| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: rubbing your shin. So out of innocence we ripen. Two bruises on
that place mark a certain want of aptitude in learning, such as
one might expect in a person unused to muscular exercise.
Blisters on the hands are eloquent of the nervous clutch of the
wavering rider. And so forth, until Sherlock is presently
explaining, by the help of the minor injuries, that the machine
ridden is an old-fashioned affair with a fork instead of the
diamond frame, a cushioned tire, well worn on the hind wheel, and
a gross weight all on of perhaps three-and-forty pounds.
The revelation is made. Behind the decorous figure of the
attentive shopman that I had the honour of showing you at first,
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: in the same way.
The man who has to do with the horse should know, with regard to this
and all other necessary operations, that he ought to approach as
little as possible from the head or the tail to perform them; for if
the horse attempt to show vice he is master of the man in front and
rear. But by approaching from the side he will get the greatest hold
over the horse with the least risk of injury to himself.
When the horse has to be led, we do not approve of leading him from in
front, for the simple reason that the person so leading him robs
himself of his power of self-protection, whilst he leaves the horse
freedom to do what he likes. On the other hand, we take a like
On Horsemanship |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: my honour, I believe what I said of myself to be true, and I
believe it at this moment. At least, therefore, I did not assume
the character of needless precipitance merely to show off before
the ladies."
"I dare say you believed it; but I am by no means convinced that
you would be gone with such celerity. Your conduct would be
quite as dependent on chance as that of any man I know; and if,
as you were mounting your horse, a friend were to say, Bingley,
you had better stay till next week,' you would probably do it,
you would probably not go-- and at another word, might stay a
month."
Pride and Prejudice |
