| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: day! The blue sky with its round clouds shed a brightness over
everything; the ailanthus had put on a tinge of yellow-green, the
hyacinths were budding, the magnolia flowers looked more than
ever like rosettes carved in alabaster. Soon the wistaria would
bloom, then the horse-chestnut; but not for her. Between her
eyes and them a barrier of brick and mortar would swiftly rise;
presently even the spire would disappear, and all her radiant
world be blotted out. Mrs. Manstey sent away untouched the
dinner-tray brought to her that evening. She lingered in the
window until the windy sunset died in bat-colored dusk; then,
going to bed, she lay sleepless all night.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: the disgraceful and ignominious purposes of their own will.
Returning to the subject which we had begun, I think it is made
clear by these considerations that it is not sufficient, nor a
Christian course, to preach the works, life, and words of Christ
in a historic manner, as facts which it suffices to know as an
example how to frame our life, as do those who are now held the
best preachers, and much less so to keep silence altogether on
these things and to teach in their stead the laws of men and the
decrees of the Fathers. There are now not a few persons who
preach and read about Christ with the object of moving the human
affections to sympathise with Christ, to indignation against the
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: you for quite a while, I said. And he looked at those boxes kind
of silent like."
"There's no need to move him," said Molly. '"It is simpler to
move them--the boxes. I could take out some of my things, you
know, just while he has to be kept there. I mean--you see, if the
doctor says the room should be cheerful--"
"Yes, deary."
"I will ask the doctor next time," said Molly. "if he believes I
am--competent to spread a rug upon a floor." Molly's references
to the doctor were usually acid these days. And this he totally
failed to observe, telling her when he came, why, to be sure! the
 The Virginian |