| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: "That was the situation when she and Bamtz got acquainted casually.
She could not have had any illusions about that fellow. To pick up
with Bamtz was coming down pretty low in the world, even from a
material point of view. She had always been decent, in her way;
whereas Bamtz was, not to mince words, an abject sort of creature.
On the other hand, that bearded loafer, who looked much more like a
pirate than a bookkeeper, was not a brute. He was gentle - rather
- even in his cups. And then, despair, like misfortune, makes us
acquainted with strange bed-fellows. For she may well have
despaired. She was no longer young - you know.
"On the man's side this conjunction is more difficult to explain,
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: reasonings upon the Bastile; and I heavily walked upstairs,
unsaying every word I had said in going down them.
Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery! said I, - still thou
art a bitter draught! and though thousands in all ages have been
made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account. -
'Tis thou, thrice sweet and gracious goddess, addressing myself to
Liberty, whom all in public or in private worship, whose taste is
grateful, and ever will be so, till Nature herself shall change. -
No TINT of words can spot thy snowy mantle, or chymic power turn
thy sceptre into iron: - with thee to smile upon him as he eats his
crust, the swain is happier than his monarch, from whose court thou
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: approached, he raised his stick slightly by way of salutation.
"I have brought," said he, "a carriage, and I wish you would both do
me the favour to accompany me on a short excursion."
Taking their consent for granted, he signalled the vehicle, which
rapidly approached.
The three--Carroll and Orde somewhat bewildered--took their seats.
During a brief drive, Gerald made conversation on different topics,
apparently quite indifferent as to whether or not his companions
replied. After an interval the carriage drew up opposite a brown-
stone dwelling on a side street. Gerald rang the bell, and a moment
later the three were ushered by a discreet and elderly maid into a
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