| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: too, you would rather save your fortune, and keep it for one or two of
your children? Well, fling yourself into the whirlpool of society,
lose that fortune at play, come to Gobseck pretty often. The world
will say that I am a Jew, a Tartar, a usurer, a pirate, will say that
I have ruined you! I snap my fingers at them! If anybody insults me, I
lay my man out; nobody is a surer shot nor handles a rapier better
than your servant. And every one knows it. Then, have a friend--if you
can find one--and make over your property to him by a fictitious sale.
You call that a fidei commissum, don't you?' he asked, turning to me.
"The Count seemed to be entirely absorbed in his own thoughts.
" 'You shall have your money to-morrow,' he said, 'have the diamonds
Gobseck |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Somebody's Little Girl by Martha Young: And the pretty one said: ``The dreadful fever!''
Sister Angela said: ``Yes. The dreadful fever. It often leaves
none in a house, and even sometimes none in a whole neighborhood to
tell the story.''
If, as Sister Angela and the pretty grown person talked, there came
to Bessie Bell any thought of a great silent house, and a big white
cat, with just one bit of black spot on its tail, why if such a
thought came to Bessie Bell it came only to float away, away like
white thistle seed--drifting away as dreams drift.
When the two pretty grown ones had gone away, then Sister Angela had
nodded her head at the row of little girls, so that they might know
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: to be found?
Oh yes, of course, things of that kind (replied Charicles), while
Critias added: But at the same time you had better have done with your
shoemakers, carpenters, and coppersmiths.[23] These must be pretty
well trodden out at heel by this time, considering the circulation you
have given them.
[23] Cf. Plat. "Gorg." 491 A; "Symp." 221 E; Dio Chrys. "Or." 55, 560
D, 564 A.
Soc. And am I to hold away from their attendant topics also--the just,
the holy, and the like?
Most assuredly (answered Charicles), and from cowherds in particular;
The Memorabilia |
