| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: the cure of Sancerre. The Presiding Judge's son was so extremely
obliging as to place a lamp near the two players in such a way as that
the light fell full on Madame de la Baudraye, who took up her work;
she was embroidering in coarse wool a wicker-plait paper-basket. The
three conspirators sat close at hand.
"For whom are you decorating that pretty basket, madame?" said
Lousteau. "For some charity lottery, perhaps?"
"No," she said, "I think there is too much display in charity done to
the sound of a trumpet."
"You are very indiscreet," said Monsieur Gravier.
"Can there be any indiscretion," said Lousteau, "in inquiring who the
The Muse of the Department |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: these will suddenly disclose themselves, and rushing to close
quarters, in all probability clench the nail of victory.[20] So at any
rate it strikes me, seeing as I do the effects of what is unexpected--
how, in the case of good things, the soul of man is filled to
overflowing with joy, and again, in the case of things terrible,
paralysed with amazement. In proof of what I say, let any one reflect
on the stupor into which a body of men with all the weight of
numerical advantage on their side will be betrayed by falling into an
ambuscade; or again, on the exaggerated terror mutually inspired in
belligerents during the first few days, of finding themselves posted
in face of one another.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Awakening & Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin: veritable bargains in the shop windows. And still there would be
left enough for new stockings--two pairs apiece--and what darning
that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and
sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood
looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives
excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.
The neighbors sometimes talked of certain "better days" that
little Mrs. Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being
Mrs. Sommers. She herself indulged in no such morbid
retrospection. She had no time--no second of time to devote to the
past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A
Awakening & Selected Short Stories |
