| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Padre Ignacio by Owen Wister: after the intoning he sat with his homesick thoughts unchanged, to draw
both pain and enjoyment from the music that he had set to the Dixit
Dominus. He listened to the tender chorus that opens William Tell; and,
as the Latin psalm proceeded, pictures of the past rose between him and
the altar. One after another came these strains he had taken from operas
famous in their day, until at length the Padre was murmuring to some
music seldom long out of his heart--not the Latin verse which the choir
sang, but the original French words:
"Ah, voile man envie,
Voila mon seul desir:
Rendez moi ma patrie,
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: could be heard her inward satisfaction. "Do you believe I should be
less happy in a garret? But," she added, "it is all charming, and--it
is ours!"
Luigi looked at her with such enthusiasm that she lowered her eyes.
"Now let us see the rest," she cried.
Above these three rooms, under the roof, was a study for Luigi, a
kitchen, and a servant's-room. Ginevra was much pleased with her
little domain, although the view from the windows was limited by the
high wall of a neighboring house, and the court-yard, from which their
light was derived, was gloomy. But the two lovers were so happy in
heart, hope so adorned their future, that they chose to see nothing
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: unison. The sense of hearing alone has survived the wreck of his
faculties; that is the only thread by which he holds on to life. A
vigorous shoot springs from that rotten stump. There are, I am told,
many men in the same predicament. May Madonna preserve them!
"You have not come to that! You can do all you want--all I want of
you, I know."
Towards morning the Prince stole away and found Carmagnola lying
asleep across the door.
"Altezza," said the gondolier, "the Duchess ordered me to give you
this note."
He held out a dainty sheet of paper folded into a triangle. The Prince
|