| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: fetching the Commodore's craft such a thwack, that with all his pumps
going he made straight for the nearest port to heave down and repair.
I am not superstitious, but I consider the Commodore's interview
with that whale as providential. Was not Saul of Tarsus converted
from unbelief by a similar fright? I tell you, the sperm whale will
stand no nonsense.
I will now refer you to Langsdorff's Voyages for a little
circumstance in point, peculiarly interesting to the writer hereof.
Langsdorff, you must know by the way, was attached to the Russian
Admiral Krusenstern's famous Discovery Expedition in the beginning of
the present century. Captain Langsdorff thus begins his seventeenth
Moby Dick |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells: the drawing-room, and actually shake hands with him in an
entirely hopeless manner and hope everything would turn out for
the best.
The forgiveness and reconciliation was a cold and formal affair,
and afterwards her father went off gloomily to his study, and Mr.
Fortescue rambled round the garden with soft, propitiatory steps,
the Corinthian nose upraised and his hands behind his back,
pausing to look long and hard at the fruit-trees against the
wall.
Ann Veronica watched him from the dining-room window, and after
some moments of maidenly hesitation rambled out into the garden
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: "You are so silent, so cold, my Em," he cried. "Have you nothing to say to
me?"
A little shade of wonder filled her eyes.
"I will do everything you tell me," she said.
"What else could she say? Her idea of love was only service.
"Then, my own precious one, promise never to kiss that fellow again. I
cannot bear that you should love any one but me. You must not! I will not
have it! If every relation I had in the world were to die tomorrow, I
would be quite happy if I still only had you! My darling, my love, why are
you so cold? Promise me not to love him any more. If you asked me to do
anything for you, I would do it, though it cost my life."
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