| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: ignorant of coquetry; a look was given the instant it was asked for,
the soft rays from the eyes of each never ceasing to mingle, unless
from modesty. The young girl took the joy of telling Etienne what
pleasure his voice gave her as she listened to his song; she forgot
the meaning of his words when he explained to her the position of the
notes or their value; she listened to HIM, leaving melody for the
instrument, the idea for the form; ingenuous flattery! the first that
true love meets. Gabrielle thought Etienne handsome; she would have
liked to stroke the velvet of his mantle, to touch the lace of his
broad collar. As for Etienne he was transformed under the creative
glance of those earnest eyes; they infused into his being a fruitful
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Mansion by Henry van Dyke: to
cling only by sufferance to the edge of the splendid city.
"This," said the Keeper of the Gate, standing still and speaking
with
a low, distinct voice--"this is your mansion, John Weightman."
An almost intolerable shock of grieved wonder and indignation
choked the man for a moment so that he could not say a word.
Then he turned his face away from the poor little hut
and began to remonstrate eagerly with his companion.
"Surely, sir," he stammered, "you must be in error about this.
There is something wrong--some other John Weightman--a confusion
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: for it. . . . Well, then. Hang it, no!"
"You are a good fellow, Bianchon. But suppose you loved a woman
well enough to lose your soul in hell for her, and that she
wanted money for dresses and a carriage, and all her whims, in
fact?"
"Why, here you are taking away my reason, and want me to reason!"
"Well, then, Bianchon, I am mad; bring me to my senses. I have
two sisters as beautiful and innocent as angels, and I want them
to be happy. How am I to find two hundred thousand francs apiece
for them in the next five years? Now and then in life, you see,
you must play for heavy stakes, and it is no use wasting your
Father Goriot |
