| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Falk by Joseph Conrad: maiden whom I shall always call Hermann's niece,
because as a matter of fact I've never heard her
name, for all my intimacy with the family.
This, however, sprang up later on. Meantime in
common with the rest of the shipping in that East-
ern port, I was left in no doubt as to Hermann's no-
tions of hygienic clothing. Evidently he believed
in wearing good stout flannel next his skin. On
most days little frocks and pinafores could be seen
drying in the mizzen rigging of his ship, or a tiny
row of socks fluttering on the signal halyards; but
 Falk |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Seraphita by Honore de Balzac: as a friend his integrity was absolute; he abhorred deception and
led the most exemplary of lives. The version which the Chevalier
Baylon gave of these facts is, therefore, entirely without
justification; the visit stated to have been made to Swedenborg in
the night-time by Count H---- and Count T---- is hereby
contradicted. In conclusion, the writer of the letter may rest
assured that I am not a follower of Swedenborg. The love of truth
alone impels me to give this faithful account of a fact which has
been so often stated with details that are entirely false. I
certify to the truth of what I have written by adding my
signature.
 Seraphita |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: godly men intervened like a wall of iron on our side? They should else
have witnessed a far different tragedy, namely, how the devil would
have destroyed all Germany in its own blood. But now they may
confidently deride it and make a mock of it, however, we shall
nevertheless be a match both for themselves and the devil by prayer
alone, if we only persevere diligently and not become slack. For
whenever a godly Christian prays: Dear Father let Thy will be done, God
speaks from on high and says: Yes, dear child, it shall be so, in spite
of the devil and all the world.
Let this be said as an exhortation, that men may learn, first of all,
to esteem prayer as something great and precious, and to make a proper
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