| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: of former generations, combined with that of men now living,
recognises as the best? See, so soon as autumn time has come, the
faces of all men everywhere turn with a wistful gaze towards high
heaven. "When will God moisten the earth," they ask, "and suffer men
to sow their seed?"[1]
[1] See Dr. Holden's interesting note at this point: "According to
Virgil ('Georg.' i. 215), spring is the time," etc.
Yes, Ischomachus (I answered), for all mankind must recognise the
precept:[2] "Sow not on dry soil" (if it can be avoided), being taught
wisdom doubtless by the heavy losses they must struggle with who sow
before God's bidding.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William and Ellen Craft: The poultice is left off in the engraving, because
the likeness could not have been taken well with
it on.
My wife, knowing that she would be thrown
a good deal into the company of gentlemen, fancied
that she could get on better if she had something
to go over the eyes; so I went to a shop and
bought a pair of green spectacles. This was in the
evening.
We sat up all night discussing the plan, and
making preparations. Just before the time arrived,
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: On the night after the funeral of O-Sono, her little son said that his
mamma had come back, and was in the room upstairs. She had smiled at him,
but would not talk to him: so he became afraid, and ran away. Then some of
the family went upstairs to the room which had been O-Sono's; and they were
startled to see, by the light of a small lamp which had been kindled before
a shrine in that room, the figure of the dead mother. She appeared as if
standing in front of a tansu, or chest of drawers, that still contained her
ornaments and her wearing-apparel. Her head and shoulders could be very
distinctly seen; but from the waist downwards the figure thinned into
invisibility;-- it was like an imperfect reflection of her, and transparent
as a shadow on water.
Kwaidan |
