| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke: About noon he came down from his room and went to the
piano, where Dorothy was sitting. They talked together in low
tones. Then she stood up, with pale face and wide-open eyes.
She laid her hand on his arm.
"Do not go, Edward. For the last time I beg you to stay
with us to-day."
He lifted her hand and held it for an instant. Then he
bowed, and let it fall.
"You will excuse me, Dorothy, I am sure. I feel the need
of exercise. Absolutely I must go; good-by--until the
evening."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Apology by Plato: his personal character, and this apparent haughtiness as flowing from the
natural elevation of his position?
For example, when he says that it is absurd to suppose that one man is the
corrupter and all the rest of the world the improvers of the youth; or,
when he argues that he never could have corrupted the men with whom he had
to live; or, when he proves his belief in the gods because he believes in
the sons of gods, is he serious or jesting? It may be observed that these
sophisms all occur in his cross-examination of Meletus, who is easily
foiled and mastered in the hands of the great dialectician. Perhaps he
regarded these answers as good enough for his accuser, of whom he makes
very light. Also there is a touch of irony in them, which takes them out
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: ardour of research in that direction would have been restrained
without infringing the sacred privileges of science. For the lack
of a little cool thinking in our guides and masters this course has
not been followed, and a beautiful simplicity has been sacrificed
for no real advantage. A frugal mind cannot defend itself from
considerable bitterness when reflecting that at the Battle of
Actium (which was fought for no less a stake than the dominion of
the world) the fleet of Octavianus Caesar and the fleet of
Antonius, including the Egyptian division and Cleopatra's galley
with purple sails, probably cost less than two modern battleships,
or, as the modern naval book-jargon has it, two capital units. But
The Mirror of the Sea |
