do you remember the rats?'
Youth |
