| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: child and no husband! The worst of creatures was better than I. I
don't know what would have become of me had I stayed to hear a word
against my boy or his father; I should have gone mad; I might have
killed myself. My father or my mother in a moment of anger might have
reproached me. I am too sensitive to bear a quarrel or an insult,
gentle as I am. I have had my punishment in not seeing my child, I who
have never passed a day without thinking of him in all these years! I
wished to be forgotten, and I have been. No one thought of me,--they
believed me dead; and yet, many a time, I thought of leaving all just
to come here for a day and see my child."
"Your child--see, here he is."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: "That same afternoon we were lazying around in a
boat among the water-lilies at the edge of the bay.
"'Arthur,' says I, 'you never told me you'd had
another love-affair. But Mrs. Gurley did,' I went on,
to let him know I knew. I hate to bear a man lie.
"' Before you came,' says he, looking me frankly
in the eye, 'there was a previous affection - a strong
one. Since you know of it, I will be perfectly candid
with you.'
"'I am waiting,' says I.
"'My dear Ida,' says Arthur -- of course I went
The Voice of the City |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson: Oriental manner. Both, besides, were bundled up in muslin like two
natives; and yet one of them was not only a white man, but a man
very well known to me and the reader, being indeed that very Master
of Ballantrae of whose gallantry and genius I have had to speak so
often. Word had reached me that he was come to the Indies, though
we had never met at least, and I heard little of his occupations.
But, sure, I had no sooner recognised him, and found myself in the
arms of so old a comrade, than I supposed my tribulations were
quite done. I stepped plainly forth into the light of the moon,
which shone exceeding strong, and hailing Ballantrae by name, made
him in a few words master of my grievous situation. He turned,
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