| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: to windward. The sails were lowered to one third of the masts, and
with their fore-sails swelled up like balloons they glided over the
waves and anchored in the middle of the harbour. Then they crept up
alongside of the dock and the sailors threw the quivering fish over
the side of the boat; a line of carts was waiting for them, and women
with white caps sprang forward to receive the baskets and embrace
their men-folk.
One day, one of them spoke to Felicite, who, after a little while,
returned to the house gleefully. She had found one of her sisters, and
presently Nastasie Barette, wife of Leroux, made her appearance,
holding an infant in her arms, another child by the hand, while on her
 A Simple Soul |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: was obliged to confess that here was no supernatural being.
Then, springing forward,--
"Courage, comrades!" he exclaimed; "it is getting tired!
We shall soon catch it up now, and if it can talk as well as it
can run we shall hear a fine story."
But the pursuit had suddenly become more difficult.
They were in unknown regions of the mine; narrow passages
crossed each other like the windings of a labyrinth.
The bearer of the lamp might escape them as easily as possible,
by just extinguishing the light and retreating into some dark refuge.
"And indeed," thought Sir William, "if it wishes to avoid us,
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: at once, she had just awakened from a long and horrible
dream, seated on the steps of a throne, surrounded by
courtiers and flatterers. Like Mary Stuart on leaving
prison, she aspired not only to life and liberty, but to
power and wealth.
The Lady Henrietta, in growing, had attained remarkable
beauty, which the recent restoration had rendered
celebrated. Misfortune had taken from her the luster of
pride, but prosperity had restored it to her. She was
resplendent, then, in her joy and her happiness, -- like
those hot-house flowers which, forgotten during a frosty
 Ten Years Later |