| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Fisherman's Luck by Henry van Dyke: Fishermen must be silent? On the contrary, it is far more likely
that good talk may promote good fishing.
All this, however, goes upon the assumption that fish can hear, in
the proper sense of the word. And this, it must be confessed, is an
assumption not yet fully verified. Experienced anglers and students
of fishy ways are divided upon the question. It is beyond a doubt
that all fishes, except the very lowest forms, have ears. But then
so have all men; and yet we have the best authority for believing
that there are many who "having ears, hear not."
The ears of fishes, for the most part, are inclosed in their skull,
and have no outward opening. Water conveys sound, as every country
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: surounded by those who exist for the mere Pleasures of the day, or
whose lives are bound up in Resitations.
For instance, at dinner today, being mostly faculty and a few girls
who live in the Far West, the conversation was entirely on buying
a Phonograph for dancing because the music teacher has the meazles
and is quarentined in the infirmery. And on Miss Everett's couzin,
who has written a play.
When one looks at Miss Everett, one recognises that no couzin of
hers could write a play.
New Year's resolution--to help some one every day. Today helped
Mademoiselle to put on her rubers.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Critias by Plato: at finding out defects, and our familiar knowledge makes us severe judges
of any one who does not render every point of similarity. And we may
observe the same thing to happen in discourse; we are satisfied with a
picture of divine and heavenly things which has very little likeness to
them; but we are more precise in our criticism of mortal and human things.
Wherefore if at the moment of speaking I cannot suitably express my
meaning, you must excuse me, considering that to form approved likenesses
of human things is the reverse of easy. This is what I want to suggest to
you, and at the same time to beg, Socrates, that I may have not less, but
more indulgence conceded to me in what I am about to say. Which favour, if
I am right in asking, I hope that you will be ready to grant.
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