| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Alkahest by Honore de Balzac: are they not the happiest creatures of the feminine world? Can human
passion go beyond it? The glory of a woman is to be adored for a
defect. To forget that a lame woman does not walk straight may be the
glamour of a moment, but to love her because she is lame is the
deification of her defects. In the gospel of womanhood it is written:
"Blessed are the imperfect, for theirs is the kingdom of Love." If
this be so, surely beauty is a misfortune; that fugitive flower counts
for too much in the feeling that a woman inspires; often she is loved
for her beauty as another is married for her money. But the love
inspired or bestowed by a woman disinherited of the frail advantages
pursued by the sons of Adam, is true love, the mysterious passion, the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: "What! because he is big and burly like thyself, Thomas--nearly
as thick-headed, but without thy indifference to danger and
carelessness of offence? I tell thee that Austria has in all
that mass of flesh no bolder animation than is afforded by the
peevishness of a wasp and the courage of a wren. Out upon him!
He a leader of chivalry to deeds of glory! Give him a flagon of
Rhenish to drink with his besmirched baaren-hauters and lance-
knechts."
"There is the Grand Master of the Templars," continued the baron,
not sorry to keep his master's attention engaged on other topics
than his own illness, though at the expense of the characters of
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Emma by Jane Austen: in the most obliging manner in the world, fastening in the rivet of my
mother's spectacles.--The rivet came out, you know, this morning.--
So very obliging!--For my mother had no use of her spectacles--
could not put them on. And, by the bye, every body ought to have
two pair of spectacles; they should indeed. Jane said so.
I meant to take them over to John Saunders the first thing I did,
but something or other hindered me all the morning; first one thing,
then another, there is no saying what, you know. At one time Patty came
to say she thought the kitchen chimney wanted sweeping. Oh, said I,
Patty do not come with your bad news to me. Here is the rivet
of your mistress's spectacles out. Then the baked apples came home,
Emma |
