| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: "I have, upon my soul. Left her this moment. Told her
you had sent me to say that, having just recollected a prior
engagement of going to Clifton with us tomorrow, you could
not have the pleasure of walking with her till Tuesday.
She said very well, Tuesday was just as convenient to her;
so there is an end of all our difficulties. A pretty
good thought of mine--hey?"
Isabella's countenance was once more all smiles
and good humour, and James too looked happy again.
"A most heavenly thought indeed! Now, my sweet Catherine,
all our distresses are over; you are honourably acquitted,
Northanger Abbey |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: To be something forever;
Blank tablets of stone,
Where a traveler might groan,
And in one sentence
Grave all that is known
Which another might read,
In his extreme need.
I know one or two
Lines that would do,
Literature that might stand
All over the land
Walking |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Twice Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Endicott glanced with an eye of pride at his sturdy followers,
and prepared to renew the martial toils of the day.
"Come, my stout hearts!" quoth he, drawing his sword. "Let us
show these poor heathen that we can handle our weapons like men
of might. Well for them, if they put us not to prove it in
earnest!"
The iron-breasted company straightened their line, and each man
drew the heavy butt of his matchlock close to his left foot, thus
awaiting the orders of the captain. But, as Endicott glanced
right and left along the front, he discovered a personage at some
little distance with whom it behooved him to hold a parley. It
Twice Told Tales |
