| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: very same day on which he left her again on some pretence or other,
she was already ensconced in the house in the street of the
Consuls, with the trustworthy Rose scouting all over the town to
gain information.
Of the proceedings in the walled garden there is no need to speak
in detail. They were conventionally correct, but an earnestness of
purpose which could be felt in the very air lifted the business
above the common run of affairs of honour. One bit of byplay
unnoticed by the seconds, very busy for the moment with their
arrangements, must be mentioned. Disregarding the severe rules of
conduct in such cases Monsieur George approached his adversary and
 The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Aesop's Fables by Aesop: noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more
worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim
and slight." At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow
whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid
of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not
noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with
branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so
that the Hunter had time to come up. "Alas! alas!" cried the
Hart:
"We often despise what is most useful to us."
The Serpent and the File
 Aesop's Fables |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Deserted Woman by Honore de Balzac: enough with their name.
Neither husband nor wife has the remotest idea of modern luxury. They
retain a livery only seen elsewhere on the stage, and cling to old
fashions in plate, furniture, and equipages, as in language and manner
of life. This is a kind of ancient state, moreover, that suits
passably well with provincial thrift. The good folk are, in fact, the
lords of the manor of a bygone age, /minus/ the quitrents and heriots,
the pack of hounds and the laced coats; full of honor among
themselves, and one and all loyally devoted to princes whom they only
see at a distance. The historical house /incognito/ is as quaint a
survival as a piece of ancient tapestry. Vegetating somewhere among
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