| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: be classed under a familiar head. If one should make a division
of all thinkers into naturalists and supernaturalists, I should
undoubtedly have to go, along with most philosophers, into the
supernaturalist branch. But there is a crasser and a more
refined supernaturalism, and it is to the refined division that
most philosophers at the present day belong. If not regular
transcendental idealists, they at least obey the Kantian
direction enough to bar out ideal entities from interfering
causally in the course of phenomenal events. Refined
supernaturalism is universalistic supernaturalism; for the
"crasser" variety "piecemeal" supernaturalism would perhaps be
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: and mine. On my return home yesterday, after listening to your
avowals, I received that letter."
Jules gave him the forged letter.
"This Ferragus, this Bourignard, or this Monsieur de Funcal, is a
demon!" cried Maulincour, after having read it. "Oh, what a frightful
maze I put my foot into when I meddled in this matter! Where am I
going? I did wrong, monsieur," he continued, looking at Jules; "but
death is the greatest of all expiations, and my death is now
approaching. You can ask me whatever you like; I am at your orders."
"Monsieur, you know, of course, where this man is living, and I must
know it if it costs me all my fortune to penetrate this mystery. In
 Ferragus |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: ransom; but it was either that or Bill Driscoll to the
madhouse."
Bill is puffing and blowing, but there is a look of ineffable
peace and growing content on his rose-pink features.
"Bill," says I, "there isn't any heart disease in your
family, is there?
"No," says Bill, "nothing chronic except malaria
and accidents. Why?"
"Then you might turn around," says I, "and have a
took behind you."
Bill turns and sees the boy, and loses his complexion
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