| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: idea and the reality possible; when we say that they had not a
distressing sense of spiritual unworthiness, we do not mean that
they had no conscience. We mean that their moral and religious
life sat easily on them, like their own graceful drapery,--did
not gall and worry them, like the hair-cloth garment of the monk.
They were free from that dark conception of a devil which lent
terror to life in the Middle Ages; and the morbid
self-consciousness which led mediaeval women to immure themselves
in convents would have been to an Athenian quite inexplicable.
They had, in short, an open and childlike conception of religion;
and, as such, it was a sunny conception. Any one who will take
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: table and rolled about in spasms.
Billy from his corner seemed to become aware of them. With his eye
fixed upon them like a statue, he came across the room, and, sitting
down near them with formal politeness, observed, "Was you ever to the
battle of Antietam?" This sent them beyond the limit; and they rocked
their heads on the table and wept as if they would expire.
Thus the three remained, during what space of time is not known: the two
upon the table, convalescent with relapses, and Billy like a seated
idol, unrelaxed at his vigil. The party was seen through the windows by
Silas, coming from the stable to inquire if the gelding should not be
harnessed. Silas leaned his face to the pane, and envy spoke plainly in
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: made out for certain that I was only twittering with cold. I had a
rub down with a towel, and donned a dry suit from the india-rubber
bag. But I was not my own man again for the rest of the voyage. I
had a queasy sense that I wore my last dry clothes upon my body.
The struggle had tired me; and perhaps, whether I knew it or not, I
was a little dashed in spirit. The devouring element in the
universe had leaped out against me, in this green valley quickened
by a running stream. The bells were all very pretty in their way,
but I had heard some of the hollow notes of Pan's music. Would the
wicked river drag me down by the heels, indeed? and look so
beautiful all the time? Nature's good-humour was only skin-deep
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