| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy: here under one roof, a snug united family o' Luxellians, they be
really scattered miles away from one another in the form of good
sheep and wicked goats, isn't it?'
'True; 'tis a thought to look at.'
'And that one, if he's gone upward, don't know what his wife is
doing no more than the man in the moon if she's gone downward.
And that some unfortunate one in the hot place is a-hollering
across to a lucky one up in the clouds, and quite forgetting their
bodies be boxed close together all the time.'
'Ay, 'tis a thought to look at, too, that I can say "Hullo!" close
to fiery Lord George, and 'a can't hear me.'
A Pair of Blue Eyes |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: struck the tiny mirror from her hand, Sarkoja, her face livid
with hatred and baffled rage, whipped out her dagger and
aimed a terrific blow at Dejah Thoris; and then Sola, our dear
and faithful Sola, sprang between them; the last I saw was
the great knife descending upon her shielding breast.
My enemy had recovered from his thrust and was making it
extremely interesting for me, so I reluctantly gave my
attention to the work in hand, but my mind was not upon the
battle.
We rushed each other furiously time after time, 'til suddenly,
feeling the sharp point of his sword at my breast in a thrust
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: Happy must that leader be whose followers are thus attached to him:
beyond all others he will prove a stout and strong commander. And by
strong, I mean, not one so hale of body as to tower above the stoutest
of the soldiery themselves; no, nor him whose skill to hurl a javelin
or shoot an arrow will outshine the skilfullest; nor yet that mounted
on the fleetest charger it shall be his to bear the brunt of danger
foremost amid the knightliest horsemen, the nimblest of light
infantry. No, not these, but who is able to implant a firm persuasion
in the minds of all his soldiers: follow him they must and will
through fire, if need be, or into the jaws of death.[8]
[8] Or, "through flood and fire or other desperate strait." Cf.
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