| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: from the pursuit of great and noble objects, so long as[11] his body
was able to support the vigour of his soul. Therefore his old age
appeared mightier than the youth of other people. It would be hard to
discover, I imagine, any one who in the prime of manhood was as
formidable to his foes as Agesilaus when he had reached the limit of
mortal life. Never, I suppose, was there a foeman whose removal came
with a greater sense of relief to the enemy than that of Agesilaus,
though a veteran when he died. Never was there a leader who inspired
stouter courage in the hearts of fellow-combatants than this man with
one foot planted in the grave. Never was a young man snatched from a
circle of loving friends with tenderer regret than this old graybeard.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: understood it, shall be much indebted.
Indeed (replied Ischomachus), it will give me the greatest pleasure to
recount to you my daily occupations, and in return I beg you to reform
me, where you find some flaw or other in my conduct.[1]
[1] Lit. "in order that you on your side may correct and set me right
where I seem to you to act amiss." {metarruthmises}--remodel. Cf.
Aristot. "Nic. Eth." x. 9. 5.
The idea of my reforming you! (I said). How could I with any show of
justice hope to reform you, the perfect model[2] of a beautiful, good
man--I, who am but an empty babbler,[3] and measurer of the air,[4]
who have to bear besides that most senseless imputation of being poor
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: big, fine looking man jumps up on a bench and
shouts:
"Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen." They stopped
to listen. "We are sold -- mighty badly sold. But
we don't want to be the laughing stock of this whole
town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as
long as we live. NO. What we want is to go out of
here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the REST of
the town! Then we'll all be in the same boat. Ain't
that sensible?" ("You bet it is! -- the jedge is
right!" everybody sings out.) "All right, then --
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
