| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: was finished.
"Cathedral? Yes. Though I think I'd rather sit in the railway station,"
she answered, a remnant of vexation still in her voice. "That's the centre
of the town life now. The cathedral has had its day!"
"How modern you are!"
"So would you be if you had lived so much in the Middle Ages as I have done
these last few years! The cathedral was a very good place four or five
centuries ago; but it is played out now ... I am not modern, either. I am
more ancient than mediaevalism, if you only knew."
Jude looked distressed.
"There--I won't say any more of that!" she cried. "Only you
Jude the Obscure |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from La Grande Breteche by Honore de Balzac: the sole possessor, but I listened.
" 'Monsieur,' said she, 'when the Emperor sent the Spaniards here,
prisoners of war and others, I was required to lodge at the charge of
the Government a young Spaniard sent to Vendome on parole.
Notwithstanding his parole, he had to show himself every day to the
sub-prefect. He was a Spanish grandee--neither more nor less. He had a
name in /os/ and /dia/, something like Bagos de Feredia. I wrote his
name down in my books, and you may see it if you like. Ah! he was a
handsome young fellow for a Spaniard, who are all ugly they say. He
was not more than five feet two or three in height, but so well made;
and he had little hands that he kept so beautifully! Ah! you should
La Grande Breteche |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Seraphita by Honore de Balzac: regained its voice; all illusions were dispelled! They rejoiced in
Nature as she burst her bonds and seemed to answer with sublime accord
to the Spirit whose breath had wakened her.
When the three guests of this mysterious being left the house, they
were filled with the vague sensation which is neither sleep, nor
torpor, nor astonishment, but partakes of the nature of each,--a state
that is neither dusk nor dawn, but which creates a thirst for light.
All three were thinking.
"I begin to believe that she is indeed a Spirit hidden in human form,"
said Monsieur Becker.
Wilfrid, re-entering his own apartments, calm and convinced, was
Seraphita |
