| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: bounds of discretion. It must always seem as if his original
attempt to deprive the commissioners of the services of a secretary
and the use of a safe were even senseless; and his step in printing
and posting a proclamation denying their jurisdiction were equally
impolitic and undignified. The dispute had a secondary result
worse than itself. The gentleman appointed to be Natives' Advocate
shared the chief justice's opinion, was his close intimate, advised
with him almost daily, and drifted at last into an attitude of
opposition to his colleagues. He suffered himself besides (being a
layman in law) to embrace the interest of his clients with
something of the warmth of a partisan. Disagreeable scenes
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Altar of the Dead by Henry James: undiminished state. Of the administration of this fund he would
appoint her superintendent, and if the spirit should move her she
might kindle a taper even for him.
"And who will kindle one even for me?" she then seriously asked.
CHAPTER VI.
SHE was always in mourning, yet the day he came back from the
longest absence he had yet made her appearance immediately told him
she had lately had a bereavement. They met on this occasion as she
was leaving the church, so that postponing his own entrance he
instantly offered to turn round and walk away with her. She
considered, then she said: "Go in now, but come and see me in an
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Walden by Henry David Thoreau: in their sacrifices to humanity, they ran no risks, not even to
their property; that after all they were not so noble but they
treated the thief as he had treated them, and hoped, by a certain
outward observance and a few prayers, and by walking in a particular
straight though useless path from time to time, to save their souls.
This may be to judge my neighbors harshly; for I believe that many
of them are not aware that they have such an institution as the jail
in their village.
It was formerly the custom in our village, when a poor debtor
came out of jail, for his acquaintances to salute him, looking
through their fingers, which were crossed to represent the grating
Walden |
