| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: climbed after her and dogged her footsteps. When she was among
rough laborers, negroes or Yankee soldiers, he was seldom more than
a pace from her elbow.
Soon Atlanta became accustomed to seeing Scarlett and her bodyguard
and, from being accustomed, the ladies grew to envy her her freedom
of movement. Since the Ku Klux lynching, the ladies had been
practically immured, not even going to town to shop unless there
were half a dozen in their group. Naturally social minded, they
became restless and, putting their pride in their pockets, they
began to beg the loan of Archie from Scarlett. And whenever she
did not need him, she was gracious enough to spare him for the use
Gone With the Wind |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: my way is too rough for my feet, or too steep for my strength, I
get off it, to some smooth velvet path, which Fancy has scattered
over with rosebuds of delights; and having taken a few turns in it,
come back strengthened and refresh'd. - When evils press sore upon
me, and there is no retreat from them in this world, then I take a
new course; - I leave it, - and as I have a clearer idea of the
Elysian fields than I have of heaven, I force myself, like AEneas,
into them. - I see him meet the pensive shade of his forsaken Dido,
and wish to recognise it; - I see the injured spirit wave her head,
and turn off silent from the author of her miseries and dishonours;
- I lose the feelings for myself in hers, and in those affections
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: Such, Socrates, are the ills which cause a house to crumble far more
than lack of scientific knowledge, however rude it be.[28] For if you
will consider; on the one hand, there is a steady outflow[29] of
expenses from the house, and, on the other, a lack of profitable works
outside to meet expenses; need you longer wonder if the field-works
create a deficit and not a surplus? In proof, however, that the man
who can give the requisite heed, while straining every nerve in the
pursuit of agriculture, has speedy[30] and effective means of making
money, I may cite the instance of my father, who had practised what he
preached.[31]
[28] Cf. Thuc. v. 7; Plat. "Rep." 350 A; "Theaet." 200 B.
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