| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: brave and to outstrip the tempest. To the ignorant the great
results alone are admirable; to the knowing, and to Fleeming in
particular, rather the infinite device and sleight of hand that
made them possible.
A notion was current at the time that, in such a shop as
Fairbairn's, a pupil would never be popular unless he drank with
the workmen and imitated them in speech and manner. Fleeming, who
would do none of these things, they accepted as a friend and
companion; and this was the subject of remark in Manchester, where
some memory of it lingers till to-day. He thought it one of the
advantages of his profession to be brought into a close relation
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: happiness ain't a THING IN ITSELF - it's only a CONTRAST with
something that ain't pleasant. That's all it is. There ain't a
thing you can mention that is happiness in its own self - it's only
so by contrast with the other thing. And so, as soon as the
novelty is over and the force of the contrast dulled, it ain't
happiness any longer, and you have to get something fresh. Well,
there's plenty of pain and suffering in heaven - consequently
there's plenty of contrasts, and just no end of happiness."
Says I, "It's the sensiblest heaven I've heard of yet, Sam, though
it's about as different from the one I was brought up on as a live
princess is different from her own wax figger."
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: pursuers. In his eyes there was a great appeal.
"Leave me be, can't yeh? Leave me be fer a
minnit."
The youth recoiled. "Why, Jim," he said, in
a dazed way, "what's the matter with you?"
The tall soldier turned and, lurching danger-
ously, went on. The youth and the tattered
soldier followed, sneaking as if whipped, feeling
unable to face the stricken man if he should again
confront them. They began to have thoughts of
a solemn ceremony. There was something rite-
The Red Badge of Courage |
