| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: again, for one is sure to be wanted to wrap him in. Now, you owe
me a hundred and forty-four francs as it is, add forty francs for
the pair of sheets, and then there are several little things,
besides the candle that Sylvie will give you; altogether it will
all mount up to at least two hundred francs, which is more than a
poor widow like me can afford to lose. Lord! now, Monsieur
Eugene, look at it fairly. I have lost quite enough in these five
days since this run of ill-luck set in for me. I would rather
than ten crowns that the old gentlemen had moved out as you said.
It sets the other lodgers against the house. It would not take
much to make me send him to the workhouse. In short, just put
Father Goriot |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: serried squadrons of their cavalry. And now Agesilaus, conscious that
his enemy's infantry had not as yet arrived, whilst on his side no
element in his preparation was lacking, felt that the moment was come
to join battle if he could. Accordingly he sacrificed and advanced
against the opposing lines of cavalry. A detachment of heavy infantry,
the ten-years-service men, had orders to close with them at the run,
while the light infantry division were told to show them the way at a
swinging pace. At the same time he passed the order along the line of
his cavalry to charge in reliance of the support of himself and the
main body in their rear. Charge they did, these troopers, and the pick
of Persian cavalry received them bravely, but in face of the conjoint
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "You must return at once to her hiding-place and
fetch her hither in all secrecy. And, look you here!
Return not to Dusar without her, upon pain of death!"
Astok, Prince of Dusar, well knew his royal father's temper.
He knew that in the tyrant's heart there pulsed no single
throb of love for any creature.
Astok's mother had been a slave woman. Nutus had never
loved her. He had never loved another. In youth he had
tried to find a bride at the courts of several of his
powerful neighbours, but their women would have none of him.
After a dozen daughters of his own nobility had sought
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
