| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: excellent company, or at least so I find myself; but by a
peculiar iniquity of fate, destitute alike of trade or money.
I was, indeed, this evening upon the quest of an adventure,
resolved to close with any offer of interest, emolument, or
pleasure; and your summons, which I profess I am still at
some loss to understand, jumped naturally with the
inclination of my mind. Call it, if you will, impudence; I
am here, at least, prepared for any proposition you can find
it in your heart to make, and resolutely determined to
accept.'
'You express yourself very well,' replied the old lady, 'and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy: at the same time, he was exceedingly chary of ex-
plicit rules of conduct. It might be said of Tol-
stoy that he became a spiritual leader in spite of
himself, so averse was he from assuming author-
ity. His aim was ever to teach his followers
themselves to hear the inward monitory voice,
and to obey it of their own accord. "To know
the meaning of Life, you must first know the
meaning of Love," he would say; "and then see
that you do what love bids you " His distrust
of "epidemic ideas" extended to religious com-
The Forged Coupon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and
wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely)
that love can find entrance, not only into an open
heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch
be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus,
Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if
man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and
all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel be-
fore a little idol, and make himself a subject,
though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the
eye; which was given him for higher purposes. It
Essays of Francis Bacon |
