| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: the difficulty of the back of the head, for which he had no
documents beyond a hazy recollection of a public meeting;
delighted himself by his treatment of the collar; and was only
recalled to the cares of life by Michael Finsbury's rattle at the
door.
'Well, what's wrong?' said Michael, advancing to the grate,
where, knowing his friend's delight in a bright fire, Mr Pitman
had not spared the fuel. 'I suppose you have come to grief
somehow.'
'There is no expression strong enough,' said the artist. 'Mr
Semitopolis's statue has not turned up, and I am afraid I shall
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: is a no man's land of the ages, a stir-about of epochs and races,
barbarisms and civilisations, virtues and crimes.
It is good of you to let me stay longer, but if I had known how ill
you were, I should be now on my way home. I had chartered my
schooner and made all arrangements before (at last) we got definite
news. I feel highly guilty; I should be back to insult and worry
you a little. Our address till further notice is to be c/o R.
Towns and Co., Sydney. That is final: I only got the arrangement
made yesterday; but you may now publish it abroad. - Yours ever,
R. L. S.
Letter: TO JAMES PAYN
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: becomes the more urgent, the neglect of it the more
disgraceful. And perhaps there is no subject on which a man
should speak so gravely as that industry, whatever it may be,
which is the occupation or delight of his life; which is his
tool to earn or serve with; and which, if it be unworthy,
stamps himself as a mere incubus of dumb and greedy bowels on
the shoulders of labouring humanity. On that subject alone
even to force the note might lean to virtue's side. It is to
be hoped that a numerous and enterprising generation of
writers will follow and surpass the present one; but it would
be better if the stream were stayed, and the roll of our old,
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