| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: old days when mail-boats were square-rigged at least on
two masts, and used to come down the China Sea before
a fair monsoon with stun'-sails set alow and aloft. We
all began life in the merchant service. Between the five
of us there was the strong bond of the sea, and also the
fellowship of the craft, which no amount of enthusiasm
for yachting, cruising, and so on can give, since one is
only the amusement of life and the other is life itself.
Marlow (at least I think that is how he spelt his name)
told the story, or rather the chronicle, of a voyage:
"Yes, I have seen a little of the Eastern seas; but what
Youth |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: arm. They moved at a brisk walk, threading the intricate lanes and
drawing nearer to the shore.
"He hath gone each night in this direction?" asked Dick, in a
whisper.
"This is the third night running, Master Shelton," returned Capper,
"and still at the same hour and with the same small following, as
though his end were secret."
Sir Daniel and his six men were now come to the outskirts of the
country. Shoreby was an open town, and though the Lancastrian
lords who lay there kept a strong guard on the main roads, it was
still possible to enter or depart unseen by any of the lesser
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: XVII. SCIPIO MORALIZES
Into what mood was it that the Virginian now fell? Being less
busy, did he begin to "grieve" about the girl on Bear Creek? I
only know that after talking so lengthily he fell into a nine
days' silence. The talking part of him deeply and unbrokenly
slept.
Official words of course came from him as we rode southward from
the railroad, gathering the Judge's stray cattle. During the many
weeks since the spring round-up, some of these animals had as
usual got very far off their range, and getting them on again
became the present business of our party.
The Virginian |
