| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: all, under such pressure, must be held to lean to virtue's side.
My financial prospects are shining. O if the health will hold, I
should easily support myself. - Your ever affectionate son,
R. L. S.
Letter: TO EDMUND GOSSE
LA SOLITUDE, HYERES-LES-PALMIERS, VAR, [MAY 20, 1883].
MY DEAR GOSSE, - I enclose the receipt and the corrections. As for
your letter and Gilder's, I must take an hour or so to think; the
matter much importing - to me. The 40 pounds was a heavenly thing.
I send the MS. by Henley, because he acts for me in all matters,
and had the thing, like all my other books, in his detention. He
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: companionship in misfortune with beings innocent of its cause.
If she suffered herself she would understand and pity him; but
now she would not, or could not, find one word of comfort or love
for him in his dire extremity. The sense of his absolute
loneliness came home to his heart with a force that made him
shudder. He swayed and fell forward with his face on the table,
his arms stretched straight out, extended and rigid. Nina made a
quick movement towards her father and stood looking at the grey
head, on the broad shoulders shaken convulsively by the violence
of feelings that found relief at last in sobs and tears.
Nina sighed deeply and moved away from the table. Her features
 Almayer's Folly |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: every obligation.
MARLOW. What can I say to him, a mere boy, an idiot, whose ignorance
and age are a protection?
HASTINGS. A poor contemptible booby, that would but disgrace
correction.
MISS NEVILLE. Yet with cunning and malice enough to make himself
merry with all our embarrassments.
HASTINGS. An insensible cub.
MARLOW. Replete with tricks and mischief.
TONY. Baw! damme, but I'll fight you both, one after the
other----with baskets.
 She Stoops to Conquer |