The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: "I expect some good shooting for this prize," said Col. Zane, waving a
beautifully embroidered buckskin bullet pouch, which was one of Betty's
donations.
Jonathan having won his prize was out of the lists and could compete no more.
This entitled Alfred to the first shot for second prize. He felt he would give
anything he possessed to win the dainty trifle which the Colonel had waved
aloft. Twice he raised his rifle in his exceeding earnestness to score a good
shot and each time lowered the barrel. When finally he did shoot the bullet
embedded itself in the second circle. It was a good shot, but he knew it would
never win that prize.
"A little nervous, eh?" remarked Miller, with a half sneer on his swarthy
Betty Zane |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: great-grandfather had heard from his great-grandfather that the
traveller who scratched that picture had climbed Ngranek and seen
the carven face, here drawing it for others to behold, but Carter
had very great doubts, since the large rough features on the wall
were hasty and careless, and wholly overshadowed by a crowd of
little companion shapes in the worst possible taste, with horns
and wings and claws and curling tails.
At last, having gained
all the information he was likely to gain in the taverns and public
places of Baharna, Carter hired a zebra and set out one morning
on the road by Yath's shore for those inland parts wherein towers
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: an air of expectant life. One after another I made out the
familiar faces watching my approach with faint smiles of amused
recognition. They had known well enough that I was bound to come
back to them. But their eyes met mine seriously as was only to be
expected since I, myself, felt very serious as I stood amongst
them again after years of absence. At once, without wasting
words, we went to work together on our renewed life; and every
moment I felt more strongly that They Who had Waited bore no
grudge to the man who however widely he may have wandered at
times had played truant only once in his life.
1920. J. C.
The Rescue |