| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Virginibus Puerisque by Robert Louis Stevenson: worthy of our dreams. And when we have discovered a
continent, or crossed a chain of mountains, it is only to find
another ocean or another plain upon the further side. In the
infinite universe there is room for our swiftest diligence and
to spare. It is not like the works of Carlyle, which can be
read to an end. Even in a corner of it, in a private park, or
in the neighbourhood of a single hamlet, the weather and the
seasons keep so deftly changing that although we walk there
for a lifetime there will be always something new to startle
and delight us.
There is only one wish realisable on the earth; only one
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: a finger on the little comedy of fruitfulness in my life that
laughed so bitterly at the tragedy of the barren woman, and was
attempting, by delicate manipulation, to make it easier. I really
thought so. Then I observed that myself had preposterously deceived
me, that it wasn't like that at all. When Mr. Tottenham joined us,
Cecily and me, I saw that he listened more than he talked, with an
ear specially cocked to register any small irony which might appear
in my remarks to my daughter. Naturally he registered more than
there were, to make up perhaps for dear Cecily's obviously not
registering any. I could see, too, that he was suspicious of any
flavour of kindness; finally, to avoid the strictures of his upper
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: pleased with their place, relating to the tavern-keeper all
that he could say in favor of the young gentleman; whilst
Raoul wrote on thus:
"Sir, -- After a four hours' march I stop to write to you,
for I miss you every moment, and I am always on the point of
turning my head as if to reply when you speak to me. I was
so bewildered by your departure and so overcome with grief
at our separation, that I am sure I was able to but very
feebly express all the affection and gratitude I feel toward
you. You will forgive me, sir, for your heart is of such a
generous nature that you can well understand all that has
Twenty Years After |
